Army: Full environmental review of $9.4B plastics complex
Associated PressNEW ORLEANS — A civilian Pentagon official ordered the Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday to conduct a full environmental assessment of a $9.4 billion Formosa Plastics complex planned in Louisiana, drawing praise from environmentalists. Jaime Pinkham, the Army’s acting assistant secretary for civil works, ordered the review after a virtual meeting with opponents of a Corps wetlands permit that allowed Formosa Plastics Group member FG LA LLC to build 10 chemical plants and four other major facilities on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. With God’s help, Formosa Plastics will soon pull out of our community,” said a statement by Sharon Lavigne, who founded the local group Rise St. James to fight the planned complex announced in 2018. Pinkham, who supervises and sets policy for the Corps’ civil works, wrote that he is committed to having the Army “be a leader in the federal government’s efforts to ensure thorough environmental analysis and meaningful community outreach.” The Corps needs “to thoroughly review areas of concern, particularly those with environmental justice implications,” Pinkham wrote.
History of this topic
Army Corps reconsidering permit for $9.4B plastics complex
Associated PressDiscover Related
