Southern Louisiana pipeline draws environmental opposition
BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana environmental groups are gearing up for round two in a battle against a proposed 163-mile oil pipeline that would stretch across south Louisiana from Lake Charles through the Atchafalaya Basin and east to St. James.
A public hearing last week for a required U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit drew more than 400 supporters and opponents. Many of the opponents gathered before the hearing and decried a project they fear will foul the state’s wetlands and water.
A second hearing is set Feb. 8 for a permit needed from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. That permit is for the roughly 16 miles that will pass close enough to the coast to receive special attention under the state’s Coastal Zone program.
The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/2jLGgzo ) the proposed Bayou Bridge Pipeline project is being jointly pursued by subsidiaries of Phillips 66, Sunoco Logistics and Energy Transfer Partners, all three of which have a stake in the Dakota Access Pipeline.