blown fuse causes hydrocarbon discharge

Updated:  The photos below were taken around 10am on Thursday Nov 25th around the municipal address 2001 Jacob Drive, Chalmette, LA.  It was reported that the new petrochemical testing lab sump pump malfunctioned due to a blown fuse, causing a hydrocarbon discharge into our neighborhood canal, which flows through the neighborhood and into the nearby central wetlands.

Residents reported a distinct gasoline smell in their backyards from the neighborhood’s Jacob Canal.

Update 12 06 2010 Report to LDEQ


The DEQ’s public announcement commercials contain one segment which educates the public about how the amount of oil from just one vehicle’s oil change will contaminate one million gallons of water. How much gasoline and other chemicals have been dumped in our neighborhood in the last 12 months?


Pursuant Turner vs Murphy, some property owners were given the option to sell to the refinery. The court ordered Murphy to make an offer to purchase some of the surrounding properties to create a buffer. Some of this buffer was used to construct a petrochemical testing lab in a residential neighborhood. Murphy was not required to obtain a DEQ nor EPA permit nor to make an environmental assessment survey for this lab. Murphy applied for a local zoning change from residential to a conditional, heavy industrial use. Residents requested copies of the drainage plans and traffic study, but were told there were none. Instead, residents were assured Murphy Oil would not use the residential street and that all discharges from the lab would go back to the refinery. There is no discharge permit for Murphy which allows an outfall into Jacob Drive Canal.

This is not the first time residents have observed the refinery discharges into the Jacob Drive Canal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w34l7_bpkFY   (around the 4:14 mark)


December 09 2009 Report

October 2010 Enforcement Warning Letter


Petrochemical Testing Permits

Neighbors of Troubled Refinery Demanding Changes

Cloudy with a chance of Oil

Concerned Citizens Around Murphy
For Immediate Release

Murphy Refinery's Accident Sickens Neighbors

Coast Guard Notified
Neighbors of Troubled Refinery Demanding Changes

(Meraux, LA) Providing still further evidence of its inability to properly manage its refinery during rainfall, Murphy Oil released oil water into the neighborhood canal known as the 20 Arpent Canal. Though details of the spill remain murky, residents on Jacob Drive south of Judge Perez felt the chemical exposure as early as 1 AM on Sunday morning. The exposure continued throughout the day. "Residents on Jacob Drive North of Judge Perez (by canal) reported being sick all morning," said Suzanne Kneale, an officer with Concerned Citizens Around Murphy.

This latest release comes on the heels of last week's Common Ground report that detailed Murphy's high accident rate - one per week - over the past four years. The most well known of its accidents was the 2005 million gallon oil spill, the largest land based oil spill in history. "This latest spill is part of a pattern," said Anne Rolfes, Director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade. "We're in South Louisiana yet Murphy can't handle rain."

In addition to Murphy's pattern of accidents, this latest spill highlights both the state and Murphy's failure to address the problem of human exposure during chemical accidents. Despite feeling the health impacts, no one was evacuated. "My neighbor contacted me just before noon that her sister was sick all morning from the strong chemical smell," said Ms. Kneale.

Residents are calling for a comprehensive review of evacuation protocol. Residents also want the refinery to reroute the storm water and oily water discharges so not to foul neighborhood canals and nearby wetlands with every rain event.

"Neighborhood children scoop and fish from this canal," said Ms. Kneale. "It's not uncommon to see crab traps in this area. The central wetlands are just a block further north. Allowing an emergency discharge into neighborhood canals is not protective of the environment and undermines our health."

Murphy Oil spill in neighborhood canal December 2009
Check out this slideshow on Photobucket!