Make it Right

[StBernard] One Year Later: St. Bernard Parish Refuses to Bend to BP Oil

We learned in Katrina to take a pro-active approach to disaster response,” Taffaro said. “Our fishermen, our business owners, our residents, and our public officials acted swiftly in our fight to protect our coast and the unique Gulf seafood industry. Admittedly we have a long way to go, and we will not rest until we have ensured that BP and all responsible parties, ‘Make it right.’”

45 days until Hurricane Season

April 16 2011

45 days until Hurricane Season

IS YOUR REFINERY READY?

April and May typical rain events have rainfall upwards to 10 and 12 inches.  Oil refineries are usually required to segregate oily waste water treatment from storm water basins.  Additionally, the storm water basins generally require a spill control and prevention plan which include berms.

As recently as December 2009, a parish councilman reported receiving an email which indicated Murphy Oil was in the process of writing procedures for high water events; procedures one would expect already existed.

Murphy Oil's Meraux refinery solid waste permit  for the secondary storm basins   is now under administrative review .

The community expects improvements  for storm water capacity; improvements which prohibit use of neighborhood canals as an emergency discharge.  The same improvements are expected by the community for the water discharge permit, also under review  along with April 11 2011 revised application.

The state's recent settlement with Murphy Oil for alleged water violations did not require any improvements.  The EPA's  recent consent decree requires Murphy Oil improve its storm water management during rain events, but is vague as to how this will be achieved.       . . 

 Problems arise even before Hurricane Katrina, when 5.40 million gallons  of waste water and storm water were discharged into the neighborhood during a waste water treatment plant bypass in July 2005.  The Louisiana DEQ's public service announcement reminds residents that just one gallon of motor oil  from the oil  change of a vehicle will pollute a million gallons of water.  How much water in the estuary of the central wetlands is contaminated?

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June 2009 rain event shown in video around the 4:14 mark
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w34l7_bpkFY

.Today's weather forecast:  Cloudy, with a chance of oil
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Enough is Enough

Mallard Duck Ballad

/Other/Illegal-wetland-distruction/

There is a systemic problem with those who are supposed to protect our environment.  Whether or not the source is an oil refinery or a construction site, the state inspector states there is no problem and that the agency doesnot handle parish drainage issues.  The residents are not included in the decision making process and in the meanwhile, the water is polluted.

We want all our neighborhood canals protected, including both the Jacob Drive canal and the Bluebird canal.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w34l7_bpkFY  .June 2009 rain event in Southeast Louisiana causes refinery to flood. (around 4:14 mark) "no problem areas were found with the facility. No further action"

Fair and meaningful before decisions are made

Environmental Justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people ..... with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." 

"EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.""

In the opinion of St. Bernard Parish residents, the Louisiana DEQ and the United States Army Corps of Engineers denied citizens equal access to the decision making process, denied public notice in the local parish official journal, denied the opportunity for public comment, and failed to uphold their constitutional duties as trustee of OUR environment.  Residents were denied their right to fair and meaningful public participation, BEFORE the decisions were made.

The Louisiana DEQ has issued water quality certificates and  water discharge permits at an increasing rate, but at what cost?

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All residents ever asked of the state DEQ was to protect our water shed from the visible cement chemicals and sand sediment  and require the construction company make improvements to its storm water pollution prevention plans.  We also asked, where are their permits. Unfortunately, the state inspector commented it was not cement, but grout, and that the state does not get involved in parish issues. We did not receive notice of the quickly issued permits.  Residents contacted the EPA but have yet to receive a reply..
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non source point

N O W photo updates

“they need to follow the rules just like everyone else"

above, excavated pit photograph from April 11 2011, with possible lack of saftey embankment for workers

duckling protection

Wildlife habitat in designated wetlands area, home to a widowed mother duck and her orphaned ducklings.

The least that could be done is to respect these original inhabitants of the restricted-access designated wetlands area of the construction site.  April 8 2011 photos by Hippics  http://hippics.smugmug.com/

Illegal wetlands destruction photo folder  http://hippics.smugmug.com/Other/Illegal-wetland-distruction/16518922_NZT7y#1243530238_dRLAb

Project Site Photo folder shows the pink-flagged area, marked by the US Army COE as restricted-access designated wetlands. 

http://hippics.smugmug.com/Other/Project-site/15951318_vSV3G#1196523725_Rmoxm

illegal water discharge permit

April 8 2011 another incident day, witnessed by adjacent property owners:  sand sediment discharge from the construction site drainage pipe into the Bluebird canal....updated photos coming soon....at the N.O.W. website.     http://st-bernard-parish-now.smugmug.com/Other/Provident-workers-continue-to/16537470_9aLQ3#1245162568_7u4nH

Photos from previous incidents.

Not exactly content with the quality of Environmental Protection from the state agency, residents resorted to contacting the local sheriff office and report "..to my surprise I almost got arrested."  This same United States citizen was rudely assaulted, literally, with mud slinging and other harassing and intimidating behavior by the worker who represented himself as the supervisor or construction foreman.   

Additionally, residents report an updated followup determination that the construction company does not have a permit to siphon water out of the Bluebird canal, a neighborhood rain drainage canal, as that is not permitted activity.  The construction company was seen pumping water from the neighborhood canal either onto the site and / or into the drainage pipe, causing polluted water, sand sediment, etc. to discharge back into the Bluebird canal, in violation of the clean water act.

All residents ever asked of the state DEQ was to protect our water shed from the visible cement chemicals and sand sediment and require the construction company make improvements to its storm water pollution prevention plans.  Unfortunately, the state inspector commented it was not cement, but grout, and that the state does not get involved in parish issues.  Residents contacted the EPA but have yet to receive a reply.
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Perhaps the Louisiana DEQ could use some of the recently EPA granted two million dollars to perform their constitutional duties as our trustee of our environment. In the press release,  the funds are to be used to "enable Louisiana to meet the goals of the Clean Water Act by implementing the Nonpoint Source Management Plan....The source of the pollution may come from lawn fertilizers, improperly managed construction sites, or oil and grease from highways."   There have been several incidents of improperly managed constructions sites as our community rebuilds from the man-made disaster of the levee failures and the largest land-based crude oil spill on the planet. Yet, Bluebird canal is not being protected and another local neighborhood, the 20 arpent, is still permitted as the emergency discharge route for an oil refinery.

Come on.  It's Our Louisiana, Our Environment.

Even a third grader can see the simple solutions.

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