word press

Keeping up with Murpy oil  :  A lesson in how to discourage participation in a community meeting.

Citrus Grove Planting

2013 UPDATE

This weekend, to commemorate our district's revitalization, residents planted a community citrus grove on vacant lots.

 

 

http://rediscoverdistrictc.org/beautification-projects/urban-orchid.html

 

Rediscover District C

Come Grow with Us 

Federal Levees failed

  According to Levees.org  ..........   Levees.org just discovered footage we just had to share.


Although the information contained in this video is not new, most of the footage you are about to see is new.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLNtA-5C5m0
Mere months after the federal levees failed in New Orleans after Katrina, the Corps of Engineers awarded an elite engineering group a grant to conduct what was basically a PR show to repair the Corps' damaged reputation. The grant steered money to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to present powerpoints apparently designed to mislead the American public on what caused the August 2005 flooding. (Levees.org discovered the details about the multi million grant in a request under FOIA.) It's bad enough that the presentations contained lies and spin designed to shift blame for the flooding away from the Corps and onto the people of New Orleans. The American taxpayers also paid for it. The information in this video is not new, but most of the footage is new. Not to be accused of taking anything 'out of context', we have uploaded a 15-minute segment -- the longest that YouTube allows - of the full 80-minute presentation and you can see even more of the travesty for yourself.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prKJcog20-Y&feature=youtu.be

EPA blog

EPA Greenversations Blog

FEMA road work

FEMA  Submerged Road Work crews failed to replace barricades after cement was poured.  This car was traveling on the east side of the street, the only side available.  Further up, the subcontractors failed to move barricades and cones to indicate a lane shift and to block off newly poured cement.

one guys visit to Chalmette

http://www.fatherallen.net/tag/chalmette

Public Meetings with Murphy

C  . SPECIAL STATE PROJECTS

156D. Public Meetings. Beginning no later than 90 days from the Date of
Entry, Murphy shall sponsor and provide for meetings to be held on a monthly
basis (and at least ten months in each calendar year) at a location and time that is
convenient for members of the Concerned Citizens Around Murphy ("CCAM"), a
Louisiana non-profit organization, and any other residents living nearby the
Meraux Refmery (within a 3-mile radius). Such meetings are intended to provide
a mutually beneficial forum for discussion of matters of concern to those living
nearby the Meraux Refmery, and shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any
Community Advisory Panel ("CAP") that may be sponsored or held by Murphy;
however, upon the mutual written agreement by Murphy and CCAM, such
meetings as required by this Paragraph may be merged with the CAP. Not less
than five (5) working days prior to each meeting, Murphy shall provide general
notice of the meeting's time and location, and shall additionally notify one or
more members of CCAM who are designated by CCAM to receive notice. At
each meeting, Murphy shall provide copies of any preliminary Refmery
Emissions Data for the immediately preceding 30 or 60-day period

i.e., the
period of time since the immediately preceding meeting) to CCAM members, and
any other nearby residents, attending the meeting. Murphy may, at Murphy's

100

.

... -~

　

option, post on the Monitoring Data Website additional data

, report(s), or other
information as would facilitate communications between Murphy and members of
the public at the meeting. If a CCAM member notifies Murphy of difficulty
accessing the data, report(s) or other information, Murphy shall provide the data,
report(s) or other information to the CCAM member by electronic mail upon
receiving notice of the request. Such meetings shall include, at a minimum, the
following:

a. An oral report by a knowledgeable Murphy official of progress in

implementing the provisions of this Consent Decree, and of any problems
encountered or anticipated by Murphy with respect to meeting the requirements of
the Consent Decree, during the immediately preceding 30 or 60-day period, as
applicable;

b. A presentation of the CAM Station Data collected, preliminary

Refinery Emissions Data, refmery CEMS data

, and flow data to the North and
South refinery flares covering the immediately preceding 30 or 60-day period, as
applicable. Refmery CEMS data and flow data to the North and South refinery
flares for the immediately preceding 30 or 60-day period may be presented by
Murphy in chart form or similar summary fashion; and

c. Any other issues identified by either Murphy or CCAM for

discussion at that month's meeting. In the notice provided by Murphy of the
meeting's time and location pursuant to this Paragraph, Murphy shall provide a
means for CCAM or any other residents to identify topics for discussion at that
meeting. Such meetings shall include sufficient time for discussion of questions
or issues to be raised by members of the public

.

d. By no later than 45 days from the Date of Entry, Murphy shall

host an evening community town hall meeting to explain this Consent Decree as it
relates to the Meraux Refinery to any interested residents.

