BASF Corporation has announced the donation of more than 60 acres of land to the Ascension Parish, La., Sheriff's Office to be used as a site for law enforcement training.

"We have all seen the vital role that police, firefighters and the emergency medical services play every day in protecting our communities and our lives. The business of chemistry provides many innovative products, such as fire-resistant materials, puncture-resistant fibers and infrared detection devices, that support this work. With this donation, we at BASF are pleased to have the opportunity to offer more direct support to law enforcement training within Ascension Parish, Louisiana," said Otis Hall, Vice President and General Manager, BASF Geismar.

The land donated at is adjacent to the Sheriff's Training Center on St. Landry Road. Sheriff Jeff Wiley plans to build a Law Enforcement Support Center and additional training facilities on the donated land.

"We could not even contemplate building this facility without BASF, the largest employer and largest taxpayer in Ascension Parish," said Sheriff Wiley. "With BASF's help we are making Ascension Parish better."

Harold McDonald, Executive Vice President, Manufacturing and Services, BASF Corporation, said that the Geismar, La., site is a key element of BASF's investment strategy in North America. "The Geismar site occupies a key position within BASF Corporation. It is our largest manufacturing facility in North America and the third largest BASF facility in the world," said McDonald. "Our BASF Geismar site and the Sheriff's Office have had a long and successful history of working together for the benefit of the Ascension Parish. BASF Geismar donated the property on which the current training center stands."