[StBernard] Make the First Step

[Westley Annis]

We have a unique opportunity to do the right thing to provide for the
health, safety and welfare of people.::

This is the opportunity and now is the time to make this first step.  Make
this first step to create and to preserve a true protective buffer green
zone  --  the balance we need to protect our children from the most
hazardous processing side of this refinery.   NO ZONING CHANGES, designated
greenspace on the Jacob Drive Firestation property, designated greenspace on
all LRA properties and properties owned by adjudication on our four favorite
streets  (Jacob, Despaux, Ventura and Lena Drives), and enforce performance
standards.  

To do so otherwise only permeates and pervades the decades long inbalance
between people and an oil refinery.

The St Bernard Parish Masterland Use Plan calls for a green zone buffer
around both refinery(s) {EXXON/Mobil and Murphy Meraux}.

The St Bernard Parish Code of Ordinances only requires 100 feet between
Heavy Industrialized zoning (I2) and residential {Truckstops must have 500
feet }. In St James and St Charles Parishes, the required buffer betwen I2
and residential is 600 and 2,500 feet respectively.  Poor landuse decisions
and planning is how our neighbors on MaryAnn Drive ended up with gasoline
storage tanks in their backyards and Jacob Drive residents endedup with a
hydrocraker in theirs.  This is not a situation of a subdivision planned
after the industry, this is the council writing an ordinance which moves
hazardous materials and situations towards homes.  The Meraux refinery is
not in compliance now with the minimal 100 feet.  The renderings for the
laboratory proposed on Jacob Drive donot comply with the minimal 100 feet
even if granted the changes from two R2's and two C1's to I2.  Additionally,
if they were only moving "facilities" onto Jacob D rive, they wouldnt
require I2 zoning.

The real problem is in my opinion, that once this refinery has heavy
industrialized zoning (I2), they can do what ever they want and are not
answerable to us; they are then only answerable to LDEQ.  AND in our
experience, the LDEQ rubber stamps permits while writing comments to
residents and citizens that the proximity to children, homes and schools is
a local zoning issue.  With I2, this refinery could have practically
anything as listed below for the code of ordinances. 

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=11497&sid=18
Chapter 22 ZONING
I-2 HEAVY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
26)   Coke oven products (including fuel gas) and coke oven products storage
(48)   Hazardous waste facilities.
(49)   Hydrogen and oxygen.
(50)   Incinerator, industrial or public.
(67)   Oil or gas wells.
(76)   Radioactive waste handling.
(93)   Testing of jet engines or rockets.
(96)   Waste facilities.


SJK