Soil bearing capacities for shallow spread footings (approximately three feet deep) at this site should be in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 pounds per square foot with normal safety factors, a value deemed adequate to support heavy equipment and building column foundations as well as slabs on grade usually associated with heavy industrial installations. Soil borings recently drilled on or near the site are available upon request.

Water table at this site will be seasonal in nature and vary throughout the year since it is dictated mostly by the amount of rainfall occurring at the site. Typically, groundwater will be found 6.0 to 8.0 feet in depth. However, this depth will increase significantly as the site is cleared and grubbed and a surface drainage system is installed to drain and dry the site prior to beginning any construction work. Presently all storm runoff is disposed of naturally by percolation, surface runoff following contours of the land, and evaporation.

Obviously these site attributes and general parameters are the result of our site knowledge and interpolations made from actual findings from adjacent sites. For accurate design criteria information, it is recommended that soil borings be taken and soil analyses be made at the actual construction locations prior to undertaking the design of footings, slabs, or any other load carrying structure.

Land Requirements:

The Site Plan includes approximately 800 acres which provide high ground  for the construction of large building complexes while maintaining buffer zones around manufacturing facilities. This concept is enhanced by the fact that there is no usable land to the south and southeast of the proposed site, that area being entirely coastal marshlands and low lying areas subjected to tidal action and under the jurisdiction of federal and state authorities, thus providing an unlimited buffer in that direction.

Location Requirements:

Site is in Hancock County, Mississippi, and directly accessible from the Intracoastal Waterway by way of the navigable East Pearl River.  Site is located less than 45 minutes from the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area.  The Hancock Medical Center maintains a clinic on site.

Transportation Requirements:

Site has access to navigable waters with access to the County's public dock facilities.   Site is served by the Commission-owned short line railroad with direct connection to the CSX system running between New Orleans, LA, and Jacksonville, FL. The site has direct access to Interstate Highway 10 by way of U.S. Highway 90 and the four-lane Highway 607. All of these roads are in good condition.

Raw Material Deliveries and Finished Product Shipments:

Rail, barge and truck tonnage can be handled by existing infrastructure, including the Public Barge Bulk Terminal with direct access to rail or roads.

Utility Requirements:

Process Water: The site sits above a plentiful aquifer capable of delivering flow at 52 psi.   Needed wells can be drilled to a depth of approximately 2,000 feet.

Potable Water and Fire Protection System: The Port Bienville Industrial Park is capable of providing in excess of 1000 GPM. Presently the system has a looped 12" main and a 250,000 gallon elevated storage tank.

Gas: The existing natural gas system can be extended to a manufacturing facility as needed through CenterPoint Energy (6" line) or an independent delivery company (4" line).

Sewer: The Park's sanitary sewer collection is via an 8-inch gravity main.  A new 105,000  GPD treatment plant serves the Industrial Park.

Basic Information:

All of the 800 acre site was previously dedicated to the growth of forestry products.   On the north, west, and part of the south, the site adjoins industrial sites whether vacant or developed (see Site Plan). To the northeast the site fronts on Ansley Rd., the paved county road serving the Port Bienville Industrial Park, and to the east and southeast the site adjoins coastal low-lying marshlands. Other than the two low lying areas shown on the Site Plan, no other wetlands have been identified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, particularly on the high ground proposed for the construction of manufacturing facilities, and both of these areas are within the proposed buffer areas.