New businesses wishing to locate in Acadia Parish may have to present their operational plans to a “commission” before being permitted if members of the Police Jury get their way.
Glen Howie, recently appointed attorney for the parish, was instructed Tuesday night to “look into some kind of permitting system” for the parish as it concerns new businesses.
The action comes in the wake of an announcement a couple of months ago that a medical and food waste sterilization firm planned to establish a transfer station on the eastern edge of the parish.
Officials from Medgreen told jurors in August they were looking at a building in the industrial park just off Interstate 10 in Duson. By the time the September committee meetings rolled around, the firm signed a lease agreement for a building.
Plans, according to Stuart Ancelet and Gary Sutton, owners, included the collection and sterilization of waste from surrounding parishes. That treated waste, they assured, would then be shipped to the landfill in Jefferson Davis Parish.
By its permit, the Acadia Parish Landfill in Egan does not accept out-of-parish waste nor does it accept any medical waste.
“We need a committee, something similar to the planning commission, where, if a business wants to come into the parish, they come before this board first,” explained Richard Faul, who represents part of the area around Duson.
Faul said the firm had already been rejected by Lafayette and Vermilion parishes, “but we don’t have any kind of system in place to do that.”
David Savoy, jury president, added, “We don’t have anything in place that would stop medical waste, hazardous waste, anything from coming into to the parish.”
Howie said he would check with Lafayette and Vermilion parishes, but admitted that any kind of law restricting business ventures could pose problems for the jury.
“The Commerce Clause comes to mind,” he added.
The Commerce Clause refers to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes.”
It has historically been viewed as both a grant of congressional authority and as a restriction on the regulatory authority of the states and, by extension, local governments.
Howie promised to research the matter “and report back as soon as posible.”
Among other action taken Tuesday night, jurors:
• adopted a resolution recognizing the late Peggy Romero for nearly 13 years “of excellent, dedicated service” to the parish;
• heard Ashley Moran with the Acadiana Planning Commission update the Local Road Safety Project application for the parish;
• approved re-appointment of William Pinac to the Acadia Parish Library Board of Control;
• approved re-appointment of Amy Thibodeaux, Fran Bihm, Kelly Hundley and Bart Wild to the Acadia Parish Convention and Visitors Commission;
• approved replacing Frank Bergeron Jr. with Steve Daigle on the board of Acadia Fire District 7.
