From the Louisiana Illuminator
The state of Louisiana has set aside $9 million to buy 2,000 acres of swampland in St. James and Lafourche parishes that is partly owned by Charles DeWitt, a former House speaker and Public Service Commissioner.
State government is making the purchase for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which intends to use the property to study carbon sequestration. Some of the property could also be leased to private industry.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has embraced carbon sequestration, but environmental advocates said they will object to any carbon storage taking place on this site, made up of vulnerable wetlands.
The deal for the swamp purchase came together quietly. Senators inserted the $9 million allocation into the state budget, along with dozens of other items, just days before lawmakers gave it final approval in May.
Lawmakers didn’t debate the land acquisition publicly, even though it involves an unusual arrangement in which the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will buy the site on behalf of UL Lafayette. As of last week, the state had no written agreement in place for the purchase yet.
“We have never been asked to purchase property on behalf of someone else,” said Cole Garrett, general counsel for the agency. “It is a unique situation.”
DeWitt told the Illuminator he has not been involved in negotiations with the state over the land sale. He owns the property with five other people, some of whom are political donors, through a series of limited liability companies. One of his business partners, Jeff Richardson, has been handling most of the discussions with the state.
“I haven’t talked to anyone or done anything,” DeWitt said.
Check Out:
No comments:
Post a Comment