China’s Louisiana Purchase: A methanol plant on the bayou

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http://america.aljazeera.com/content/ajam/jcr:content/lowerfeaturepar/topstories/image.adapt.375.high.1422312659943.jpg

This article is part one of a three-part series on China’s role in redeveloping southern Louisiana called China’s Louisiana Purchase.

ST. JAMES PARISH, La. — A prominent Chinese tycoon and politician — whose natural gas company's environmental and labor rights record recently started coming under fire in the Chinese press — is parking assets in a multibillion dollar methanol plant in a Louisiana town. And he appears to be doing it with help from the administration of likely GOP 2016 presidential ticket contender Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Not many locals in a predominantly black neighborhood of St. James Parish — halfway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge — know that Wang Jinshu, the Communist Party Secretary for the northeastern Chinese village of Yuhuang and a former delegate to the National People’s Congress, is the man at the helm of a $1.85 billion methanol plant to be built in their town over the next two years with a $9.5 million incentive package from the state. The details of the project are unclear, residents say, largely because they were not told about the project until local officials, amid discussions with state officials and Chinese diplomats, decided to move forward with the project in July 2014.

“We never had a town hall meeting pretending to get our opinion prior to them doing it,” said Lawrence “Palo” Ambrose, a 74-year-old black Vietnam War veteran who works at a nearby church. “They didn’t make us part of the discussion.”

The Chinese company has filed for expedited permits to construct and operate a plant on a sprawling 1,100 acres — situated between a high school, two churches and an assisted living facility for senior citizens — from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, which is set to study the impact on the local environment and deliver its decision on March 6, 2015.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/26/chinas-louisiana-jindal-methanol-plant-environment-racism.html

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Now we see the truth as to why

all of the Katrina folks got shit on. Wonder how many more of these deals are hanging out there.

[KamaAina]

2. St. James Parish did not get hit that hard by Katrina

as you will recall, the storm hit east of NOLA, but close enough to break the unforgivably weak levees.

I would, however, be interested to learn how many renminbi are flowing into NOLA.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. This is just the start of something.

With the politics in Louisiana as they are now,would not be surprised to see more of these deals. With the major exit of African American persons after Katrina,you know there will be a huge White Gentrification happening soon.

[kelliekat44]

4. Why do we keep blaming the Chinese for their practices? They couldn't buy is no one sold. nt