A
A FIVE
A FIVE BILLION DOLLAR CHEVRON PHILLIPS ETHYLENE PLANT MIGHT BE COMING TO ORANGE, BUT THE DEAL
ISN'T DONE YET.
12NEWS INVESTIGATES, DIGS INTO
THE RECORDS TO SEE WHICH AREAS
ARE COMPETING WITH ORANGE
COUNTY. HERE'S WHAT
INVESTIGATOR LAUREN HENSLEY
FOUND.
0-13 0:26-34 0:41- 44
1:01-1:10 2:16-2:21 3:20-3:26
3:42-4:09
THREE LOCATIONS ARE IN THE
RUNNING FOR CHEVRON PHILLIPS'
ETHYLENE PLANT. THE $5 BILLION
THREE
THREE LOCATIONS ARE IN THE RUNNING FOR CHEVRON PHILLIPS' ETHYLENE PLANT. THE $5 BILLION
DOLLAR PLANT COULD BRING
THOUSANDS OF CONSTRUCTION JOBS
AND AT LEAST 100 PERMANENT JOBS.
BUT THE COMPETITION IS STIFF.
IF YOU TAKE RIDE DOWN CHEMICAL
ROW IN ORANGE ON ONN SIDEYOU
SEE SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN
INDUSTRY. FIRESTONE POLYMERS
PRINT PACK HONEYWELL DOW JUST TO
NAME A FEW. AND ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE ROAD, WIDE-OPEN
GREEN SPACES. CG:THERESA
BEAUCHAMP, PRECINCT 2 WE HAVE
PLENTY OF ROOM AND PLENTY OF
LAND TO DEVELOP ON AND IT IS
GOOD, FAIR PRICES. RIGHT ACROSS
THE STREET FROM CHEVRON
PHILLIPS CHEMICAL COMPANY.. A
SIGN THAT SOMEONE COULD BE
MOVING IN. CG: JOHNNY TRAHAN,
PRECINCT 1 COMMISSIONER
"EVERYONE IS IN SUPPORT OF A
PROJECT THIS SIZE ANN I DON'T
KNOW WHO WOULDN'T BE." 12NEWS
INVESTIGATES FILED AN OPEN
RECORDS REQUEST WITH THE TEXAS
COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY. THIS IS THE AIR
QUALITY PERMIT CHEVRON PHILLIPS
ALREADY FILED FOR THE LAND
ACROSS THE STREET FROM ITS
CURRENT FACILITY IN ORANGE. IT'S
A SIGN OF PROGRESS EVEN THOUGH
THE PERMIT IS STILL PENDING JOHN
GOTHIA PRECINCT 3. WE ALSO KNOW
THAT WE AREN'T THERE YET. WE
WILL FEEL A LOT BETTER ONCE WE,
ONCE THE DEAL IS DONE. HOW CLOSE
IS ORANGE COUNTY TO LANDING
THIS DEAL? COUNTY
COMMISSIONER JOHN GOTHIA SAID,
IT IS DOWN TO THREE., ORANGE
TEXAS, ANOTHER UNSPECIFIED
LOCATION IN TEXAS ND A LOCATION
IN LOUISIANA ARE ALL BEING
CONSIDERED. JOHN GOTHIA WHEN
YOU LOOK AT LOUSIANNA, WHEN YOU
LOOK WEST TOWARDS HOUSTON, THE
BAYTOWN AREA, YOU'VE SEEN A LOT
OF GROWTH, A LOT OF STUFF
HAPPENING THERE AND NOT A LOT
HAPPENING IN ORANGE COUNTY.
THE STATE'S MOST POWERFUL TOOL
FOR LURING COMPANIES TO TEXAS IS
CALLED A CHAPTER 313 AGREEMENT,
OR A TAX ABATEMENT, WHICH
TEMPORARILY LOWERS THE OTHERWISE
HIGH PROPERTY TAX BURDEN
BUSINESSES WOULD HAVE TO PAY.
