Friday, July 22, 2016

more or less the same

Thursday, February 21, 2008


more or less on the horizon



FROM 2008   
47302. NOLA FORUM

INTEGRITY

02/21/08 11:34 AM
The people of St. Bernard deserve to be informed by their elected officials. Residents of District C, who are and have been for many years concerned about the expansion of industrial giants and the poisonous emissions from the manufacture and refining, have indeed been lied to by their elected officials. The stone walling and lies of deception continue to this day. When even one resident asks, " what is being built here?" he has a right to be answered. Our neighbor, Murphy Oil USA is going to build a lab on the site of the old Campagna Skiff Company location. We were NEVER given an opportunity, as a neighbor or neighborhood to examine the plan, ask questions or express our concerns. To offer input now is obviously an insult. As I stated before it was a done deal. Probably years in the making between our government and that industrial giant. Encroachment. A nasty word. But it is happening. Murphy, in moving it's lab from the river side of St. Bernard Hwy (probably to expand it's plant) now finds that the location where they plan to build the new lab is not large enough to accommodate parking. They want to (ENCROACH) on to residential property. They want a zone change. After everything said about greenspace, and bufferzone. Our government continues to play along with the plan. The Murphy plan.Our parish president and council members as well as zoning and planning commissions need to remember who pays them. Or is that exactly what they are doing?

 
The refinery was originally located on the other side of the highway and the land behind the neighborhood was not zoned for industrial use.  Then over the years there were a series of wise decisions to allow more and more industrial zoning changes further and further away from the river and into the backyards of our community. The processing plant doubled in the 1970's and several large additions including a clean fuels process began in the late 1990's early 2000's. How did the Parish ever allow these units to be constructed so close to family dwellings??
 
Let's not make the same mistake again with warehouses, administration buildings, parking etc. on Jacob Drive; that land was purchased with the pretense of a green zone buffer and a good neighbor would honor that agreement.  Any other use makes the Parish further liable.
 
 
Above, EPA Region VI map of oil spill
Notice the area just west of the processing plant was not "in the oil spill" but this is the area most often pushed by parish officials to participate in the buyup.

Below map of oil spill first purported by Parish government
 
 

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Thursday throwback


The obvious reality that oil refineries are not good neighbors (go to www.oilrefinerypollution.com) and contemplating expansion of one in a fragile wetlands ecosystem, knowing that sulfur dioxide is the principal precursor to acid rain and the risks to human health, is irresponsible and ultimately a formula for long-range health and environmental costs we can’t even begin to envision.

We’ve all driven through and, if possible around, cities or towns that choose to chase smokestacks for their economic vitality. Evidence is abundant that making billions in profits superseded quality of life considerations

For the sake of our health, we must choose wisely. It’s no longer a question of whether we can. Global indicators increasingly are telling us that the real question for the future is whether we should?!



 

excerpts from LETTER: Refinery expansion would degrade city

The Daily Telegram - 07/08/2008
To The Telegram:

From     — Paul D. Helbach,  Brule

 

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

SIP Calls for excess emissions --- Sulfur Dioxide

 
 
State Implementation Plans:
 
The Louisiana DEQ must submit a plan to the United States EPA that demonstrates changes at the nearby plants will bring the air quality of St Bernard Parish into healthy levels for Sulfur Dioxide.
 
Currently, St Bernard Parish’s air quality is in violation of the one-hour health standard for sulfur dioxide [ 75 ppb ], and the amount of sulfur dioxide in our air is causing public health issues.  
Sulfur dioxide is a nonflammable, colorless gas that is heavier than air, and has a strong, pungent odor with irritating properties.
 
Acute exposure occurs when sulfur dioxide levels are ten parts per billion (10 ppb) for 15 minutes; it is not uncommon to have acute exposure events in St Bernard Parish.
  
Below is a chart of 5 minute readings from various days at the Chalmette Vista monitor, which is located at the site of Blue Bird Park playground.  The one-hour average is displayed as CDLST intervals.  The 5 minute chart illustrates the importance of keeping the one-hour average below 75 ppb, and easily shows how often the 15 minute intervals with concentrations of sulfur dioxide at or higher than 10 ppb occur.

CHALMETTE VISTA SO2 005m
Date Time (CST) Final Value (PPB)
July 4, 2016 16:00 6.0
July 4, 2016 16:05 4.2
July 4, 2016 16:10 4.0
July 4, 2016 16:15 3.4
July 4, 2016 16:20 25.9
July 4, 2016 16:25 67.4
July 4, 2016 16:30 19.1
July 4, 2016 16:35 14.0
July 4, 2016 16:40 22.6
July 4, 2016 16:45 35.9
July 4, 2016 16:50 83.5
July 4, 2016 16:55 66.0
5 pm (CDLST) one-hour avg   29.3 ppb 
     
July 4, 2016 17:00 44.9
July 4, 2016 17:05 190.8
July 4, 2016 17:10 178.0
July 4, 2016 17:15 169.3
July 4, 2016 17:20 140.2
July 4, 2016 17:25 146.5
July 4, 2016 17:30 170.9
July 4, 2016 17:35 118.0
July 4, 2016 17:40 18.8
July 4, 2016 17:45 95.7
July 4, 2016 17:50 88.9
July 4, 2016 17:55 61.5
6 pm (CDLST) one-hour avg   118.6 ppb 
     
     
July 6, 2016 16:00 62.4
July 6, 2016 16:05 8.0
July 6, 2016 16:10 5.1
July 6, 2016 16:15 13.0
July 6, 2016 16:20 84.0
July 6, 2016 16:25 97.4
July 6, 2016 16:30 31.1
July 6, 2016 16:35 37.9
July 6, 2016 16:40 147.7
July 6, 2016 16:45 29.0
July 6, 2016 16:50 16.9
July 6, 2016 16:55 55.9
6pm (CDLST) one-hour avg   49 ppb 
     
