[StBernard] Murphy Oil Debris Removal

[Westley Annis]

If your home or business is located between Paris Road and Murphy Oil,
between Judge Perez and the 40 Arpent Canal, your debris is not being
removed as of mid-October because Murphy has been made responsible to
remove and dispose of it as per EPA. However, Murphy is trying to
negotiate a plan that is very weak in effort and timetable so they have
done nothing as of yet. Your voice is important and I suggest you be
heard via email by sending an Email  message to Murphy Oil Community
Relations. See what I sent below and use this or write your own.

Email address is aparker at murphyoilcorp.com and copy the EPA Region 6
manager who is sympathetic to the situation and could use more
ammunition to help us by sending to  negri.beverly at epa.gov

Ms. Parker:Please forward to your CEO

Dear Sir:

We, the 1,700 people in the Murphy Oil spill area in Chalmette, LA, are
extremely frustrated by the lack of progress regarding the removal of
debris from our area. EPA has already ordered Murphy Oil to remove all
the contents that residents and businesses have placed curbside as we
attempt to salvage what's left of our structures since EPA considers
them hazardous waste due to your oil spill.

There has been absolutely no removal of debris, with the exception of
refrigerators and cars, since EPA placed responsibility on Murphy Oil
due to the contamination of our contents. I understand from our elected
officials that your company has developed a removal plan, but it is
inadequate and not fast enough. This debris has been left in our
neighborhoods for six weeks while Murphy and EPA negotiate disposal
legalities. Meanwhile, our community is your waste site. Your
corporation pledges community responsiveness with regards to the
environment. Now is the time to show us some action.

We have patiently let our elected officials, EPA, DEQ, and Murphy Oil
work towards resolution and I am told that a critical meeting will be
held in Baton Rouge, LA on Tuesday, November 29 with these parties. If
we see no removal of the debris by December 1, we will have no
alternative but to aggressively bring this to the nation's attention.
How much longer do we have to live within a garbage dump while your
staff, consultants, and lawyers negotiate around EPA's mandate? Please
be responsible and break through the red tape that your staff and
consultants and attorneys are entrenched in so that we may rebuild our
community without the lingering threat of a major public health outbreak
due to mountains of furniture, carpets, insulation, sheetrock, etc.
piled 20 feet high on our lawns and medians.

Deborah Keller, P.E.
3608 Corinne Avenue
Chalmette, LA 70043
504-473-3470