Concerned Citizens Around Murphy: Photo Gallery

Living through FEMA Road Work

http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/n586/FEMA_Reconstruction/

http://femareconstruction.blogspot.com/

Gallo Drive Citrus Grove planted by residents of District C to commemorate our district's revitalizaiton.

http://s786.photobucket.com/home/concerned_citizens_2010/allalbums

http://s564.photobucket.com/albums/ss86/betterhomes_bucket/

emissions following a loud boom 9 28 2010; followed by flaring
electrical failure reported

flaring and high pitched noise

neighborhood flaring

The Murphy Oil Company demolished the homes of owners who opted to sell their property. Representatives of Murphy Oil recently stated to a group of residents that the company can not build in the green belt. Yet, Murphy Oil has applied for a Commercial Zoning in the same area.

This Murphy-owned residential lot in our neighborhood has been allowed commercial usage for a construction company, over the objections of residents. Below is a Murphy-owned residential lot in our neighborhood; the driveway was conveniently left for exclusive use by a Murphy catering contractor. Such commercial usage of residential property is illegal. This contractor, who is also an executive board member of the local chamber of commerce, attendee of Murphy refinery CAP meetings, and relative of the local chief of police, has been offered a 'sweetheart' deal to purchase the residential lot for $10,000, despite the court order to Murphy Oil to use the properties to create a buffer.

Does garbage and large propane tanks stored next to a generator create a buffer or present an explosion hazard? would you want this next to your house?

Murphy Oil spill in neighborhood canal December 2009

http://s786.photobucket.com/albums/yy141/concerned_citizens_2010/oil%20spill%20into%20neighborhood%20canal%20December%202009/

Murphy Oil storm water management June 2009 Rain Event

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w34l7_bpkFY

Murphy Oil 2009 Incidents (in progress)

http://s786.photobucket.com/home/concerned_citizens_2010/allalbums

Neighbors Request Basic Fence Screen

http://blog.nola.com/letterstotheeditor/2009/03/neighbors_want_refinery_buffer.html

Gulf Coast Civic Works

""No real issues with startup so far"

black billowing smoke

asbestos storage Arabi, Louisiana
doesnot have the required zoning
DEQ officials state:
DEQ regulates the conditions under which a storage site may operate in order to protect human health and the environment. We have no authority over zoning discrepancies. The zoning issue is a function of the Parish, and as such, a non-compliance issue will be handled by them

Residents wonder since the DEQ regulated conditions require appropriate zoning how is it the DEQ can allow this situation which in not protective of human health. The company is Cross Environmental, a State Wide Asbestos Contractor out of Crystal Springs FL.

slideshow asbestos demolitions St Bernard Parish Louisiana

EXXON's Chalmette Refinery

ExxonMobil Pipeline Easement

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.

UPDATE MARCH 2012
DEQ concluded (page 80) that by providing personal income for the facility's permanent and contract employees outweigh the environmental costs.
http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=8330751&ob=yes&child=yes

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