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Judge says Ascension officials must turn over records tied to industrial developments in parish, reports say
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GONZALES — A state judge ordered the Ascension Parish government to turn over nondisclosure agreements between officials and business leaders connected to industrial developments along the west bank of the Mississippi River in the parish.
The judge ordered that records be disclosed for agreements about developing the RiverPlex MegaPark, which includes a multibillion-dollar Hyundai Steel facility and a CF Industries plant.
Community members sued the government after they were denied records in September 2025, alleging that they purposely acted secretly and behind closed doors to push through the development of the Hyundai facility. The group was denied the records several times, but now, the government is being ordered to release the records to the Louisiana Bucket Brigade and Rural Roots Louisiana suing the parish.
"If these projects are truly in the best interest of the people, why are so many documents hidden behind secrecy?" Ashley Gaignard, President of Rural Roots Louisiana, asked. "The people of Ascension Parish deserve transparency, honesty, and a clear understanding of what is being planned for our communities, our health and our future. What are they hiding, and why can’t the public know the full plan before decisions are made that impact generations to come?"
Rural Roots says that the future of an area that comprises nearly 10% of the land in the parish is at stake.
The court ordered that the record be released within five days.
"Ordinary citizens or community organizations shouldn’t have to fight this hard for records like this, but Rural Roots is dug in to get them released so the public can see which of their officials agreed to secrecy about matters that have life-changing consequences for their lives, homes, and community," Pam Spees, senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights and the lawyer representing the groups in the lawsuit, said in a statement.
The parish intends to block the order while they attempt to appeal the 23rd Judicial District Court decision.
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