Potential industrial park occupant decides on Berwick location instead

A possible tenant for the industrial park facility on the Charenton Navigation and Drainage Canal has decided to expand its operation on property it already owns.
West St. Mary Port Executive Director David Allain said Tuesday that OneSubsea, a Cameron & Schlumberger company, has been in talks with the port for about six months.
“They do subsea valves, blowout preventers, that type of work,” Allain said. “They’re going to build on 60 acres of property they own in Berwick.”
The company can reuse much of the infrastructure and equipment in place at that site, Allain said. “The good news is that they’ll still be in St. Mary Parish,” he said.
Allain and engineers are continuing to work on dredging a slip and other improvements to the property, including roads and drainage improvements.
Work is also progressing on installation of water service to the site from the Baldwin water system, Allain said.
Also Tuesday, Allain said that low-water events during the winter revealed a need to dredge an entry canal. There are wetland issues in moving the dredge material, he said, and under consideration is using a submersible pump to place the material in a more distant area than normal.
Estimated cost is $17,000.