C A R E :: COMMUNITY ACTION FOR A RENEWED ENVIRONMENT

Because We Care, RDC and CCAM encourage all residents to participate in these five public forums to form partnerships to implement solutions for our community's environment.

The first meeting of St Bernard Parish's EPA C A R E Grant forums is scheduled for February 23, 2008 and will be a whole community workshop on the CARE program and the EPA’s voluntary programs. Participants in this workshop will be asked to identify their chief environmental concerns in the community for future facilitated meetings under the Parish’s CARE program, and to participate in future meetings.

Displays will focus on issues related to the present environment condition of the Parish as well as issues related to rebuilding, such as energy efficiency and green building; and providing information about complimentary state and federal programs, such as the Department of Energy’s rebate program for purchasing energy star appliances.

For More Information visit http://www.sbpg.net/care/meeting.html

Meeting Dates:
February 23, 2008 , 10am to 3pm
March 29, 2008, 10am to 2pm
May 31, 2008, 10am to 4pm
June 28, 2008, 10am to 1pm
July 26, 2008, 10am to 1pm

All Forums will be conducted in the presentation room on the second floor of Chalmette High School, 1100 E. Judge Perez Dr.

From attending and participating in the meetings and the ongoing dialogue and comprehensive communications with our industrial neighbor, Murphy Oil Meraux Refinery, the refinery had made a statement to us that they are pursuing a "reliability program" on their compressors, controls and other equipment so that there would be a noticeable difference in the flaring in the neighborhood.

(We are hoping for the same improvements that were achieved on the west coast http://www.gcmonitor.org/downloads/Embargoed%20Report%202_1.pdf )

Some of these improvements should come with proper preventative maintenance and the turnaround in January. They are not however permited to use the flares for anything other than emergencies (even for preventative maintenance or construction).

So there should be a good explanation for yesterdays (January 2, 2008 )incident.

Read more Here

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/94901547/Murphy-Oil

cooling tower questions

Louisiana DEQ Public Comment Hearing Thursday February 7, 2008 6pm.

Murphy Oil Meraux Refinery has applied for an expedited permit to replace crude oil storage tanks in the tank farm at Judge Perez Drive with crude oil and middle distillates tanks.

According to Murphy Oil's LDEQ EDMS document 36418107 dated 11/15/2007, "Results of extensive inspections performed by MOUSA showed that the existing tanks...have settled and suffered damage over time, partially attributed to Hurricane Katrina." EDMS research indicates this tank farm has had groundwater and soil concerns since 2002.


Residents have specific concerns and questions not only regarding this settlement of tanks and in particular in this area of the tank farms, but also about the added inventory of middle distillates and how that fits into the refinery's longrange plans for this community.

We have specific questions and concerns regarding this tank farm, the settlement and replacement of these tanks , emergency, flood and hurricane preparedness, soil and ground water test results and remediation, foundation and construction considerations for the next flood, the potential for increased danger due to middle distillates, and the overall effect on our neighborhoods and on our community's health, safety and welfare and quality of life issues.

Read More Tank Farm Expansion in Flood Plain

Infamous Tank 250-2 was permited in 2006 to replace with a tank on the very same foundation. Two other 250 tanks were permited to repair ontop of the old settled foundation/footprint (releveled). Although the refinery is repairing one, it is now requesting to replace 250-3 (also ontop of the same footprint). The expedited permit is for a total of Five replacement tanks; four within the same footprints of the old tanks.

The EAS submitted by the refinery addresses avoidance of potential and real environmental effects, balancing of social and economic benefits against environmental impact costs, and alternative sites, projects, and mitigative measures. We have requested the refinery update their 1995 EAS which can be veiwed at the St Bernard Parish Temporary Library or at LDEQ website http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/apps/pubNotice/pdf/MOEAS1-4-08.pdf.



Written comments must be received by 12:30 p.m., Monday, February 11, 2008. Write: Ms. Soumaya Ghosn at LDEQ, Public Participation Group, P.O. Box 4313, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313 email: Soumaya.Ghosn@la.gov or fax (225)- 219-3309

All correspondence should specify AI Number 1238, Permit Number 3062-V0, and Activity Number PER PER20070005



Murphy Oil USA, Inc. is proposing to construct Tanks T1 (replacing Tank 450-1), T2 (replacing Tank 450-2), T3 (replacing Tank 250-3), T4 (replacing Tank 200-6), and T5 (replacing Tank 25-2) .



The proposed permit and EAS may be viewed as attachments at the bottom of the the LDEQ Public Notice

http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/apps/pubNotice/show.asp?qPostID=4115&SearchText=&startDate=1/1/2005&endDate=1/5/2008&category=


http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/apps/pubNotice/default.asp

when they don't want public participation

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/94901420/Murphy-Oil

The change-tracking is more easily followed in the highlighted versions.

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they just don't stop

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/94905031/Murphy-Oil