NEW ORLEANS — A farm made the surprising decision On Tuesday, a project to build a huge grain terminal in a historical Black City in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” a heavily industrialized stretch of land along the Mississippi River.
The company, Greenfield Louisiana LLC, and its supporters — including Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry — blamed “special interest groups,” “plantation owners” and the Army Corps of Engineers for delaying construction of a grain export facility that would have brought jobs and development to the parish of St. John the Baptist.
But community organizers and environmentalists said the company brought the problem on itself by trying to build a 90-acre facility in an area full of nationally recognized historic sites and cultural spaces worth preserving and investing in.
The Army Corps of Engineers said the company chose to build in the middle of an area with “environmental justice” and “cultural concerns,” which required the company to prove it could comply with a series of laws.
Greenfield said its $800 million grain terminal would have generated more than 1,000 construction jobs, more than 300 permanent jobs, $300 million in state tax revenue and $1.4 million in direct state and local taxes.
The company said the facility was “expected to deliver transformative social and economic benefits to the local community” and would play a significant role in connecting U.S. farmers to global markets. The facility was designed with the potential to store 11 million tons of grain.
Greenfield’s website features testimonials from several parish residents expressing support for the facility and the economic growth they believe it would bring.
Jaclyn Hotard, president of St. John the Baptist Parish, described the company’s decision as “a devastating blow to economic development” and lamented the loss of hundreds of jobs at a “ultimate, environmentally friendly facility.”
Greenfield’s Van Davis blamed the project’s failure on “the repeated delays and shifting of goals that we have faced, which have ultimately become unsustainable and as a result our local communities have lost out.”
The company reported that the Army Corps of Engineers recently extended the deadline for the fifth time, delaying a decision on permitting for the project until March 2025.
Matt Roe, a public affairs specialist with the Army Corps of Engineers, disputed Greenfield’s input in an emailed statement.
Roe said the company had to demonstrate compliance with multiple laws, including the Clean Water Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, and that “the regulations do not prescribe a prescribed timeline for the process.”
Roe said the project’s location was “in an environment with many cultural resources” and that the Corps’ review was “timely in all respects.”
The Corps has found that the project would have a negative impact on historic sites. Greenfield had said it would take steps to preserve any historic sites or artifacts found during construction.
Governor Jeff Landry blamed the Army Corps of Engineers for causing “additional delays” by listening to “special interests and wealthy plantation owners instead of hardworking Louisiana residents.”
Opponents included sisters Joy and Jo Banner, whose nonprofit The Descendants Project bought land in the area — including a former plantation — to protect their town’s heritage. They’ve gained national recognition for their efforts to invest in preserving the history of enslaved people and their descendants.
But they are not alone in believing more attention should be paid to finding other ways to create jobs and growth for the historic black town of Wallace and the surrounding parish.
Ashley Rogers, executive director of Whitney Plantation, oversees a nearby National Register Historic District that draws 80,000 visitors a year from around the world. The area around the proposed grain terminal site offers two centuries of well-documented history and culture with “tremendous potential” for the community to benefit from, she added.
There is also a national historic landmark, Evergreen Plantation, and the Willow Grove Cemetery for the descendants of former slaves. This cemetery was probably located next to the 270-foot-tall grain terminal.
“There has to be economic development,” Rogers said. “I just think it can be done in a way that doesn’t permanently destroy the heritage, the culture, the environment, and ruin people’s livelihoods and homes, right?”
From Greenfield representatives to community activists, everyone acknowledged that the battle over the project had been exhausting and brutal.
In recent months, flyers have been distributed throughout the community attacking local activists opposing the grain terminal, including images with racist tropes. Representatives for Greenfield denied the company had any connection to the flyers.
There are multiple lawsuits pending regarding the facility filed by the Descendants Project. These lawsuits seek zoning changes and tax exemptions for the company.
Joy Banner, of the Descendant Project, has also sued Parish Council President Michael Wright in federal court for allegedly threatening her during a council meeting. Wright did not respond to a request for comment.
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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Joy Banner’s first name in the first reference. It is Joy, not Joyce.
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Jack Brook is a staff member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported issues.