Washington D.C. - U.S. Representative Charles W. Boustany, Jr., (R-Southwest Louisiana), today announced the Minerals Management Service awarded a $209,800 grant to construct an offshore base platform near Cheniere au Tigre that will eventually reduce the erosion rate and secure the area for the Vermilion Parish Police Jury.

“This grant will conserve a large piece of the shoreline while providing a significant amount of protection to the area located north of Cheniere au Tigre,” Boustany said.  “I remain committed to strengthening coastal defenses to protect our way of life in Southwest Louisiana.  The start of hurricane season is an important reminder of the work we have left to do.”

The base platform will be one mile long and be placed approximately 1,300-feet offshore, parallel to the existing shoreline.  Oyster spats will be able to attach to the platform and eventually develop into a viable reef, decreasing the shoreline erosion rate by half of the current estimate.

This grant is part of the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), which distributes funds from offshore mineral royalties to rebuild wetlands and coastal protections.  Previous grants have been awarded by the Minerals Management Service through the CIAP, including a $10.6 million grant for the Grand Lake Shoreline Protection project and two other grants totaling $93,777 to rebuild levees along the North Prong Schooner Bayou and improve water access at Henry Hub in Vermilion Parish in 2009 alone.

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