Ammonia Plant public hearing canceled due to overwhelming crowd

ST. ROSE ( WGNO ) — It was like a tin of sardines in the meeting room at the St. Rose Library.

The hearing was to allow residents to share their concerns about a proposed ammonia plant that many residents say will threaten their neighborhood. The room has space for 50 or 60 people, and nearly 200 showed up.

“Many of our residents showed that they are opposed and in opposition to this ammonia plant. This St. Charles clean fuels ammonia plant coming to our neighborhood,” Refined Community Empowerment Inc. Executive Director Kimbrelle Eugene Kyereh said.

Due to the overwhelming crowd, the fire department was called, and the meeting was shut down just about 30 minutes in.

“What I am proud of today is that so many people came out here and rallied. It was such an amazing thing to see,” St. Rose resident Gary Bruzeau said.

While this crowd may have been to a shock to some, it was not to most.

Kimbrelle Eugene Kyereh tells us that she tried to warn the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality ahead of time that a large crowd was going to be attending, but says DEQ wouldn’t listen.

“We sent an email to DEQ requesting a larger venue because we knew the people of St. Rose were concerned about these chemicals coming into our neighborhood,” Kyereh said.

A new hearing has been requested, and the residents say all eyes are now on DEQ to hold the hearing in a larger venue.

“Well now they have accountability. They have a lot of people that they are now accountable to,” Kyereh said.

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