By KEVIN CHIRI

Editor and Publisher

GARYVILLE – Plans continue full steam ahead to build a tank storage farm in St. John Parish, although the optimism to be open for business may take longer than organizers are hoping.

Safeland Storage has purchased 400 acres of land in western St. John Parish between River Road and Airline Highway, and is currently working through the permitting process with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

Meetings with DEQ began back in December of 2006, and Safeland spokesman Danny Guidry initially said his group hoped to have their permits to begin construction &#8220within a couple of months.”

However DEQ Public Information Officer Jean Lockwood Kelly told L’Observateur that even here in March of 2007, she thought two months from this point was &#8220very optimistic.”

Safeland is seeking permits for surface water, air quality and ground water, and has a lengthy process to go through.

They have submitted numerous forms and letters to DEQ, but that process to even get the permit written by DEQ is still underway.

Once the permits are approved for public consideration, there will be a 30 to 45 day public comment period.

Presently, Safeland’s permits do not require a public hearing, but Guidry said his group plans to have one anyway. That appears to be a good move since Kelly said that any controversial comments on the proposed tank farm would likely have DEQ requesting a public hearing anyway.

&#8220Right now they don’t have to have one, but I have heard they are planning to do so anyway,” she said. &#8220But this kind of thing will likely generate some controversy, as I understand it already has, and that could lead us to require the public hearing anyway.”

Opposition to the tank farm certainly remains from a small group of Garyville residents, headed by local developer Carl Monica.

&#8220We will fight this tank farm as long as we can,” he said. &#8220We have no intention to just give up. The biggest thing I don’t understand is why they won’t put it on the West Bank in an area like the Formosa Plant site. There is all the access to rails and the river they want, and it won’t impact residential like right here.”

Monica feels like the parish officials continue to make it too easy for the tank farm to be approved.

&#8220I can’t believe the parish can work with a garbage company to relocate them away from residential areas, but they are willing to let the tank farm settle near us here in Garyville,” he added. &#8220I’m frustrated by the politics in this parish.”

Guidry has now said that he hopes to get his permits to begin construction &#8220within two months” after the time he has the public hearing.

The Air Quality permit Safeland is seeking is required for any commercial or industrial facility that emits more than five tons per year of certain chemicals. The permit will spell out exactly what the facility must do to minimize the emissions.

The Surface Water permit is a discharge permit needed to discharge pollutants to waters of the state.

&#8220This doesn’t mean we allow the permittee to ‘pollute’ the waters,” a DEQ letter explained. &#8220It means that if there is anything that could be considered a ‘pollutant’ in the water being discharged, a permit is needed.”

The Ground Water permit is required for any air permit, modification or exemption where construction activity, such as foundation construction, piling installation or subsurface excavations is involved. The purpose is to ensure that the activity will not adversely impact groundwater if there is contamination in the area.

&#8220We have gotten their applications for these permits, but right now the modeling for the tank farm is in review to see if more information is needed,” Kelly explained. &#8220To get this all approved even two months after the public hearing is still very optimistic.”

Guidry said his group does not have a schedule set yet about when they might hold the public hearing.