Office of Conservation

Gueydan well hearing to be rescheduled

The Louisiana Office of Conservation has postponed a public hearing scheduled for today on a saltwater disposal well permit application by Toce Energy, LLC for the Hal Stelly Well No. 001, with the intent of rescheduling the hearing for a later date.

The public hearing was set for 6 p.m. at the Vermilion Parish Library-Gueydan Branch at 704 Tenth St. in Gueydan. The application process will be on hold until the public hearing is rescheduled and held.

Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James H. Welsh said that he wanted to take extra steps to ensure the public has as much information as possible on the hearing procedure and the information provided in the permit application before holding the public hearing.

“With that in mind, I have decided to postpone the public hearing today. I also want to make it clear to the residents of the area that a public hearing will be held at a later date on this matter and that the application process cannot go forward without that hearing,” Welsh said. “We know this is an important issue for the people of Vermilion Parish, and we want the process to be transparent.”

While copies of the application have been available by writing or calling the Office of Conservation, and a copy has been available for inspection in the Office of Conservation’s Baton Rouge office, Welsh said he wants to take the extra step of posting the application in a public area in Vermilion Parish to make it more accessible to interested persons in the area.

Welsh said he also intends to post information on the hearing process in the local area to help residents’ involvement be as effective as possible.

A new date has not been set, but state law requires at least 30 days notice before such a hearing can be held.