The ongoing controversy about drilling and excavation at Lake Peigneur may soon take on a new dimension.

At its meeting Wednesday, the Iberia Parish Public Health and Safety Committee passed a  resolution asking the office of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., request an independent entity to investigate the Jan. 29 incident at the Jefferson Island Storage Facility where gas was released following a power outage, alarming a number of local residents.

The Parish Council will vote on the matter next week.

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District 7 Iberia Parish Councilman John Berard requested the resolution and expressed a desire to see that “no stone remain unturned” on this matter.

“This is a chance to put the cards out on the table and to see what really happened,” Berard said. “I don’t want some catastrophe taking place five years from now and for people to say the Parish Council did nothing about it, having only taken the word of one side in the issue.”

Berard said such an investigation may involve the U.S. General Accountability Office, the investigative agency of the U.S. Congress, as well as state Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Pipeline Safety, in a possible joint effort.

He also said Landrieu’s office has requested additional documentation on the matter. That includes the explanation given by Jim Pitts of Atlanta-based AGL Resources, the natural gas provider that operates the Jefferson Island Storage facility, as well as testimonials from Lake Peigneur area residents regarding their experience during the Jan. 29 incident.

Nara Crowley, vice president of Save Lake Peigneur, spoke at the meeting and offered to provide additional records and documentation.

“We’re very happy that John Berard has requested this resolution and that council member Larry Richard had introduced the resolution for the bill at the state level,” Crowley said. “We hope the federal government will investigate this matter fully.”

Keith Poston is managing director of corporate communications at AGL Resources. He say’s his company would “welcome any review” of the matter.

“While we are already subject to regulation and oversight from various state and federal agencies, we would welcome any additional review,” Poston said. “The release of gas from piping at the facility following a local power outage was nothing more than a safety system operating exactly as it was supposed to work and posed absolutely no risk to the public.”

The committee also passed a resolution requesting the state Department of Transportation and Development consider the immediate repair of Louisiana 182 (St. Peter Street) at its intersection with Landry Drive.