Concerned Citizens Around Murphy: January 2012

DEQ ordered the clean up of Bayou Trepagnier in St. Charles Parish

Shell/Motiva most likely had a DEQ issued permit which allowed the toxic dumping. DEQ is improving its water quality programs and water shed clean up efforts, but is not consistent.

Shell/Motiva was ordered to clean this Bayou and reroute discharges to the river. A newly constructed tank farm in St. James was not allowed to discharge to the local canals and instead was required to treat and discharge to the river. Yet, some of the older facilities discharge permits allow dumping into local canals.

Just outside Chalmette, in Meraux, the Murphy Oil refinery's discharge permit public noticed for renewal, without any improvements to the dumping situation. The oil refinery, now owned by Valero, is allowed to dump untreated waste water - oily wastes - and waters from the tank farms into the neighborhood canals. It's bad to have benzene and other contaminants meander through neighborhoods and canals where people fish and crab. At times, the volume of oily discharge is so large that residents become sick from the petroleum fumes which enter their homes.

In a recent public meeting, DEQ tried to assure the public that IF oil were sent to the facility's rainwater ponds or the canals, it would be a violation. Noted violations and mere fines do nothing to solve the malfunction problems, the inadequate storm water capacity, nor the pollution problems. It adds insult to injury when DEQ and the facility further state that the dumping only occurs when it rains, and besides they are not dumping the “really, really, bad oil”.

In this area, all these canals empty into the nearby Central Wetlands of the Lake Borgne area, which is part of the Lake Pontchartrain water shed; even the smallest amount of oil waste and chemicals affect the ecological balance of these sensitive estuaries.

DEQ should not renew the permit until these local canals and wetlands are cleaned and restored and there is a written plan and timetable for required improvements at the facility; the improvements should include additional storm water capacity and re-routing the discharges for treatment prior to discharging to the river (instead of discharging untreated or partially treated flow to the canals).

It's sort of like discrimination when DEQ provides for public health and safety in one area of Louisiana but not another.

The St. Bernard Parish Council by Resolution previously agreed not to rezone anything in our neighborhood until Murphy Oil provided two things to the residents of St. Bernard: 1) its Master Plan for the current facility and 2) a written plan of their long-term intent for the former "buyout" area. Only than could residents fully participate in an informed discussion to consider changes around the existing greenspace or buffer. That is every citizens right to full and equal access to information before the decisions are made; its part of their right to secure tenure. Let's hope the newly elected Council and Adminstration uphold the people's rights. Congratulations to all the newly elected officials.

we are here and here to stay........ Inaugural Ceremonies

http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/p/turner-v-murphy.html