68530.

where not to put a park

by sbcitizens, 09/17/13 6:46 PM

don't put a park in the oil spill area; its too close to the tank farm and contaminated air; that's why the air monitor is in that area, its bad air.

don't put a park next to the solid waste ditch and ponds; there is a required exclusion zone for solid waste areas up to 250 feet or 500 feet and that part of the oil spill property is where nothing is supposed to be.

don't put a park where special interests groups are forcing the park on others.

don't put a park where the streets are going to be removed or where the street lights are not maintained.

put a new park where kids and old people and family and neighbors will be safe and protected, where people live close enough to just walk to the park and not have to drive. put a new park where the people who live in that area want one.

can we even afford another park? don't think we would even be talking about another park until all the previous neighborhood and recreational parks are renovated. so, why are parish employees advocating for a park in the oil spill green belt? are they advocating for the oil company? if you receive a survey for where the next park ought to go, think about what that park is supposed to be and why certain parties would push to spend limited resources on something we don't need, don't want, and would be liable for anyway.

'lessons learned'

"The threat of future occurrences like this one were reduced by including a [VOLUNTARY] buyout program to establish a greenbelt/buffer zone around the Murphy facility...."  Global Risk Solutions, page 13

http://iesollc.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Murphy-Oil-ASSE-Paper.pdf

EPA R6 Oil Spill Map

SBPG Oil Spill Map

Now, SBPG moves forward with a Master Land Use Plan.   Funding for this endeavor may be the Turner vs Murphy Oil Crude Oil Spill "Cy Pres" Fund, according to the Chairman of the Planning Commission. 
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/123449388/SBPG-Cy-Pres-Funds-Request-for-Master-Land-Use-Plan

 Councilmembers indicated they would have community meetings in each district for resident input and public information on the proposed changes to zoning and landuse throughout the parish.  The concern is what they are not making public.  Some Parish officials seek to rezone the neighborhood south of Judge Perez, just West of the Murphy facility.  The new zone would be "B", for "buffer zone" and according to one official, "buffer zone" would be defined "however we want it."  How convenient for an oil company that wants to expand into this exact area and what injustice for the residents who want to remain in the revitalized neighborhood. 

The worse of the oil spill was not even in this area, it was north of Judge Perez.  One parish official said he recently went around the south, west neighborhood speaking to residents to gauge their interest in selling to the oil company.  His indication for those not interested in this "last offer" was for The Parish to expropriate their renovated homes.  He said if SBPG accepted the "Cy Pres" funding, then  he was obligated to "fix" the buffer zone problem.  When asked what the problem was, he said it was the 500 angry people who would show up at public hearings in opposition to any zoning changes in the neighborhood.  And according to the official, that was a problem because the oil company wants a zoning change.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/123449388/SBPG-Cy-Pres-Funds-Request-for-Master-Land-Use-Plan

.The residents have a right to secure tenure :" the right of all individuals and groups to effective protection by the state against forced evictions".  This neighborhood also has the right to be treated like any other neighborhood, especially with regards to the new Master Land Use Plan's mission of preserving the integrity of neighborhoods in St. Bernard Parish.
.
SBPG can not afford to maintain and insure the numerous Louisiana Land Trust properties throughout the parish.  SBPG most likely cannot afford to purchase this neighborhood, compensate and relocate the residents, and maintain a green belt for the refinery.  SBPG does not have the authority to expropriate for the refinery.
.
Preserving the "R-1", residential zoning regardless of who owns the property or placing a conservation easement on the oil-company owned properties seems to be the only protection for this neighborhood.
.
[1] .  http://iesollc.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Murphy-Oil-ASSE-Paper.pdf

Absent from this account of EPA and DEQ efforts is the fact that no one, not anyone, reached St. Bernard Parish for five days; the first outside contact for St. Bernard Parish was on the fifth day and it was the Canadian Mounties. 
http://election.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4680343
.

The first rescue crews into St. Bernard, five days after the storm, were the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After two to four weeks, the water was gone as were neighbors, friends, and family, but people wanted to come back to the place they call home.
 http://www.stbernardproject.org/get-involved/community-and-storm-story/

Also absent from the GRS account of the Murphy Oil spill is the total number of tanks that moved in Hurricane Katrina and how long it took before taken out of service, tank farm contamination issues before the storms and results of tank damage inspections and the number of required replacement tanks.

signed waivers

tourism guide explains people who settled with Murphy Oil over the 2005 oil spill were required to sign an agreement not to take future action against Murphy for whatever reason and the situation of having two oil refineries as the largest portion of the tax base


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE5OSx-GOok



other issues with levees and redevelopment.

local government was hoping for buyups throughout community for planned redevelopment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REr8ctJ_Wek&feature=relmfu

storm water issues

The spill (redux)


by Max37, 04/11/08 9:06 AM

Re: There are by withabeard, 04/11/08 9:06 AM

With warm regards and due respect, Mr. Beard:

Topic #1

Is it not true that Murphy had no oil spills go off refinery property BEFORE Katrina?

Is it not true that Murphy had no oil spills go off refinery property since they started back up AFTER Katrina?

I'll concede that their not filling the tank contributed to the spill if you'll concede that Katrina caused the spill.

Topic #2

Murphy cleaned up their spill. Who cleaned up all of the other spills in the area? Anyone?

-------------------------------------------------------------

#1 Murphy Oil had spill go off refinery property in July 2005 with a bypass of the wastewater into the neighborhood canal. Also, many serious problems with the tank farm noted in public record prior to Katrina.
http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=5331752&ob=yes&child=yes

#2 Murphy has not cleaned up the spill. Murphy chose to scape six inches of land in only certain areas of the specific class action area. The class action area is hardly the entire contaminated area.

UPDATE:  Murphy Oil's own documents can't hold four inch rain 


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0brISkNUPw2RG9fN2VGSkFWbG8/view?usp=sharing
above link to June 2011 storm water study.  



Murphy Oil's June 2011 storm water study concludes the piping at outfall #15 does not provide adequate capacity for the peak flow rate resulting from a 25 year rain event. Further, recommendations include:

- increase capacity of the west ditch

-provide a means to retain storm water to prevent sheet flowing off property

- remove a significant portion of the drainage basin acreage to the "west ditch" by redirecting or impound storm water by additional ponds or tankage

-increase capacity retainage of storm water basin on north tank farm property and route a new culvert from the west ditch to these basins.

Ground water and soil contamination in neighborhood.
http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/2010/10/murphy-oil-crude-oil-spill.html

Ground water and soil contamination in tank farm.
 http://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view.aspx?doc=8374292&ob=yes&child=yes

Refinery flooding neighborhood in 2009.
around the 4:14 minute mark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w34l7_bpkFY

Refinery flooding in Isaac 2012.
http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/reports/rwservlet?standard_web+inc_seq=1022703


http://concernedcitizensaroundmurphy.blogspot.com/p/cloudy-with-chance-of-oil.html