[StBernard] Chalmette Residents Complain Of Flooding

[Westley Annis]

Chalmette Residents Complain Of Flooding
Residents: Oil Refinery, Canal Flooding Streets
POSTED: 10:48 pm CDT September 11, 2009
UPDATED: 11:10 pm CDT September 11, 2009

CHALMETTE, La. -- Residents in a Chalmette neighborhood on Friday claimed
that a nearby canal and oil refinery are causing flooding in their streets.

Chalmette resident Wayne Duchman said that water from the Jacob Canal,
located behind the subdivision where he lives, overflows onto the street.
Residents believe that some of the water also comes from the nearby Murphy
Oil Refinery.

"Water is coming from their facility, washing over the road," Duchman said.
"The canal is overfilling .and now our house is getting ready to flood."

Duchman added that heavy rains worsen the situation.

Parish President Craig Taffaro said that a subcontractor of Murphy Oil
installed a pipe that delivers water into the canal. Taffaro said the pipe
will only be removed when the canal is dredged.

Murphy Oil denied the accusations and said that the pipe is not theirs.

Meantime, St. Bernard Parish Councilman Wayne Landry admitted that the
drainage problems have been an ongoing problem. However, Landry said that
the local government is committed to making repairs.

"We have sub-surface drainage problems from the street to the canal," Landry
said. "What they do have, from me and other members of government, is that
we're going to stay on it until it gets repaired."