Plaquemines Parish Debates

06/14/2025

Navy Base Back Gate Opens June 30, 2025

06/09/2025

10/07/2024

Hi! Please scan this QR code to survey whether the Plaquemines Parish Council (which currently serves as Port Commissioners) should hold a special election in March 2025. This election will allow residents to decide whether to replace the Council members as Port Commissioners with an appointed Port Commission. Details are in the survey. Unfortunately, I can only accept responses until Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 5:00 PM. Feel free to share this QR code with your neighbors and friends!

09/10/2024

To all parish residents:

It is predicted that the hurricane will make landfall Wednesday as a Category 1, at 7pm- (West of Morgan City) at 7:00 pm. Please take precautions, particularly by checking on elderly neighbors to ensure they have adequate food, water and supplies. We are facing a strong possibility of power outages during the storm. One possible reason for outages, the ground has been dry, it is now saturated making it easier for the strong wind to topple the poles. Tuesday afternoon, the parish will open the Pavilion, where water will be available for those staying there, bring your own provisions. Local residents, experienced with hurricanes, know to stock up on medication, water, canned goods, canned meat, flashlights, batteries, and other essential supplies. Again, check on the elderly and their supplies. Remember to pick up loose items around your house and that of the elderly. If someone has special medical or power needs, they should make arrangements to access a generator.

Currently, BC Pump #1 is operating at 100%, while BC Pump #2 (off Woodland) is running at 66%. (Parts have been ordered to replace the third pump.) The Intracoastal and Hero canals will close to marine traffic tomorrow afternoon at low tide. Some boats will seek safe harbor in the canals. Jefferson Parish is monitoring the two pump stations on the north side of the bridge, with the Good News Pump Station operating at 100%.

Though our pumps are working, we are expecting tropical storm-force winds and significant rainfall. Rain is expected to start Tuesday morning. Recently, though the pumps were operating, the pumps could not keep up with the intense rainfall. Some streets and homes in District 3 & 5 [Ft. St. Leon (North and South) and areas along Good News] have flooded. If your house floods, protect your home. Sand is readily available in the lower part of the parish; I have requested a sandbag filling station at the BC government complex for residents. The sand should be available after noon. Bags will be provided, remember to bring your own shovel.

A mandatory evacuation will be issued at 7am on Tuesday morning for subdivisions outside of the levee system: Lake Hermitage, Happy Jack, Tidewater road, Myrtle Grove, White dich to Phoenix, Grand Bayou and Wood Park. Beginning at 2:00 pm, a voluntary evacuation is called for residents between Alliance to Venice.

Please say a prayer for all those in the path of the storm: but for the grade of God - that is us. Stay safe and take all necessary precautions.

Patty McCarty

07/05/2024

The Band and Fireworks Event has been moved to the Pavilion behind the Gov complex because of the weather. Please still bring your lawn chair and go to the pavilion for 6:30 PM on July 5th.

Have Fun!

09/28/2023

Saltwater Intrusion Update 9/27/23

President Biden signed a federal emergency declaration making mitigation efforts to put 3 Reverse Osmosis Systems (ROS) in Plaquemines Parish. The current timeline will install the ROS in Belle Chasse before the saltwater line reaches Belle Chasse. In the meantime, the parish is receiving raw water from further up the river via the Army Corps that is transferred into a holding container and then in to the water plant. The current plan is to at some point switch to a micro filtration and ROS while keeping the option to use the barged water process as needed.

Below is a statement from Plaquemines Parish Homeland Security.

Saltwater Intrusion Update - Sept 27

President Biden signed a federal emergency declaration for the saltwater intrusion event earlier today.

US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District (USACE) reports that the saltwater wedge is currently at Mississippi River Mile Marker 69. The timeline still remains the same for impacts to the Belle Chasse (10/13) and Dalcour (10/15) water treatment plants.

Drinking water advisories remain in effect for the Empire to Venice area on the westbank and Phoenix to Bohemia area on the eastbank. All other areas of Plaquemines Parish are NOT impacted.

Water distribution continues at the following locations for those living in the drinking water advisory areas:
• Buras Fire Station
• Boothville Venice Fire Station
• Percy M Griffin Community Center in Davant

The Port Sulphur Water Treatment Plant is blending water from the Belle Chasse plant and pushing water to Venice. Residents and businesses in the southern portion of the parish should have better water pressure and lower chlorides. This is made possible with the completion of the booster pump that was installed in Alliance and operating on August 18th and the emergency temporary work completed at the Port Sulphur Water Plant in August and approved to operated by the Louisiana Department of Health on Friday, September 22nd.

