A. The authority shall be empowered to do any and all things necessary or proper to carry out the purposes of this Chapter, including but not limited to the following:
(1) To make such investigations and conduct such investigatory and adjudicatory hearings, by itself or through its executive director, or any person appointed by the authority for that purpose, to develop such facts as may be necessary to assist in assuring compliance with the purposes of this chapter and the rules, regulations, and orders of the authority.
(2) To enter, at all reasonable times, in or upon any private or public property for the purpose of inspecting or investigating conditions in order to ascertain the state of compliance with this chapter and the rules, regulations, and orders of the authority.
(3) To inspect, at reasonable times, relevant records, files, papers, processes, controls, operations, and facilities for the purpose of ascertaining the state of compliance with this chapter and the rules, regulations, and orders of the authority.
(4) To take such actions, promulgate such rules and regulations, and issue such orders, as necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this Chapter; provided, however, that all such actions shall be performed in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act.
(5) To institute in courts of competent jurisdiction legal proceedings to compel compliance with any order entered by the authority, or with this chapter or the authority's rules and regulations.
(6) To issue licenses, certificates, and permits for the construction of facilities or use of services or facilities subject to the authority's jurisdiction, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the authority.
(7) To transfer, pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the authority, rights of the authority under any license, certificate, permit, or other authorization granted to the authority.
(8) To fix reasonable and just rates, fares, tolls or charges for the services and facilities within the authority's jurisdiction.
(9) To employ such engineers, accountants, attorneys, other professionals, employees and agents as may be necessary and advisable, and to fix their compensation on a contract or other appropriate basis.
B. To assert Louisiana's interest in any offshore terminal facilities development in proximity to the Louisiana coast, the authority is empowered to negotiate with and enter into contracts, compacts or other agreements with agencies, bureaus or other divisions of the federal government or other states of the United States concerning the authority development program, including jurisdictional aspects of the location of the offshore terminal facility, sharing of revenues derived from the operation of the offshore terminal facilities, and promulgation and enforcement of regulations governing authority operations.
C. In addition to all other powers granted to the authority, the authority is hereby granted the following powers and duties:
(1) To own, construct, operate, maintain, and lease docks, wharves, sheds, elevators, pipelines, pumping stations and related facilities, storage facilities, housing and food facilities, heliports, locks, slips, laterals, basins, warehouses, and all other property, structures, equipment, and facilities, including belt and connecting lines of railroads and works of public improvement necessary or useful for the authority development program.
(2) To dredge and maintain shipways, channels, slips, basins, and turning basins.
(3) To establish, operate, and maintain navigable waterway systems in cooperation with the federal government, the state of Louisiana and its various agencies, subdivisions, and public bodies.
(4) To acquire by expropriation title to any real property, leaving the ownership of any minerals or mineral rights in the former owners, and the prescription of nonuse shall not run against said minerals or mineral rights. In the event of expropriation, the compensation to be paid shall be the actual market value of the property at the time of taking. In the event of the acquisition of a servitude, or use of any state owned waterbottoms on which there has been granted an oyster lease by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, the private oyster lessee shall be reimbursed by the authority for the actual market value of said lease.
(5) To borrow from any person using or renting any land or dock or warehouse or any facility of the authority such sums as are necessary to improve the same according to plans and specifications approved by the authority and to erect and construct such improvement, and agree that the loan therefor shall be liquidated by deducting from the rent, dock, wharf, or toll charges payable for such property, a percentage thereof to be agreed on, subject, however, to any covenants or agreements made with the holders of revenue bonds issued under the authority set forth in R.S. 34:3112 or R.S. 34:3112.1.
(6) To collect tolls and fees.
(7) To borrow funds for the business of the authority.
(8) To mortgage properties constructed or acquired by the authority and to mortgage, pledge, and assign any or all right, title, and interest of the authority in any lease, sale, loan, or financing agreement, and the revenues and other advantages arising therefrom.
(9) To make secured or unsecured loans, but solely from funds obtained from the sale of revenue bonds issued under R.S. 34:3112.1 for the purpose of financing or refinancing the acquisition, construction, improvement, or equipping of a revenue bond project or revenue bond projects; to charge and collect interest on such loans and pledge the proceeds of loan agreements as security for the payment of the principal and interest of bonds, or designated issues of bonds issued by the authority and any agreements made in connection therewith, whenever the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development finds such loans to be in furtherance of the public purposes and obligations of the authority and in the public interest, it being recognized that the funds being loaned are not funds of the state or of any political subdivision thereof, but are monies obtained from revenue bonds secured by payments to be made by licensees and other private industrial and commercial enterprises.
(10) To enter into lease, sale, loan, and financing agreements with licensees pursuant to which licensees agree to construct, operate, and maintain deepwater ports and offshore terminal facilities; and to use the proceeds of revenue bonds to pay or reimburse licensees for project costs, including those for which licensees have expended their own funds, and to make payments through fiduciaries to third parties for obligations which licensees have incurred for project costs.
D. The authority is hereby empowered to take all necessary steps to protect Louisiana's unique coastal environment from any short-term or long-term damage or harm which might occur from any aspect of the authority development program.
E. The authority may contract with any agency, public or private, to provide for public utilities on such terms as are agreed upon by the authority and the respective utilities for the financing, construction and extension of sewerage, water, drainage, electricity, gas and other necessary public utilities in and through said development.
F. The authority may lease or sublease lands leased from the state of Louisiana and is authorized to negotiate and enter into leases, subleases, contracts, or agreements with any person for the construction or operation of deepwater ports or offshore terminal facilities, including petroleum, coal, or other bulk cargoes in accordance with a license or licenses granted by the authority; however, the provisions of R.S. 38:2211, et seq. shall not apply to this Section.
G. The authority shall have exclusive and plenary power to issue licenses, certificates and permits, and otherwise regulate all phases of the construction and operation by any person of offshore terminal facilities within the jurisdiction of the authority. Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to relieve, exempt or immunize any person, including the authority, from any environmental or safety requirement or regulation of a local governmental subdivision.