OTHER STATES HAVE THIS OPTION
TOO. JOHNNY TRAHAN, PRECINCT 1
COMMISSIONER BEING NEXT TO THE
STATE OF LOUISIANA, WHERE THEY
CAN OFFER MORE, THAT GIVE US A
LITTLE BIT OF A DISADVANTAGE
WHEN WE COMPETE FOR THESE
PROJECTS BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT
THEY CAN GET IN LOUISIANA THAT
PUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON ORANGE
COUNTY. JOHNNY TRAHAN, PRECINCT
1 COMMISSIONER YOU ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO MAKE A MAXIMUM OFFER TO
GET THE PROJECT BECAUSE EVERYONE
ELSE IS DOING THAT.
LAST MONTH, TALK OF THE PROPOSED
TAX BREAKS LED TO THE
RESIGNATION OF ORANGE COUNTY
JUDGE DEAN CROOKS. HE
ADVOCATED FOR A TAKING A
CRITICAL LOOK AT THE TAX
ABETMENT, BUT SOME SAW HIS
STANCE AS TOO NEGATIVE. ROBERT
VIATOR, PRECINCT 4 COMMISSIONER
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR
EVERYBODY TO STAY IN THEIR LANE.
SO ON TOP OF THE TAX BREAK,
TEXAS CAN ALSO OFFER MONEY
THROUGH THE GOVERNOR'S
ENTERPRISE FUND. IT AWARDS
DEAL- CLOSING GRANTS TO
COMPANIES CONSIDERING A NEW
PROJECC. THE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS SAY CHEVRON
PHILLIPS' HAS APPLIED. JOHNNY
TRAHAN, PRECINCT 1 COMMISSIONER
ONCE YOU HEAR IF THINGS ARE
MOVING ON THE GOVERNOO'S
ENTERPRISE FUND, I THINK THINGS
WILL START MOVING FORWARD AFTER
THAT POINT I CONTACTED THE
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND A
SPOKESPERSON SAID THEY WERE NOT
ABLE TO SAY WHEN A DECISION WILL
BE MADE ON THE GOVERNOR'S
ENTERPRISE FUND. ANOTHER
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE..TEXAS IS
ONE OF SEVEN STATTS THAT FORGOES
INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX. A
SPOKESPERSON WITH THE GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE TOLD ME THAT IS A HUGE
INCENTIVE FOR CCMPANIES TO MOVE
TO TEXAS. IN ORANGE COUNTY.
COMMISSIONERS SAY THERE'S
ANOTHER HUGE ADVANTAGE. RIGHT
DOWNTOWN.. JOHNNY TRAHAN,
PRECINCT 1 COMMISSIONER LAMAR
STATE COLLEGE-ORANGE IS
DEFINITELY A GEM FOR US AND THEY
ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH
THIS INDUSTRY AND OTHERS ALSO
LOOKING INTO THE AREA, IN
DIFFERENT TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT
THEY COULD PUT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
RIGHT NOW, 200 STUDENTS ARE
ENROLLED IN THE PROCCESS AND
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
LAMAR STATE COLLEGE-ORANGE HIRED
AN 11TH INSTRUCTOR TO MEET THE
DEMAND. DR. THOMAS JOHNSON,
PRESIDENT LAMAR STATE COLLEGE-
ORANGE THAT'S WHAT MAKES US
REALLY SPECIAL BECAUSE WE GET
YOU READY FOR A J-O-B. A
WORKFORCE READY TO GO, SUPPORT
COMING FROM THE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS AND SEVERAL STATE
INCENTIVES, COMMISSIONERS SAY
ORANGE COUNTY IS A STRONG
CONTENDER.. ROBERT VIATOR,
PRECINCT 4 COMMISSIONER BE
POSITIVE, BE ENCOURAGING,
CONTINUE FORWARD, OUR FUTURE IS
BRIGHT.
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SAY
IT
IT COULD
IT COULD BE ANOTHER SIX TO 12 MONTHS BEFORE WE SEE ANOTHER DISCUSSION REGARDING THE
PROPOSED PLANT. THE NEXT
TOPIC THAT COULD BE UP- COMING
AT A COMMISSIONERS MEETINGTHE
PROPOSED TAX ABATEMENT. RIGHT
NOW THE 313 AGREEMENT IS WITH IS
BEING REVIEWED BY THE WEST
ORANGE-COVE CONSOLIDATED
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND
THE BRIDGE CITY INDEPENDENT