where should the children play?

still think making the green zone buffer "Recreational" land use is a good idea?

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/08/04/4050362/texas-hearing-to-address-oil-refinery.html

Petroleum Refineries across the United States have been found to emit a lot more chemicals than previously reported.  EPA's proposed Refinery Rules seek to monitor benzene at the fence line and reduce emissions from flaring, storage tanks, Startup, Shutdown, and Malfunction activities, and from delayed coker units.

Live Updates from Today's EPA public hearing:     https://twitter.com/labucketbrigade 

Refinery Rules Proposal

EPA's Proposed Refinery Rules  

 https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/06/30/2014-12167/petroleum-refinery-sector-risk-and-technology-review-and-new-source-performance-standards

There is a public hearing in Houston Texas on Tuesday August 5th on EPA’s proposed changes to regulations for petroleum refineries (“Refinery Rules”).

 http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/petrefine/petrefwebinar20140617.pdf

The proposed Refinery Rules address toxic air emissions from flares, storage tanks, Startup, Shutdown, and Malfunction activities (SSM activities), and coker units, and seeks to require fence line monitoring for Benzene.

UNFORTUNATELY, this action does NOT address emissions from coker units at Calcining operations…… only coker units at Petroleum Refineries!! To protect our health, we need upgraded pollution controls on ALL coker units.

It does however require fence line monitoring of air concentrations, including BENZENE, but only provides a rolling-annual average based on bi-weekly readings. Wouldn’t it be more efficient for the plants and more protective of our health if residents had access to the daily maximum benzene readings in our community?

The proposal eliminates exemptions on emission limits during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction.  These exemptions have allowed refineries to emit toxic air emissions above the permit caps.  Discharges through pressure relief devices will be considered a violation.

Submit Public Comments to EPA by August 29 2014. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/petref.html

Email A-and-R-Docket@epa.gov and include DOCKET ID NO. EPA HQ OAR 2010 0682 in the subject line

Or go online and follow the online instructions for submitting comments (Reference DOCKET ID NO. EPA HQ OAR 2010 0682   http://www.regulations.gov

One of the local petroleum refineries in St Bernard has been flaring with nasty odors for days now, with disturbing vibrations to houses and the nuisances of obnoxious noises, and the return of that mysterious "white dust". This is reportedly from shutting down multiple units, including the ALKY unit, over several days for a planned maintenance and turnaround. Are you tired from all the racket and feeling sick from the nasty odors? It doesn’t have to be this way. Demand upgraded control technology for your health, because no amount of fines will restore it.

http://grist.org/cities/decades-old-pollution-loophole-still-burns-the-poor-people-of-color/

""One of the excuses companies use is that their facilities release certain premature and post-operational emissions when they are firing up, shutting down, or when they break down. This is part of doing business, they say, so it shouldn’t count under the permit caps, even though it fouls up the air quality of the people who live near their facilities.Roughly three dozen states allow for this type of pollution under rules called “startup shutdown malfunction,” or SSM, by those who track this and who care about people’s health. It’s been going on for roughly four decades, and environmental justice groups want it stopped, like, yesterday.""

hydrofluoric acid catalyst

Valero Energy Meraux petroleum refinery (according to response to noise and vibration reports) is shutting units for a turnaround.  It is also reported that the ALKY unit and the FCC unit will be permanently shut, that the plant will only do minimal processing for gasoline, and the hydrofluoric acid catalyst is being decommissioned, adding the neighbors will not longer have the HF odors.

Really?   which specific odor complaints were traced back to the dangerous HF acid and how long were residents exposed?  should we seek medical treatment? should we obtain bone scans to detect damage?

HF has poor warning properties. The odor threshold for humans is 3 ppm and irritation of mucous membranes begins at 5 ppm. I you can smell it, chances are the concentration is too high and immediate steps must be taken to lower it. Fluoride ions migrate through the body destroying tissue until lodging in the bones. If you suspect you have been exposed to hydrofluoric acid, seek immediate medical attention, even if you do not feel pain.

Inhalation of HF vapor may cause swelling in the respiratory tract up to 24 hours after exposure. Person who have inhaled HF vapor may need prophylactic oxygen treatment and should be seen by a physician as soon as possible.

USD Environmental, Health and Safety Department

land use in St Bernard: planning for unhealthy communities

not the most suitable location for recreational land use

St Bernard Parish DRAFT Comprehensive Land Use Plan  yet again recommends recreational use of properties adjacent to the Valero Energy oil refinery in Meraux, Louisiana. 

How safe is that?

 

 

How can we compel EPA to "address the real-world health risks faced by children and communities living near refineries" (Cynthia Babich, executive director of Torrance, California-based Del Amo Action Committee

 

)

Eric Kayne at Earth Justice http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2014/oil-refineries-required-to-reduce-toxic-pollution-into-the-air-communities-breathe

when less is more

"Low salinity marsh experienced more than twice as much land loss by percent than high salinity marsh."

"The failure of low salinity wetlands was focused in the interior regions of Breton Sund, the western Chenier Plain, and the more exposed regions of the Birdfoot and Wax Lake Deltas." (from Howes et al 2010)

Presentation to Council May 6 2014 around the 54:30 minute mark in link
http://sbpg.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=67d8a3aca5f542bb15506fbea9931a8b

Councilman Cavignac working on most pressing issue facing St Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes.

Centerpiece of State master plan for coastal restoration contains several large scale river diversions for St Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes. 

Salt water and brackish marsh areas were able to withstand hurricane damage while fresh water diversion area at Caernarvon withstood more damage. 

"Low salinity marsh experienced more than twice as much land loss by percent than high salinity marsh."

"The failure of low salinity wetlands was focused in the interior regions of Breton Sund, the western Chenier Plain, and the more exposed regions of the Birdfoot and Wax Lake Deltas. (from Howes et al 2010)
the promised land gain is not occurring

and its not land that stands up to surge, not land that protects us



the problem is not the sediment, its the delivery system; it brings economic loss with fresh water influence and puts coastal towns under water

render wetlands more susceptible to storm surge, changes the drinking water as far north as Orleans


Cost Effective Study does not include all information

The science is flawed in the cost of diversions vs the cost of diversions, according to a study by the Louisiana State University.

Initially dredging seems more expensive, but all the costs are not considerd, including and additional $1.8 billion for operation and maintance and additionally the economic impact of loss of estuaries due to diversions

 

 

are gasoline prices artificially high?

Gasoline prices not expected to drop

… as refiners continue to see strong demand for gasoline exports, don't look for big savings on the cost of filling up your tank any time soon.----- John W. Schoen, NBC News

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/gas-prices-have-likely-peaked-dont-expect-big-drop-n96066

Flag Etiquette and Respect

Flag Etiquette and Respect

A Louisiana elected official once said "the flag of Texaco flies over the Louisiana State Capitol." Right now that flag is flapping in the face of every citizen.  --  Robert Kennedy, Jr.

 

The flag of any company should not fly higher than the State of Louisiana flag.