Concerned Citizens Around Murphy

Saturday, February 11, 2012

land use plan

greenspace shown in framework adopted by Council in 2006 as the Master Land Use plan to apply for Federal and State Funding

This Waggoner and Ball Plan was used as a framework for the Waggoner and Ball LLT Property redevelopment plan, presented in Fall 2011 and proposed for amendment in this week's HRQL meeting

http://www.scribd.com/doc/69265973/St-Bernard-Parish-Proposed-LLT-Property-redevelopment-ideas

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

sulfur dioxide levels make resident sick

The Ch_Vista Monitor on December 5 2011 recorded extremely high sulfur dioxide levels, well over the EPA health standard of 75 ppb. On December 5th, Chalmette Vista's hourly averaged sulfur dioxide levels from 9am to noon were 40 ppb, 135 ppb, 256 ppb, 38 ppb and then from 6pm to 7pm the sulfur levels were 239 ppb and 145 ppb. A Chalmette resident reported the emissions made her sick.

Incident 135699 EDMS document 8267114 Pages 36 and 37.
http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=8267114&ob=yes&child=yes

Yet, the DEQ inspection states both nearby industries, Rain CII Carbon and ExxonMobil Chalmette refinery, were operating within air permit limits (which is mostly likely true AND those permit limits should be lowered). However, the DEQ inspection does not include information from the plant operating logs to see what units were operating at that time. Were any operations bypassing pollution controls, even if within the permit limits? Were there malfunctions? What part of the processes is causing this?

We cannot solve this public health problem caused by the sulfur dixoide levels in Chalmette until the source is identified. Sulfur Dioxide levels continue to exceed the health standards, as shown in Air Quality readings In January 2012 from St. Bernard Parishes three air monitors .

Rain CII Carbon is a petroleum coke plant located adjacent to the Chalmette Vista neighborhood and in between the National Historical Park at Chalmette (Battle of New Orleans 1814) and ExxonMobil's Chalmette refinery. Rain CII operates on a variance which allows operational bypasses up to 500 hours annually. Rain CII recently applied for an additonal 350 hours bypass time to accomodate repairs and maintenance. The additional particulate matter discharges are estimated at 4.64 tons PM10.

http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=8262032&ob=yes&child=yes

http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=8262326&ob=yes&child=yes

http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=8227048&ob=yes&child=yes

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Marsh Fire Effect on Air Quality

In January 2012 there was a persisent marsh fire in New Orleans East, just north of St. Bernard Parish. The three air quality monitors in St. Bernard Parish reported high levels of particulate matter and hydrogen sulfide in January 2012.  Both are assumed to be from the marsh fire.

January 23, 2012 was one of the worse air quality days for particulate matter, PM10. As an example, PM10 hourly readings around the St. Bernard Parish Chalmette Vista neighborhood generally average around the 20 to 40 range, and tend to peak to near 100 on New Year's Eve due to fireworks. In January, the PM10 readings at both the Ch_Vista Monitor and another community air monitor on Ventura Drive measured over 300 due to the marsh fire.

Time      Air Monitor                Particulate Matter PM10

11am Ventura                          46

noon Ventura                           80
          Ch_Vista                        89

1pm Ventura                          166
         Ch_Vista                       212

2pm Ventura                          304
         Ch_Vista                       280

3pm Ventura                          274
          Ch_Vista                      239

4pm Ventura                          251
         Ch_Vista                       214

5pm Ventura                          242
         Ch_Vista                       199

6pm Ventura                          234
         Ch_Vista                       205

7pm Ventura                          224
         Ch_Vista                       202
8pm Ventura                          162
         Ch_Vista                       132

Valero Refining - Meraux LLC's Ventura Drive Monitor. http://lena.providenceeng.com/Default.aspx
    Louisiana DEQ - Ch_Vista Monitor http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/DIVISIONS/Assessment/AirFieldServices/AmbientAirMonitoringProgram/AirMonitoringData.aspx

Full Recap of January 2012 Air Quality Here

Community Meeting

Valero refinery will conduct a meeting, open to the public, Thursday Feb 9th at 7:30pm in the Valero Administration Bldg on East Judge Perez in Chalmette. The meeting is for any concerned citizens and will include information on the refinery emissions and recent EPA consent decree.

