Concerned Citizens Around Murphy

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Charter Change Presentation Tuesday

The Home Rule Charter Change Committee will make a presentation at Tuesday's Council Meeting, October 20, 2009 at 4PM in the Council Chambers, per Charter Committee Chairman Joey Di Fatta. The Home Rule Charter Change Committee will meet Monday October 19, 2009 4pm in Council Office Conference Room to discuss the presentation.

Home Rule Charter St Bernard Parish
The Charter was passed by 73% of the voters on November 8, 1988 and amended only four times since.

The St Bernard Parish Council will also consider a Resolution to adopt the FY 2010 Capital Outlay Budget at Tuesday's meeting.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

steam noise update

Friday October 16, 2009 around 8:15am continuous high pitch tone at excessive decibel levels for about an hour throughout the neighborhood west of the processing area. Readings in the high 80's in immediate area while seven blocks out the outdoor readings were in the high 70's and indoor readings around 65 db.

Murphy Oil reported a leak on the cat unit (the hydrocracker unit added in 2003) which was clamped and brought under control with no emergency situation . The use of steam, to knock down the hydrocarbon liquids, created the sound levels. Residents observed birds taking immediate flight and many pets displayed reaction to the disturbing noise.

Earlier last month refinery contractors returned to the neighborhood with noise sensors placed at about 3 foot levels among trees and fences in this same area. It was said that Murphy Oil is looking into installing a hurricane proof sound wall to abate their noise. No further details on site selection nor wall height were available; although, sound walls along Jefferson Parish Interstate tend to run at the 35 to 50 foot height, with placement in the existing commercial usage.

While noise abatement plans within side the processing campus are appreciated, it would seem near impossible to build at a height necessary to effect the frequent and disturbing steam-use noise sources . Friday's episode, while a short-duration necessity for safety, was near the top level of the leaking unit. Boilers and other steam sources for flaring events and regular plant processing usage are also located at taller heights.

Sensor equipment placed near bird feeders on Despaux Drive in early September 2009. Below, location of other monitors on Ventura, near Ohio Street.

Residents are concerned they will not be notified regarding further imposed neighborhood changes which may once again shift the balance towards industry. Already this past week has seen the clearing of trees north of the 20 arpent canal, presumably to prepare for the tank farm expansion just east of Jacob Drive. As indicated in the document, residents were not informed of the tank expansion location at the time of the June 19 2007 public hearing . Illustrations of the locations of the four new storage tanks were an inadvertent omission in the application package.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Public Library

update at link below

St Bernard Parish Public Library

Monday, September 14, 2009

Charter Amendments

Charter Amendments Public Hearing Sept 15 2009

4PM Council Chambers

Friday, September 11, 2009

Murphy Oil denied the accusations and said that the pipe is not theirs.

Refinery flooding neighborhood
story on WDSU TV tonight.

Whodunit?
Murphy Oil denied the accusations and said that the pipe is not theirs.

Ok Murphy Oil, if you didnt hire a backhoe, move all the employees vehicles, dig up the EXXON-Houston Pipelines and install the "Home Depot" type of unauthorized drainage, does that mean you have a security problem? would it help to make Basic Fence Repairs ?

Shouldnt you at least be concerned that your processing campus is flooding into our residential neighborhood? Meanwhile, the Murphy Oil refinery processing campus drains into the neighborhood canal because the refinery's open ditch overflows. This pollution, along with storm water runoff from the contaminated tank farms, fouls the Jacob and 20 arpent neighborhood canals. Murphy Oil should fix it already instead of denial.