July 6, 2016 17:00 9.0
July 6, 2016 17:05 6.5
July 6, 2016 17:10 63.5
July 6, 2016 17:15 127.7
July 6, 2016 17:20 145.4
July 6, 2016 17:25 189.4
July 6, 2016 17:30 216.6
July 6, 2016 17:35 173.1
July 6, 2016 17:40 20.5
July 6, 2016 17:45 19.6
July 6, 2016 17:50 12.2
July 6, 2016 17:55 6.4
7pm (CDLST) one-hour avg   82.4 ppb 
     
July 7, 2016 13:00 11.0
July 7, 2016 13:05 131.5
July 7, 2016 13:10 31.6
July 7, 2016 13:15 60.2
July 7, 2016 13:20 164.2
July 7, 2016 13:25 38.6
July 7, 2016 13:30 29.3
July 7, 2016 13:35 56.9
July 7, 2016 13:40 25.8
July 7, 2016 13:45 24.6
July 7, 2016 13:50 285.2
July 7, 2016 13:55 54.0
3pm (CDLST) one-hour avg   76 ppb 
     
July 7, 2016 14:00 22.0
July 7, 2016 14:05 111.6
July 7, 2016 14:10 23.9
July 7, 2016 14:15 20.9
July 7, 2016 14:20 148.6
July 7, 2016 14:25 89.8
July 7, 2016 14:30 12.4
July 7, 2016 14:35 7.6
July 7, 2016 14:40 6.4
July 7, 2016 14:45 37.4
July 7, 2016 14:50 32.1
July 7, 2016 14:55 38.2
4pm (CDLST) one-hour avg   45.9 ppb 
     
July 7, 2016 15:00 252.6
July 7, 2016 15:05 137.2
July 7, 2016 15:10 38.8
July 7, 2016 15:15 101.5
July 7, 2016 15:20 38.0
July 7, 2016 15:25 52.2
July 7, 2016 15:30 9.4
July 7, 2016 15:35 7.2
July 7, 2016 15:40 7.7
July 7, 2016 15:45 5.9
July 7, 2016 15:50 20.2
July 7, 2016 15:55 142.2
4pm (CDLST) one-hour avg   67.7 ppb  
     
July 7, 2016 18:00 122.1
July 7, 2016 18:05 118.6
July 7, 2016 18:10 113.3
July 7, 2016 18:15 161.8
July 7, 2016 18:20 127.5
July 7, 2016 18:25 25.3
July 7, 2016 18:30 21.5
July 7, 2016 18:35 28.9
July 7, 2016 18:40 10.7
July 7, 2016 18:45 13.8
July 7, 2016 18:50 8.4
July 7, 2016 18:55 6.6
7pm (CDLST) one-hour avg   63.2 ppb  






 

Thursday, July 7, 2016

throw back Thursday

an editorial from march 2010
http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/2010/03/editorial.html

Instead of a recovery plan that protects our right to secure tenure, the
shift continues toward industry, undermining our health and that of our children.
.
Spot Zoning's adverse effects and ramifications fail to preserve the integrity of our residential neighborhoods, result in a piece meal of yet another land use plan developed without thoughtful deliberations, and make any assemblance of a public input process a charade from the beginning.
.
Developed as the master land use plan through the works and recommendation of the Citizens Recovery Committee, and adopted by the Council in 2006, the Waggoner and Ball Plan was submitted to and accepted by the Louisiana Recovery Authority Board as the foundation for the St Bernard Parish Recovery Plan.
.
Subsequent zoning changes, allowed by Council Ordinance, which are
incompatible with the existing land use maps, seem to arbitrarily enforce local code. Although recently "modernized" with the advice of Donald Poland, a professional planner made available through a grant from the Greater New  Orleans Foundation (http://www.gnof.org/), the local Code of Ordinances: Chapter 22 Zoning left residential properties unprotected. The minimal allowance or required buffer between heavy industry and residential remains unchanged at a mere 100 feet. Recently introduced dockets, if granted, will allow industrial zoning adjacent to residential homes with even less protective footage; not to mention the nearby churches and schools. {Docket
7 - 10 Municipal No. 328 West St Bernard Hwy at Delille Street, Petition for Zoning Change from C2 General Commercial to I1 Industrial -- Public Hearing March 23rd 4pm}


St Bernard Parish needs to move away from politically motivated zoning changes and leave that authority with the Planning Commissioners, instead of Council Ordinance, with appeals of planning decisions heard in State Court.


Citizens Recovery Committee
(http://www.louisianaspeaks-parishplans.org/IndParishHomepage_CommunityInvol
vement.cfm?EntID=13 ),
the Waggoner and Ball Plan
(http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16762854/Citizens-Recovery-Committee-MasterPlan
-April-2006 )
adopted by the Council in 2006,
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/28294096/StBernardParish-LRA-Resolution-062507-to
-Accept-Waggoner-and-Ball )
submitted to and accepted by the Louisiana Recovery Authority Board
(http://www.louisianaspeaks-parishplans.org/IndParishHomepage.cfm?EntID=13
)
as the foundation for the St Bernard Parish Recovery Plan
(http://www.louisianaspeaks-parishplans.org/IndParishHomepage_RecoveryVision
.cfm?EntID=13 ).
the local Code of Ordinances Chapter 22 Zoning
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/17214549/St-Bernard-Parish-Zoning-Regulations-Dra
ft-May-26-20091 )

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