Residents Comments

LDEQ-EDMS Document 37076260, Page 30 of 39

EXHIBIT
#1

Comments of:
Michael Sherwood
1800 East St. Bernard Highway February 7, 2008
Chalmette, Louisiana

I am a 55 year resident of St. Bernard parish with three children and six grand children, all living in ST. Bernard.

Regarding:
Murphy Oil USA, Inc., Meraux Refinery, Meraux, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
Application for Title V General Penn it for Tanks TI, T2, T3, T4, and T5.

I am appreciative of Murphy Oil in St Bernard and LDEQ for allowing my input tonight.

I am asking that permits for the rebuilding of the above mentioned tanks not be issued at this time.

Before construction residents should receive assurances that the ground beneath the new tanks is first remediated and the sinking foundations be removed, redesigned and replaced in order to insure structural soundness of new tanks.

I ask that best available control technology be applied in the construction of ring walls, dikes and pipe configuration to withstand all worst case scenario situations.
I ask that best available control technology be applied in monitoring storage and fugitive emissions with the most current and independent optical scanning leak detection devices and methods.

I ask that all tanks are anchored in a way that would provide the best assurance that a repeat of the 2005 incident would not reoccur.

I ask that before this permit is granted soil and ground water contamination be brought to acceptable RECAP levels within all tank farms due to the sharing of drainage canals with residential neighborhoods.

I ask that all future tanks be constructed with domed internal floating roofs.

I ask that before this permit it is issued that Murphy oil assure residents that they would cease encroachment into our adjoining neighborhoods adjacent to tanks T·l and T-2 assuring the "residential" neighborhoods will not be compromised AND that our existing parish fire station at Jacob Drive, with it's emergency medical personnel will remain at it's current location as designed by our distinguished parish planners and the insurance rating committee years ago and not elsewhere
.
I ask for an independent review of the emergency preparedness needs for our community considering the refineries separation of St. Bernard's east and west sides intersecting all arteries, Judge Perez Drive, St. Bernard Highway and all side streets. Considering the storage of volatile middle distillates I am concerned, in the event of a worst case scenario, about the burden placed on our parish emergency preparedness systems as well as residents health and lives who'd be literally trapped on the eastern end of the parish. I have heard of no plan from Murphy or St. Bernard Parish officials in such an event.

I ask The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to consider my concerns as very genuine, the right thing to do and that these concerns should be addressed in order for Murphy Oil and St. Bernard residents to continue to enjoy a mutually respectful relationship.

Sincerely,

Michael Sherwood


LDEQ-EDMS Document 37076260, Page 31 of 39

EXHIBIT
#2
Kerry Williams
2216 Lena Drive
Chalmette, La. 70043

Murphy Oil Replacement Tanks
A1 1238 Permit 3062VO

I oppose this permit until Murphy Oil can control what they have now and resubmit an updated EAS.

Due to the fact that Murphy Oil is surrounded by residential neighborhoods they should be required to invest in the best quality of replacement tanks and assurances that these tanks won't settle or spill in the next hurricane.

It would be nice to walk outside and not smell any odors. The tank farm smells and when it rains the smell is even stronger. Murphy must be required to make these tanks airtight.

Why is there some type of oil or sheen in the 20 arpert canal after it rains. Where is it coming from? Is it coming from contaminated soil from the tank farm. Has Murphy done any type of cleanup to the soil where their tanks spilled after the storm?

LDEQ-EDMS Document 37076260, Page 32 of 39

John Williams
2216 Lena Drive
Chalmette, La. 70043

Murphy Oil Replacement Tanks A11238 Permit 3062VO

I oppose this permit until Murphy Oil can control what they have now.

Murphy can't even take care of the lots they bought. How do you expect them to take care of more tanks?

If these replacement tanks are taken care of like the residential lots they will spill again.
Can Murphy be trusted?
No, also I would like the streets in our neighborhood fixed. Murphy's over sized trucks, cranes, and bobcats have
ruined our streets. Their large cranes rolled down the streets, shaking our homes and caused holes in our streets.

