STOP THE WALLACE GRAIN ELEVATOR
Depiction of proposed grain elevator in Wallace Community.
In November 2021, The Descendants Project met with EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.
In 1993 the corrupt and coercive actions of Parish President Lester Millet Jr. opened the door for illegal zoning in Wallace. Millet used his power to sway the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Parish Council while threatening the appropriation of the community’s land. Millet’s efforts switched residential land to heavy industry, just footsteps away from homes. Thankfully, the Federal Government discovered Millet’s illegal activities. He was later convicted and spent over five years in federal prison. Despite Millet’s conviction, St. John the Baptist Parish still represents the land as “heavy industry.” Greenfield Louisiana, LLC and principal investor Christopher Medlock James now exploit this fraudulent designation by attempting to bring their heavy industry, a grain terminal, to our small town.
The grain industry is classified as highly dangerous: grain elevators can explode, workers can suffocate from falling in the grain bins, and, most importantly, grain elevators produce particulate matter and dust that will be emitted into the air, further damaging our vulnerable and overburdened community. Grain dust carries mold, bacteria, rodent feces, shredded metal, and cancer-causing silica. Our Parish Council and Parish Administration have refused to hear our concerns and even signed letters of support of the project. In their attempts to silence us, the parish council has denied our attempts for placement on the council agenda. It takes more than that to silence us!
The Descendants Project is suing St. John the Baptist Parish over an unjust zoning designation that has threatened our community for over thirty years. Despite the illegal actions of the Parish President Lester Millet, Jr to convert residential land to heavy industry, the unlawful designation has been allowed to stand by the Parish. Numerous errors were discovered on zoning maps, and the official zoning map is missing. We are urging the courts to declare the zoning designation null and void and return the land’s rightful residential designation.
Through “Stop the Wallace Grain Elevator,” we have supported the community in their opposition to this detrimental project.
Our work includes:
Soliciting comment letters from community members to send to permitting agencies
Obtaining support from organizations such as the National Trust of Historic Preservation.
Arranging town halls, virtual meetings, and press conferences to alert the public.
Challenging zone designations and permit decisions through the legal teams of the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic.