PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION VICTORY in St. John the Baptist Parish

Today, attorneys Hope Phelps and William Most won a preliminary injunction on behalf of their client, The Descendants Project. The ruling prohibits St. John the Baptist Parish from affirming or acting under a 1990 rezoning ordinance that was previously nullified by the court.

The Descendants Project was formed by sisters Joy and Jo Banner of Wallace, La., to preserve and protect the health, land and lives of the Black descendant community in Louisiana’s River Parishes.

The Descendants Project is fighting the unlawful attempts of St. John the Baptist Parish to rezone historic land with ties to slavery on which Denver-based developer Greenfield Louisiana LLC is seeking to build an industrial grain terminal. The terminal would include 56 grain silos—one nearly as tall as the Statue of Liberty—that would increase dust, pollution, and explosion risk for area residents.

This ruling represents a major victory for The Descendants Project, as it affirms the irreparable harm that may occur if the parish continues to break the law.