PLAQUEMINES PARISH, La. — We have new information about the planned layoffs in Plaquemines Parish from the Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery.
According to the notice filed with the state, the permanent layoffs will begin on January 7, 2022, or within 14 days of that date. They say 470 employees will be impacted.
We spoke with Plaquemines Parish President immediately after the announcement was made. “If you know anyone in Plaquemines Parish, they’ve had someone affiliated with Phillips 66, a brother a cousin, a dad, my brother is personally retired from Phillips 66,” Kirk Lepine said.
FULL STORY FROM REPORTER PAUL MURPHY: Plaquemines Parish will lose hundreds of jobs, millions in tax dollars with refinery's closure
The Alliance Refinery is also the largest taxpayer in the parish. The shutdown is expected to cost the parish, public school district and the sheriff’s office millions of dollars in sales and property tax revenue.
- The parish government gets about $1.5 million a year from the refinery.
- The parish public school district gets more than $5 million in property and sales taxes.
- The sheriff’s office gets close to $2 million.
“Their portion of our taxes; they are about 12 percent of our tax base,” Lepine said.
Phillips 66 plans to convert the facility into an oil storage terminal.
The 50-year-old refinery was severely damaged after several feet of water flooded it during Hurricane Ida in August.
Company officials said it was too expensive to repair and restart.
“Our decision was a difficult one, and we understand it has a profound impact on our employees, contractors and the broader Belle Chasse community,” said Greg Garland, Chairman and CEO of Phillips 66. “We will work to help them through this transition and support them as Alliance takes on a new role in our portfolio.”