[StBernard] St. Bernard environmental group files suit to limit local refinery's emissions

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard environmental group files suit to limit local refinery's
emissions

Print By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
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on May 16, 2013 at 6:50 PM, updated May 16, 2013 at 6:57 PM

The Tulane University's Environmental Law Clinic, working with a St. Bernard
Parish neighborhood environmental group, has filed a complaint in federal
court against the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Students
at the clinic filed the suit on Wednesday against Bob Perciasepe on behalf
of the group Concerned Citizens Around Murphy.

The complaint is an effort to compel the EPA to modify, terminate or revoke
an air permit at Valero Energy Corporation's Meraux oil refinery. It
concerns a benzene saturation unit at the refinery that was constructed by
Valero's predecessor, Murphy Oil.

Valero bought the Meraux refinery in the fall of 2011.

"EPA's failure to comply with its duty under the Clean Air Act causes the
members to worry that the Meraux Refinery exposes them to excess air
pollution that may harm their health," according to the complaint.

Perciasepe, EPA's acting administrator, is responsible for implementing
Clean Air Act requirements, the complaint states.

The group filed the suit on Wednesday, at the same time as state Department
of Environmental Quality officials were in St. Bernard, presenting parish
officials with steps to alleviate the Rain CII Carbon plant's emissions in
Chalmette.

Residents in the area reported flaring and smells throughout the past week
from the Valero plant.

"There seems to be a systemic problem of harmful emissions simply eluding
permit applications in St Bernard," said Suzanne Kneale, a member of the
neighborhood environmental action group. "The result is a significant
deterioration of the air we breathe and the various adverse health
consequences."