Ninth Ward residents protest planned facility at Alabo Street Wharf

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The Port of New Orleans and Sunrise Foods are trying to convince a neighborhood that a grain facility at the Alabo Street Wharf will not be disruptive or dangerous, but some neighbors are skeptical.

The Port of New Orleans and Sunrise Foods claim that the project is not a grain terminal, but a grain loading facility. Some neighbors say either way, it won’t be good.

Outside the Sept. 22 meeting, dozens of Ninth Ward residents chanted against the planned facility at the Alabo Street Wharf.

They say the project will bring noise pollution from train cars and air pollution from the grain.

They also fear just how close the train will be to their homes.

“Trains 15 feet to neighbors’ doors. We have children walking to school. There are no train rails to let children know when a train is coming, arms coming up and down, none of that,” Lower 9th Ward Association’s Cheryl Nicks said.

Executives with Port of New Orleans, as well as Sunrise Foods International, say the project has been completely mischaracterized.

They say that this will not be a grain terminal but instead a grain-loading facility with no storage of grain involved.

“In fact, it’s about 30 days it will be a full turnover of everything they bring in from a vessel about once a week,” Port of New Orleans External Affairs Chief of Staff Loren Marino said.

They claim that through the use of a dust-collection system, dust will be kept to a minimum. As for trains, only one with up to 10 cars will be used, only in daylight hours.

“Of course attempt to avoid the worktime and schooltime commutes,” Marino said.

That argument is convincing to some.

“After looking at what they’re doing, putting air quality monitors, putting air quality monitors, actually having suction,” 9th Ward resident Keisha Henry said.

Others say the only solution is a new location.

“They can go to Avondale. Avondale would love to have them. There’s other ports. If you’d look up ports of Louisiana, there’s so many that they can go to that have railroad transportation,” Holy Cross Neighborhood Association President Bette Perez said.

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