[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish sulphur dioxide levels again above legal limits

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish sulphur dioxide levels again above legal limits
 By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
on January 14, 2013 at 8:30 AM, updated January 14, 2013 at 10:15 AM Print

St Bernard Parish's air quality on Sunday once again violated the hourly
average sulfur dioxide health standard. On Friday, a state Department of
Environmental Quality monitoring station in Chalmette measured high levels
of sulphur dioxide and slightly elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide.

The DEQ deployed its Mobile Air Monitoring Laboratory and other resources to
the Chalmette area on Friday after St. Bernard Parish and Terrytown
residents reported strong chemical odors. The results from that mobile
monitoring station have not yet been released, but the permanent monitoring
station in the Chalmette Vista neighborhood registered the high sulphur
dioxide levels on Friday, and again on Sunday.

Short-term exposure to sulphur dioxide, ranging from 5 minutes to 24 hours,
could cause an array of adverse respiratory effects, especially to those
suffering from emphysema, bronchitis, heart disease. The effects can be more
profound on asthmatics, children and the elderly.

The permanent monitoring station in the Chalmette Vista neighborhood
registered sulphur dioxide levels of 173.1 parts per billion at 9 a.m.
Sunday and hit a daily high of 181.0 parts per billion at noon Sunday. The
sulphur dioxide readings dropped to 64 parts per billion by 1 p.m. and then
all the way down to 1.1 parts per billion by 7 p.m. Sunday, where it has
remained through last night and Monday morning.

The EPA standard for sulphur dioxide was reduced to 75 parts per billion in
an hour in 2010, from an average of 140 parts per billion in 24 hours, a
standard that had been in effect since 1971.

The three main facilities in the Chalmette area that have permits to release
amounts of sulphur dioxide are Valero Energy Corp.'s Meraux refinery, the
Rain CII petroleum coke processing plant and the ExxonMobile Chalmette
Refinery.

The 24-hour average particulate matter pollution standard, for particles 2.5
micrometers in diameter or smaller, was not violated on Sunday. The standard
is 35 micrograms per cubic meter over a 24-hour period. It only hit above 35
during one hour, and that was at noon Sunday when it reached 42.6 micrograms
per cubic meter.

Particulate matter, or particle pollution, is a mixture of solids and liquid
drops in the air that can come in a wide range of sizes, with those 2.5
micrometers in diameter or smaller often found in smoke and haze. The EPA is
particularly concerned about particles 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller
because those are the particles that generally pass through the throat and
nose and enter the lungs.

The permanent monitoring station in the Chalmette Vista neighborhood
registered sulphur dioxide levels of 79.7 parts per billion at noon Friday,
increasing to 162.4 parts per billion at 2 p.m. Friday, and dropping to 4.3
parts per billion at 9 p.m.

The St. Bernard Fire Department called the DEQ on Thursday night to report
strong odors and a plume emitting from the areas surrounding three Chalmette
chemical plants. St. Bernard Fire Chief Thomas Stone has said that it
appeared that the odor and smoke on Thursday night was coming from the Rain
CII petroleum coke processing plant.

Late Friday, Rain officials issued a news release saying its facility was
not responsible for the odors.

"Our Rain CII Chalmette Plant is operating under normal conditions and
adhering to our permits," said Gerry Sweeney, president and CEO of Rain CII
Carbon. "We do not believe any of the issues recently reported are due to
our facility or operation. We continue to cooperate with the DEQ and other
local and state officials."

On Dec. 22, passengers on a ferry traveling from Algiers to Chalmette
complained of throat and eye irritation. Officials reported a large gray
cloud floating above the Mississippi River.

The DEQ at the time said it suspected the Rain CII plant was the source of
the gas that made the passengers ill. The company, however, denied the
allegations.