BOEM Approves $249,000 Grant for Louisiana Pump Station

Phase II of St. James Parish Project Will Expand Water Supply for Oil and Gas Facilities

NEW ORLEANS, LA – The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement (BOEM) today announced it has approved a grant for $249,000 to St. James Parish in Louisiana through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), for the second phase of a project to construct a waterline booster pump station along LA Highway 44 in Convent, La.

Created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, CIAP provides funding to the six Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas producing states to conserve and protect the coastal environment. CIAP is an ongoing program with grant funding that is allocated based on the offshore energy revenues collected by the United States.

“BOEM will continue to work with the state of Louisiana and its parishes on important coastal restoration efforts through the CIAP program,” said BOEM Director Michael R. Bromwich. “This program supports vital conservation and construction initiatives like the St. James Waterline Booster Pump Station Project which helps entire communities, including oil and gas businesses, in coastal areas.”

Booster pump stations provide potable water to residents, businesses, and industries along the east bank of the Mississippi River in St. James Parish in a fully functional and efficient manner. They are especially beneficial to oil refineries and chemical plants because they help address additional water flow demands associated with these facilities and industries. Phase I of the project concentrated on design and Phase II involves the actual construction of the station.

Grant funding for Phase II of the booster pump station construction was needed due to the substantial increase in the offshore oil and gas activities in St. James Parish. Phase II will maximize the booster pump’s ability to meet and exceed peak water flow demands from industries in the area; as well as maintain high pressure necessary for pipelines.

The Waterline Booster Pump Station project is located in Convent, LA, approximately 45 miles west of New Orleans, LA on the east bank of the Mississippi River at Mile Point 168, in St. James Parish.

CIAP will receive $250 million in appropriated funds for each of the Fiscal Years 2007-2010 to be disbursed to six eligible Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas producing states – Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.