BATON ROUGE (AP) — A state permit for a Plaquemines Parish coal export terminal has been put on hold.
The permitting process for the proposed RAM Terminals LLC facility has been an ongoing battle: A permit was first issued in 2013 but was struck down by a judge in 2014.
In March, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources re-issued the permit, but environmental groups asked the department to reconsider. In an April 26 letter, DNR Secretary Thomas Harris said the department will take another look at its approval.
NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune’s Diana Samuels reports RAM wants to process six million tons of coal on a 600-acre site on the Mississippi River near Myrtle Grove.
Opponents in Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes have worried that having coal trains pass through populated areas could put residents' health at risk.
