State votes to limit aquifer water available to draw

The Louisiana Legislature approved a bill that supporters say places community concerns over corporate interests in the Lake Peigneur area by limiting the amount of water that could be drawn from the Chicot Aquifer.

Authored by state Sen. Troy Hebert, D-Jeanerette, SB 754 “provides for certain permits concerning ground water.”

Limiting the amount of water drawn from the aquifer would impact Atlanta-based AGL Resources as it seeks to create two new salt caverns at its Jefferson Island Storage and Hub Facility at Lake Peigneur.

Hebert said the passage of the bill is “a prime example of the little guys finally beating the big guys in Baton Rouge.”

“It’s been a long, hard-fought battle to get this bill on the governor’s desk,” Hebert said. “It squeaked out of there.”

Save Lake Peigneur Vice President Nara Crowley, whose community group opposes AGL’s facility expansion, said Wednesday’s vote is a victory.

“We won,” Crowley said. “We can’t necessarily stop AGL, but it does resolve the problem of the drinking water. We just need to see what AGL does next. Right now we are all very, very happy.”

Crowley said her group plans to keep a watchful eye on AGL’s plans to continue their expansion at the JISH.

“They (Save Lake Peigneur members) were battling a full court press by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry as well as big oil,” Hebert said.

Keith Poston is a spokesman for AGL Resources. He said his company is planning to move forward following the ruling.

“We are already evaluating our water-use options so we can move forward with our expansion once we resolve our lease issues with the state,” Poston said. “With gasoline at $4 a gallon and the price of natural gas more than doubling since last summer, we need more gas storage facilities, not fewer, that help stabilize prices for consumers.”

Poston is also concerned about the impact the bill will have on the regulatory process for the natural gas industry.

“We will make our case to the governor’s office that this bill sets a terrible precedent by circumventing the normal regulatory process already in place to evaluate projects like ours for environmental impact, water usage, economic benefits and other factors,” Poston said.

“If this bill becomes law, it’s only a matter of time before the next parish is targeted and the next company has its right to due process violated.”