At a Glance
Date Filed:
Current Status
On April 2, 2026, plaintiffs Rural Roots Louisiana, Pastor Harry Joseph, Sr., and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade filed suit against the Port of South Louisiana over its failure to issue proper legal notice of its decision to issue up to $400 million in bonds to fund the construction of a dock and ancillary facilities to serve private industrial corporations seeking to locate on the west bank of the Mississippi River, in Ascension Parish. The Port first responded that it published notice pursuant to the rules it believed applied. Later, plaintiffs learned that no notice had been published at all despite the Port's provision of an affidavit which purported to confirm publication of the notice. Plaintiffs then moved to supplement their petition with that fact. A hearing was held on that motion August 31, 2026.
Our Team:
- Pamela Spees
Co-Counsel
Bill Quigley, Professor Emeritus, Loyola University School of Law
Client(s)
Rural Roots Louisiana
Pastor Harry Joseph, Sr.
Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Case Description
In March 2025, federal and state officials announced a massive incentive package for Hyundai Steel to locate in a planned industrial park on the west bank of Ascension Parish, Louisiana. The plan would spell the end of the historic town of Modeste, a community of families who have lived there for generations. And it would bring more pollution to an area already inundated in the heart of what has become known as "Cancer Alley." Making matters worse, the negotiations and planning of the industrial development project were subject to numerous non-disclosure agreements signed by local and state officials, including port officials.
In the midst of this secrecy, the state of Louisiana assembled a package that totalled more than $600 million in direct incentives to the company, and over a billion dollars in tax exemptions. As part of that package, the Port of South Louisiana agreed to seek up to $400 million in bonds to fund the construction of a major dock and ancillary facilities to serve the private corporations seeking to build two ammonia plants and a steel plant on the west bank of the Mississippi River, in Ascension Parish.
According to the Louisiana constitution, such decisions by state agencies must be subject to public notice, properly published in the official journal of the state. The Port of South Louisiana confirmed it did not do so – initially claiming that it published its notice instead in a small newspaper with a circulation that does not include the area where the dock would be constructed. Later it was learned that the Port had not published notice of its decision at all.
On April 2, 2026, plaintiffs took the matter to court to obtain a declaratory judgment about the proper notice obligation on the Port when it decides to undertake such large bond issuances. After plaintiffs confirmed that notice of the Port's decision had not been published in its official journal at all, despite the provision of an affidavit purporting to confirm its publication. Plaintiffs then moved to supplement their petition to include this revelation.