Reverse osmosis units have been procured for the Boothville, Port Sulphur, and Pointe a la Hache Water Treatment Plants and expected to arrive in the next several days. PPG & USACE have been working to make this happen since early July. Once onsite they will take a few days to install and then ready for operation. PPG and USACE are locating reverse osmosis units for Belle Chasse and Dalcour.

The dredging project at the Boothville Water plant intake began yesterday and should be completed by the end of the week.

The preparation and installation of the reservoir barges at the Port Sulphur, Pointe a la Hache, Belle Chasse, and Dalcour water plants has begun and expected to be completed at all facilities by the end of next week. As each plant is completed the USACE will then be able to barge water to each of these facilities.

Waterline "tie-in" projects are in progress with Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard Parishes.

We continue to work closely with our regional, state, and federal partners during this event. For additional information please visit emergency.la.gov

Sincerely,
Patrick A. Harvey, LEM
Director
Plaquemines Parish – Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness

State employees should be aware of the following phone numbers to call, which will be updated with information regarding office closures: 1.800.360.9660 or 225.342.0498.

09/23/2023

Update on Saltwater Intrusion from Plaquemines Parish Homeland Security 11:00pm 9/22/23

“BOTTLED WATER WILL BE DISTRIBUTED at the PERCY GIFFIN CENTER STARTING SATURDAY FROM 8am – 5pm and again Monday through Friday the following the week.

Governor Edwards advised this afternoon that he will be submitting documentation for approval of a FEDERAL DECLARATION for this disaster and will update us once approved in Washington, DC.

At 4pm, LDH authorized the operation of the Port Sulphur Water Treatment Plant. Inframark was in the process of opening the valves for this facility. The Belle Chasse water plant will continue to send water to the Port Sulphur Plant. The water will be blended with the 2 million gallons at Port Sulphur and pushed south to Venice. Inframark anticipates by doing such will reduce the current chlorides all the way down to Venice. Pressure should increase as well since additional water being supplied by Port Sulphur to the system.


We are hoping to have a RO unit installed and operational at both the Boothville and Pointe a la Hache Water Treatment Plants within the next week or two. As stated in the update yesterday, upon delivery it takes several days to install followed by submitting samples to LDH for testing and final approval to operate.”

Please visit the following website for additional information:

Contact | Terms | Privacy |  Event Archive Public Information Request | Fight Fraud Waste & Abuse 7667 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806 225-925-7500

09/23/2023

“Salt Water Intrusion Update for District 5

The persistent drought in southeast Louisiana is still affecting the water dynamics within Plaquemines Parish. Starting from June, the parish has grappled with saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River, leading to the issuance of several drinking water advisories in affected areas. At present, the impacted drinking water supply encompasses the region extending from Empire Bridge to Boothville-Venice on the West Bank and from Phoenix to Bohemia on the East Bank.

To address this challenge, the United States Army Corps of Engineers(USACE) installed a sill at river marker 64 to reduce saltwater intrusion in the Mississippi River. Regrettably, the saltwater has breached the sill. USACE is now actively working to raise the sill's height to -30 feet on the sides, while maintaining a "notch" at -55 feet to allow for the passage of river traffic. According to the USACE, several uncertainties persist at this time, and unless there is significant rainfall in the northern parts of the country, the saltwater intrusion is expected to continue, impacting Belle Chasse by October 13, 2023.

The Belle Chasse water treatment plant, responsible for producing 6.5 million gallons of water daily, is implementing measures to address this challenge. PPG is collaborating with partners in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes to potentially supply water to the facility. In the event that Jefferson and Orleans Parishes are affected, PPG is actively seeking three reverse osmosis units for operation at this facility and is installing a reservoir barge to receive water when USACE begins transporting water by barge.

Currently, residents in District 5 remain unaffected by the saltwater intrusion. Any water-related issues in Fort Saint Leone, where residents are currently receiving water from Jefferson Parish, are related to infrastructure concerns and are not directly linked to saltwater intrusion. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available and as circumstances evolve.

We encourage residents to stay informed by visiting emergency.la.gov/saltwater, where you can also find guidance from the Louisiana Department of Health regarding this situation.”

Contact | Terms | Privacy |  Event Archive Public Information Request | Fight Fraud Waste & Abuse 7667 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806 225-925-7500

08/29/2023

Register to vote! Your Vote Counts!
August 30th at the Belle Chasse Library
Time: 9 AM to 11:00 AM

08/24/2023

4:20 am 8/24/23
The “Stop” arms on the bridge have been repaired.
Remember tonight 2way traffic on the bridge after 7 pm-5am.

08/24/2023

As of 2:10 am 8/24/23, the “stop” arms on the BC bridge are not functioning. A repair crew is on the way. If not repaired by 6am, I will post again.
Please plan for extra travel time to take Woodland Hwy out of the parish.