The Port of New Orleans has been awarded a $73.8 million federal grant to support the initial construction of its Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) project in St. Bernard Parish. The new terminal, located in Violet, Louisiana, will be able to serve vessels of all sizes by avoiding height restrictions from bridges further up the Mississippi River and taking advantage of the deeper, 50-foot Lower Mississippi River Ship Channel. According to the 2023 State of the Port Address, the terminal is expected to generate 32,000 new jobs nationwide, 18,000 in Louisiana, and 4,300 in St. Bernard Parish by 2050. The $1.8 billion project will be built (and ultimately operated) by a public-private partnership between the state of Louisiana, the Port of New Orleans, and two private terminal operators, New Jersey-based Ports America and Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (through its terminal development and investment arm, Terminal Investment Limited (TiL)). In addition to this most recent federal grant, significant funding commitments have already been made including $800 million from the private sector partners and $50 million secured by the Port for the design of the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor that will connect lower St. Bernard and the terminal to the interstate system. A majority of the public funds are in limbo after the Louisiana state legislature failed to clear it for “priority one” spending, but lawmakers will have a chance to remedy that in 2024.
The Port purchased 1,200 acres of land in Violet in 2020 after an exhaustive site selection and feasibility studies process. The Port submitted its application for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit (Ref. Permit No. MVN-2021-00270-EG) in December 2021, and the project is currently in the design/permitting phase of the USACE’s environmental review process. As required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a range of environmental studies will be conducted for the proposed terminal and the results of these studies will then be submitted to the USACE to use in its determination as to whether to issue the three permits necessary for the project’s construction. The environmental studies are expected to be completed sometime in 2025, and the terminal’s estimated opening will be in 2028. For more information regarding the environmental permitting process or other aspects of the Louisiana International Terminal project, please contact James Lapeze or Cristian Soler or visit the project’s website.
Disclaimer: This Blog/Web Site is made available by the law firm of Liskow & Lewis, APLC (“Liskow & Lewis”) and the individual Liskow & Lewis lawyers posting to this site for educational purposes and to give you general information and a general understanding of the law only, not to provide specific legal advice as to an identified problem or issue. By using this blog site you understand and acknowledge that there is no attorney-client relationship formed between you and Liskow & Lewis and/or the individual Liskow & Lewis lawyers posting to this site by virtue of your using this site. The Blog/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state regarding a particular matter.
Privacy Policy: By subscribing to Liskow & Lewis’ E-Communications, you will receive articles and blogs with insight and analysis of legal issues that may impact your industry. Communications include firm news, insights, and events. To receive information from Liskow & Lewis, your information will be kept in a secured contact database. If at any time you would like to unsubscribe, please use the SafeUnsubscribe® link located at the bottom of every email that you receive.