LDEQ-EDMS Document 37076260, Page 33 of 39

EXHIBIT
#2
Gerald and Norma Oalmann
2224 Lena Drive
Chalmette, La. 70043

Murphy Oil Replacement Tanks
Al 1238 Permit 3062VO

We are not in favor of Murphy Oil getting this permit.

Murphy Oil states that they operate and manages on site activities in a manner that Minimizes any potential damage to the surrounding area. I feel we were treated unfair after Katrina. The crude oil spill was detrimental to our community. We have damage to our streets due to their cleanup. When breaking up cement slabs they kept hitting the cement causing our homes to shake. Also driving cranes and bobcat machines up and down streets causing damage to streets and curbs.

The refinery is also very unsafe. One day there was a fire and everyone had to evacuate. The next time there was a fire in the middle of the night we had to leave again. That fire shut down the refinery for a few months. When the refinery reopened it was only for a short time when there was another fire.

The smells from the refinery are so bad at time it makes your eyes, nose, and throat burn. Then when you complain they say it was harmless. At night they burn large flam· that puts out black smoke. Also we hear loud noises that shake the house. We also have problems with sand and dirt all over our house and cars.

RDC Comments

February 11, 2008
Ms. Soumaya Ghosn
LDEQ, Public Participation Group
P.O. Box 4313
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-4313

Dear Ms. Ghosn:

I am writing to you to ask that you not approve Murphy Oil's Expedited Permit Request for the replacement of tanks at their Meraux, Louisiana refinery.

As a resident of the surrounding community and a president of the local non-profit organization, Rediscover District C, Murphy Oil has not been forth coming with information relative to the replacement of the tanks nor with any information relative to the future plans of the refinery.

I would like to know if the area where the replacement tanks will be located has been re-mediated of contaminated soil. What about the rest of the tank farm. Do the dikes surrounding the replacement tanks meet current guidelines. What about the dikes surrounding the remaining tanks at the refinery. Why are these tanks being replaced. Is it due to problems caused by Katrina. Have they inspected the other tanks to determine if the same concern exists with them. What emergency or contingency plan does Murphy have to eliminate the possibility of a major release of hazardous materials similar to the one that occurred during Katrina. How is this plan different from the one enacted during Katrina.

I personally met with several representatives from Murphy in November of last year. As a concerned citizen I wanted to know more about the replacement tanks and other current issues the local residents have with the refinery. I followed up our meeting with a letter to them summarizing our meeting and the need for non-confidential information. To date, I have received no responses from Murphy Oil.

I have been contacted by a consultant from Murphy Oil requesting a meeting to discuss their forming of a Citizens Advisory Panel (CAP). While I believe that this can be a positive step in establishing open communications with the residents, I do not agree with the process of the selection of the members which will be done entirely by Murphy Oil representatives without any public input.

I was a resident prior to Katrina and chose to return and rebuild after the storm. We as a community are committed to rebuilding a better St. Bernard through the involvement of our residents, our local government and our business partners. We expect to be a part of any discussions that involve our homes, our community or our quality of life. We rely on you to be our experts, to represent the residents, to ask the questions that we would ask, and we expect you to allow us the opportunities to express our opinions, our beliefs and our concerns about any permit within our parish. An approval of a permit that only has monetary value to one side isn't good for anyone. We ask that you constantly ask yourself this question each time you review a permit for our parish, "What is the benefit to the residents of St. Bernard".

Thank you for the consideration of my request.

The residents of St. Bernard have been through the worst natural and man made disaster in the history of our country. We continue to make strives towards rebuilding better neighborhoods, more responsive government and open and honest communications with our business partners. The LDEQ plays a major role in helping us achieve this goal.

(blogger's note: These are comments submitted by RDC http://www.rediscoverdistrictc.com/ )