By LEONARD GRAY Managing Editor

HAHNVILLE – A federal-funds “wish list” got unanimous approval from the St. Charles Parish Council at their meeting Monday.

With little comment, the council approved the following list of priority projects:

€ Funding and construction of the East Bank hurricane protection levee and pumps. This is to ensure that funds are appropriated for completion of the levee.

€ Continue the permitting and construction of the West Bank hurricane protection levee. From Dec. 31, 1991 through Dec. 31, 2002, St. Charles Parish has spent $3 million in attempting to obtain the necessary permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A cooperative agreement is already in place with the Lafourche Levee District, but a permit is only received for the first phase.

€ Funding for the Luling Oxidation Pond decommissioning and continued funding of waste water regionalization. This is aimed at directing sewage from the pond to the Hahnville Waste water treatment plant.

€ Internal drainage study. The federal government has appropriated $300,00 for a feasibility study with a 50/50 local match. Upon completion of the reconnaisance study, a feasility study will commence.

€ Restate the parish’s opposition to any further expansion of Louis Armstrong International Airport into the parish.

“This can be a major economic boom to the parish,” Councilman Desmond Hilaire observed. “At the expense of St. Rose,” Councilwoman April Black said. “And Ama,” Councilman Barry Minnich added.