These community meetings are generally held on the Third Tuesday of the Month. Due to Mardi Gras day, the February meeting was changed and will follow the Valero Refinery CAP (Community Advisory Board) meeting.

Waste Not Want Not

The waste water treatment plant design requires flows to the ponds and canals which will never fully meet LPDES requirements. [*] This is a violation of the Clean Water Act.
AND, it's completely avoidable.

In fact, the permit does not require sampling of the waste flow from the waste treatment facilities (south of Judge Perez) to the conveyance ditch which feeds the ponds (north of Judge Perez). The only sample of this flow is after it has been diluted with the ponds and before it is discharged into the local canals.

The applicant should be prohibited from ever sending chemicals or waste waters to any of the canals. The permit should prohibit -- under any conditions -- ever sending waste flows north of Judge Perez to the earthen conveyance ditches, storm water ponds or basins interconnected to the ponds, because any chemicals and materials sent north of the waste treatment facility goes into our neighborhoods and sensitive Central Wetlands.

The permit should prohibit storage and treatment of wastes north of Judge Perez. Once the refinery wastes are sent to the Secondary stormwater basins or ponds, it is impossible to send it back for treatment, because, by that time, it is already mixed with the pond's water.

Even the smallest portion of wastes will have long term effects on the ecology system. (page 13 Vol. 1)
[*] Murphy Oil USA Inc. Solid Waste permit application for secondary storm water basins or "ponds" (not yet public noticed)
Vol 1 http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=7885455&ob=yes&child=yes

Vol 2 http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=7885902&ob=yes&child=yes

The ponds discharge into the local canals, which meander through neighborhoods before discharging in the sensitive Central Wetlands, Bayou Bienvenue, and Lake Bornge. The plan to prevent the refinery process campus from flooding is to release process campus storm water through the same route; if there is a backup of storm water on the process campus, it overflows onto residential streets. The requirement to maintain the ponds with adequate freeboard is sometimes met with similar discharges. The design of the waste treatment facilities, when it rains or malfunctions is to store the harmful chemicals and wastes in an unlined ditch within very close proximity to a Church which hosts vacation bible school for children. It is impossible to send all the contaminants back from the ponds to the waste treatment facility for treatment and all these wastes and chemicals are eventually discharged into our neighborhoods or released into our air.

And it's completely avoidable by segregating process water and waste streams from storm water and instead piping malfunctions and "emergency" discharges to storage tanks, treatment ponds on the river side (away from human inhabitants), or into the river itself.

Allowing storage and partial treatment of the wastes in the storm water ponds exposes our residents to harmful and carcinogenic chemicals. Discharges have a lasting effect on the estuaries and environment.

DEQ must consider alternatives to sending chemicals and wastes into the canals and alternatives to storage of chemicals and wastes north of Judge Perez.

Public Meetings

Tuesday November 15, 2011 6:30pm

The monthly public meetings are open to the public and scheduled to convene on the third Tuesday of the month at the former Murphy Oil Administration Building, 1615 East Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. .
*Updates on EPA Consent Decree Provisions
*Ambient air monitor station

http://lena.providenceeng.com/Default.aspx

The new air monitor on Ventura Drive in Chalmette samples our air for benzene, toluene, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and other chemicals. The monitoring results post on the public website: http://lena.providenceeng.com/Default.aspx

Murphy Oil has also provided computer access in the public library.

Preservation Priority

The Villere Plantation was listed as a War of 1812 Preservation Priority in the 2007 American Battlefield Protection Program Report to Congress. "The priorities indicate which sites, in the opinion of the National Park Service, merit immediate preservation action, which need ongoing preservation action, which require additional study, and which are best suited for commemoration rather than preservation."

http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/Rev1812_Final_Report.pdf

The recent EPA Consent Decree with Murphy Oil agreed to a conservation servitude for the Villere Plantation land area of the crop fields drainage machine. The conservation servitude unfortunately expires in approximately 7 to 10 years along with the consent decree.

http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/2011/04/villere-plantation-ruins.html

Islenos