October 23, 2020
FG Grants Groups’ Request to Visit its St. James Parish Construction Site on October 31
Company Scheduled to Briefly Pause Preconstruction Activities for Visitor Safety
Vacherie, La. – FG LA LLC (FG) continues to progress with preconstruction activities at its Sunshine Project site in St. James Parish. As the project moves forward, FG is upholding its commitment to operate safely, listen to community concerns, keep the community informed, support real needs in the parish and continue to be a responsible corporate citizen.
The Sunshine Project is FG's industrial complex under construction on the West Bank, in an area designated for industrial use. On Saturday, October 31, 2020, FG will briefly pause preconstruction activities on the majority of its site to grant a visitation request from groups opposed to the project. Attorneys with the Center for Constitutional Rights, representing RISE St. James in legal action against the company, requested entry onto the property and an opportunity for the group to visit a potential unmarked burial site FG discovered on the property in honor of All Saints Day. It is important to note that despite assertions made by outside groups about ancestral ties to the site, no archaeologist has been able to confirm the identity, ethnicity or race of the remains discovered on FG property.
"FG is, and has always, been respectful of the remains discovered on its property,” said Janile Parks, FG’s director of community and government relations. "FG is committed to the St. James community and to preserving its rich history and cultural resources and is working with groups interested in honoring that history. All Saints Day is a time to honor those who came before us and Louisiana traditions to mark the day are especially unique. FG is pleased to accommodate a request to observe the day and honor the rich history of the St. James community.”
FG has taken great care to protect the only remains found on its property at the Buena Vista site, located on the border of FG's property. Since acquiring the property in 2017, and with oversight of and coordination by the appropriate local, state and federal governmental agencies, FG has respectfully and properly followed all procedures in researching and preserving the unmarked area. Specifically, FG’s archaeologists identified through historic maps only two potential unmarked burial sites on the property. At the Buena Vista site - four sets of human remains were found. The second site was the Acadia site. After two rounds of investigation, no evidence of burials was found at the Acadia site.
Visitors to FG’s construction site on October 31 will be asked to adhere to site safety guidelines. Just as numerous practices for crews working on FG’s site have been tailored for construction and COVID-19 safety, so too will visitor safety be tailored. Based on guidelines provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, visitors will be asked to undergo temperature checks, wear face coverings and practice social distancing while onsite.
“Safety is our culture. The health and safety of our employees, the community and the environment are, and will continue to be, our top priorities during construction of The Sunshine Project,” said Parks.
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About FG LA LLC: FG LA LLC (FG) is a member of Formosa Plastics Group (Formosa), a Taiwanese based conglomerate founded in 1954. Formosa has over 100,000 employees worldwide with locations in the USA, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia. Formosa’s major businesses are oil refining, petrochemicals, plastics, fibers, textiles, electronics, energy, steel, transportation, machinery, healthcare and biotech.
The Sunshine Project is FG’s $9.4 billion industrial complex planned for St. James Parish. The project is expected to create thousands of construction jobs and 1,200 permanent jobs over the next eight years. In early January 2020, FG received the permits needed to begin construction of The Sunshine Project. Once constructed, the project will be one of the most innovative, single-site ethylene production complexes in the world and will make the plastic building blocks found in everyday products that help make our lives safer, healthier, cleaner and more efficient. FG’s products also help make life-saving PPE (personal protective equipment), including N95 and surgical masks needed in the fight against COVID-19. Demand for these products is expected to increase over time, and The Sunshine Project will continue to help meet that demand.