I 56E. Community Enhancements. Murphy shall undertake the following
projects or measures for the benefit of the residential community near the Meraux
Refmery:

101

a. By no later than 270 days from the Date of Lodging, Murphy shall

secure the services of a qualified

independent third-party contractor to conduct a
noise survey along the 2000, 2100, 2200, and 2300 blocks of Jacob Drive or
Despaux Drive (between St. Bernard Highway and Ohio Street) in Chalmette,
Louisiana, for a minimum of seven (7) consecutive days during normal refining
operations (e.g., not during refinery turnaround periods, or during periods of a
curtailment of operations due to weather or for other reasons). The independent
contractor shall identify whether any noise levels are in excess of65 dB (as
provided in Chap. 11, Art. I, Sec. 11-4(b) ("Loud Machinery") of the St. Bernard
Parish, Louisiana). Based on the results of the survey, Murphy shall identify and
implement reasonable measures to mitigate any such excess noise levels to
comply with Chap. 11, Art. I, Sec. 11-4(b). The noise survey results shall be
made publicly available by Murphy pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph 156D,
and Murphy shall further include a discussion of the results and proposed
mitigating measures (if any) during the Public Meeting(s) required by Paragraph
156D.

b. By no later than 90 days from the Date of Lodging, Murphy shall

erect a fence to protect and preserve the Villere Plantation ruins

. By no later than
180 days from the Date of Lodging, Murphy shall create a conservation servitude
for the Villere Plantation ruins in accordance with La. Rev. Stat. §§ 9:1271 et seq.

c. At the Public Meetings held pursuant to Paragraph 156D, Murphy

shall report on its efforts to suppress the creation of dust caused by the aggregate
surface, vehicular traffic or wind in the parking lot area located at the refinery's
western boundary pipeline easement

.

public meeting August 16th @ Murphy Building

-- Public Meeting Tuesday August 16th at 6:30pm at the Murphy Oil Building, 1615 E. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette



The Public Meetings with Murphy Oil are scheduled for the third Tuesday of the Month. This month's meeting is expected to include information about the new air monitor on Ventura Drive in Chalmette. The meetings are open to the public.


The recent U.S. EPA consent decree with Murphy Oil requires the community air monitor, which tests for benzene, toluene, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and other chemical releases from Murphy's Meraux Refinery. The monitor is located on Ventura Drive in Chalmette. Air testing results will post on a public website. Murphy Oil will also provide a computer at a public area, such as the local public library, for residents to access the data.
UPDATE:   Murphy Oil  air monitor website

For more information email CCAMLA1@gmail.com .




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Nungesser given unfavorable opinion

The Plaquemines Citizen Blogspot

storm drains

There's a storm drain under this pile of gravel.  Residents are concerned about heavy rains and tropical weather and hope the street crews return soon.  It's been about three weeks.

August 11th Political Forum

POLITICAL FORUM 2011 - Prospective Candidates for St. Bernard Parish President and St. Bernard Parish Sheriff; The event will be held Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 6 p.m. at COUNCIL CHAMBERS 8201 W Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA  Doors open at 5:30pm

It is open to the general public at no cost. Space is limited so reservations must be made in advance. Reservations will only be accepted via email at politicalforum2011@gmail.com. You must leave the full name and phone number of each person attending. Any questions or concerns you may have for the candidates may also be submitted via email. This forum is sponsored by a citizen coalition. For more information, you can contact Kim Bright at 309-8889.

Q & A sessions will be conducted by the moderator. We ask that you submit your question via politicalforum2011@gmail.com by Tuesday, August 9, 2011.

storage tank leak at Murphy Oil June 2011

On June 18, 2011

storage tank at Murphy Oil leaking low-benzene gasoline.

:  7:15am the gasoline was discovered to have leaked from the floor of the storage tank; about 5 barrels. The facility diked the area to contain the spill and used a vacuum truck to remove. The low benzene gasoline was transferred to another tank. The tank was flushed with water and repairs were underway. LDEQ conducted air monitoring and nothing was detected by the MSA air monitor.

Posted to EDMS in early August 2011