“I heard some criticism on the radio today and I was not happy to hear it.”
That is what Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said at her press conference today regarding people voicing their frustrations on WWL’s Newell Normand’s show.
Some vented their criticism over how long it is taking the parish to restore power and to get fuel to the area.
Before her press conference, Sheng called into Newell’s show to address those criticisms she heard while in her car.
“Like you are saying, Newell, we got hit doubly,” Sheng said. “We produce gas for the rest of the country and our refineries got hit. The point is if this hurricane would have hit Florida they might have gas now if their roads were passable because our refineries would be producing gas for them.”
Sheng says two-thirds of the state’s oil consumed is produced by the eight Louisiana refineries, which were hit hard by Hurricane Ida.
“The situation with the refineries not being able to open is because of electricity,” said Sheng.
Sheng says the fuel trucks that deliver fuel to the gas stations, now have to travel to Baton Rouge to fill up.
“And just like the line that you see at the gas station locally where we are all waiting in line…they are waiting in line in Baton Rouge a long time.”
Sheng says the process to refine gas is not a quick process.
“It's 48 hours before one drop of fuel comes out of the refinery and it takes five to seven days before a refinery gets up to full capacity,” said Sheng.