Dominion Group Proposes Barge Fleet In St. James Parish

The Dominion Group is proposing a barge fleet in St. James Parish, on the right descending bank of the Mississippi River at Mile 165. The completed project will be named the Welcome Aggregate Terminal.

The applicant is seeking permission to clear and grade forested batture to create a two-way access road and install eight deadman support anchors to support a barge fleet consisting of seven tiers, each eight barges wide. All work will be conducted in the dry from land.

The site will be used to offload aggregate from barges to dump trucks and transported across LA-18 to an area for stockpiling.

About 2,424 cubic yards of native material will be excavated and used as backfill for the construction of the deadman. Approximately 4,217 yards of hauled-in aggregate fill material will be placed in the batture to build the access road and deadman.

The applicant estimates that about 0.43 acres of wetlands and 0.1 acre of jurisdictional waters will be affected by the construction of the permanent access road. To minimize impacts, the applicant has maximized the use of uplands on the site to stockpiling and access road construction. After construction, the temporary access road will be restored to pre-project conditions. As compensation for unavoidable wetland impacts, the application proposes to purchase wetland credits from a Corps-approved mitigation bank located in the watershed.

The original application was filed in August; the revised application, including new drawings, is dated September 30. Public comment closes 30 days after the revised permit application.