DONALDSONVILLE - The Ascension Parish Government released documents on Tuesday, including a dozen NDAs involving the Hyundai Steel mill, which broke ground earlier this month.

Two different types of NDAs were shared with the public, one involving Ascension Parish officials or employees and Hyundai Steel, the other involving elected officials and Louisiana Economic Development.

One non-disclosure agreement involving Hyundai Steel lists Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment as a party allowed to receive confidential information. A different non-disclosure agreement shares Louisiana Economic Development entered a confidentiality agreement with Ascension Parish Councilman Oliver Joseph.

The $5.8 billion steel mill is expected to bring more than 1,000 jobs to the parish.

"For us, this is more than an investment in a plant," Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung said at the groundbreaking.

A cooperative endeavor agreement between Hyundai Steel Louisiana and the parish government laid out water and infrastructure plans for the site. An intergovernmental agreement between the parish and DOTD detailed road and rail improvements leading to the mill site.

In return for these incentives, Hyundai signed onto a Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT, program. Hyundai will give payments to the parish's Industrial Development Board who will distribute the funds between the parish, school system and sheriff's office. In its initial distribution, Hyundai will pay $3 million each year, starting in 2026 and ending in 2029.

Business experts with Leaders for a Better Louisiana said PILOT programs allow communities more flexibility when attracting economic development.

"They're going to do something like a PILOT to give them more flexibility to negotiate with the company, to try and win that project, where other states might not be willing to do that," Leaders for a Better Louisiana Chief Executive Officer Adam Knapp said.

As for the NDAs, Knapp said, many companies will not even open development discussions without the confidentiality promised by the non-disclosure agreements.

"How do you make the state competitive? But also, how do you retain and maintain public trust? To do that, I think you have to make sure there is a lot of transparency after a transaction ends and you announce a project," Knapp said.

In a press release, the parish shared that it released the documents because its confidentiality period ended.

"We protected legitimate negotiations when confidentiality was required, followed the public process when governmental approval was required, and are releasing the documents now that the confidentiality period has ended," Cointment said.

WBRZ reached out to the parish for additional comment, as well as Hyundai Steel and Louisiana Economic Development.