8/14/2019 Murphy Oil -- Oil Mixes With Runoff From Murphy Refinery the St Bernard Voice December 18 2009

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PARISH NEWS IN BRIEFOil mixes with runoff from Murphy

during historic rain

Residentswho livenear theMurphy

Oil refinery in Meraux reported a

mirky, pungent discharge in the 20Arpent Canal following the historic

downpours Dec. 12. Reports indicate

the discharge was an oil-water mix

'released from the refinery due to the

heavy rains.

The Louisiana Department of

Environment Quality was notified

of the issue the following morning.

Cleanup crews worked Dec. 13-14 to

remove the oily residue from the canal.

Residents reported allergic reactions to

the strong chemical smell.

The refinery is allowed to discharge

storm water during rain events, but

a spokesman for the refinery did not

immediately know why oil had mixedwith rain water.

Suzanne Kneale, a Meraux

resident who is a member of the group

Concerned Citizens Around Murphy,

spoke to the St.BernardParish Council

Dec. 15on the matter, insisting that the

refmery identify "sustainable solutions"

for coping with severe rain events.Representatives from Murphy were

asked to give a report to the council

Dec. 15 but declined, citing pendinglitigation. Murphy representatives

reported to parish officials the refinery

was in the process of implementing a

corrective action plan.

A representative from Murphy wasnot available for comment.

Local group names Landry

top legislator in 2009

TheAlliance forGoodGovernment,

an agency dedicated to promoting

policies and candidates for the benefit

of theNew OrleansMetropolitanArea,

recently named St. Bernard Parish

Councilman-at-Large Wayne Landry

as its legislator of the year in 2009.

Landry, elected to the council in

October 2008,has championed thepush

to build a new hospital in St. Bernard.

Prior to serving on the Hospital ServiceDistrict,Landry served as the liaison tothe district.

After receiving the award at the

Alliance's annual gala event, Landrywas fast to draw attention to his fellow

. councilmen. "Everything we do is not

as individuals but as a group," Landrysaid.

Landry, a longtime business leader

in the New Orleans area, operatesFerncrest Manor inNew Orleans East.

Mold discovered at

parish courthouse

A recent mold study funded by

the Federal Emergency Management

Agency(FEMA )discoveredsignificant

amounts of mhistoric St. Bern

on St. Bernard HIn order to

mold, the cou

be vacated. Pafmalizing detaicourthouse staff

could be a yearThe storied

floodwaters for

Katrina.After th

was never fully

The recent mo

part of a length

a FEMA-fundebuilding. The c

center of the p

since its compleThe courtho

Seifert, who al

capitol building

Charity Hospita