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Valero (1238), Meraux
Citizen Complaints in 2007
| LDEQ Accident Number Complaint Date |
Notes |
| 93741 2/5/2007 | Description: large flames, black and white smoke, loud roar coming from Murphy Oil Refinery Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: there was a trip in the boiler feed water steam turbine pump, there was an event that released SO2 from the flare, flare operates as designed but at times is noisy and smoky Investigation Delay: 3 Accident Report Filed: |
| 97497 6/28/2007 | Description: noxious odor when direction of wind is either from the south or southeast, smells like something burnt Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: no odors noted, no releases or upsets occurred at the time of the complaint Investigation Delay: 5 Accident Report Filed: |
| 97176 6/17/2007 | Description: terrible noise from Murphy Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy monitors noise each shift at the property line and records the results in decibels, Murphy is working with the neighborhood to understand and resolve the noise issues Investigation Delay: 8 Accident Report Filed: |
| 97125 6/15/2007 | Description: facility has an unacceptable noise level disrupting several families in their homes, noise is continuous 24 hours for 5-7 days Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy monitors noise each shift at the property line and records the results in decibels, Murphy is working with the neighborhood to understand and resolve the noise issues Investigation Delay: 10 Accident Report Filed: |
| 97256 6/15/2007 | Description: noise problem Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy monitors noise each shift at the property line and records the results in decibels, Murphy is working with the neighborhood to understand and resolve the noise issues Investigation Delay: 10 Accident Report Filed: |
| 97093 6/13/2007 | Description: unusual events at Murphy Oil, loud whistling noise and two large flares with black smoke emitting from them Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy monitors noise each shift at the property line and records the results in decibels, Murphy is working with the neighborhood to understand and resolve the noise issues Investigation Delay: 11 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98214 7/30/2007 | Description: large flare from fire, creating black smoke, seems like something burns EVERY night Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: no cause could be found for this incident, no record in the shift foreman's log book of a release Investigation Delay: 21 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98189 7/27/2007 | Description: odors from Murphy Refining, may be their wastewater treatment plant Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: there was an upset at the Murphy wastewater treatment plant, released an oily biomass smell that was estimated to be about a 3 on a butanol scale, odor was found by operating personnel and adjustments were made which eliminated the odors, no violatio Investigation Delay: 24 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98918 8/27/2007 | Description: extremely loud flare, south flare with blue flame, windows are shaking Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: flare was not in use, no areas of concern were documented Investigation Delay: 8 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98917 8/26/2007 | Description: large fire emitting from the stack - looks to be 40 above the stack Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: smoke was being emitted for a time but no areas of concern were documented Investigation Delay: 2 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98885 8/24/2007 | Description: large smoke stacks shooting out excessive amounts of smoke and is loud Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: compressor at the Platformer shut down for about 10 min and sent clean hydro-treated hydrocarbon to the flare for 10 min, there was some smoke and noise but the combustion of the vented hydrocarbon was essentially total, noise came from the steam tha Investigation Delay: 28 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98872 8/23/2007 | Description: extremely large flare at Murphy Oil, continuous flare since at least noon today 8/23/07 Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: upset on the hydrocracker and platformer, both units vented a large amt of hydrogen to the flare during the upset, hydrogen burns cleanly with only water vapor as the emission product, flare was noticeable but there were no RQ releases during the eve Investigation Delay: 12 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98834 8/21/2007 | Description: Murphy oil has been flaring all afternoon - creating black smoke and sulphur odor Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: according to plant records, the plant was in normal operation and there were no strong sounds from the flare Investigation Delay: 14 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98770 8/18/2007 | Description: loud screeching noises and excessive flaring at Murphy Oil Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: plant was in normal operation and there were no strong sounds from the flare, no areas of concern were documented Investigation Delay: 17 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98798 8/17/2007 | Description: flare-light blue flare-sounds like airplant taking off-vibrating windows Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: plant was in normal operation and the noise monitoring patrol didn't document any strong sounds from the flare, no areas of concern were documented Investigation Delay: 18 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98780 8/17/2007 | Description: two flares all day, 2nd flare has clouds of black smoke, turn off and on during the day Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: at the time of the complaint, the flares were in normal operation, plant was also in apparent normal operation, no problems were found, the investigation found that the flares were in use at the time of the complaint but there was no unusual activiti Investigation Delay: 18 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98662 8/14/2007 | Description: odor from Murphy Oil Refinery Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy has a twice daily odor patrol which surveys the plant perimeter, no odors problems noted on Aug 12-14, shift foreman's log doesn't record any odor problems during this time period Investigation Delay: 6 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98499 8/7/2007 | Description: various Murphy Oil complaints and issues Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: gave a list addressing the complaints, many of the issues were permit issues Investigation Delay: 13 Accident Report Filed: |
| 98292 8/1/2007 | Description: very large flare, woke caller up this morning Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: upset on the C3-C4 splitter at the FCC unit, relief valve relieved to the flare as designed, operator made some operational adjustments to the system and returned the system to normal, no human error involved, release was to the flare Investigation Delay: 19 Accident Report Filed: |
| 99869 9/30/2007 | Description: large flaring, bursts of flames coming from Murphy Oil, black smoke pouring out Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy experienced a supply problem with their purchased natural gas, caused a flaring Investigation Delay: 17 Accident Report Filed: |
| 99867 9/29/2007 | Description: nauseating, choking odor coming from Murphy Oil Health Effects: nauseating LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy experienced a supply problem with their purchased natural gas, caused a flaring incident, no human error involved and no RQs exceeded Investigation Delay: 18 Accident Report Filed: |
| 99551 9/18/2007 | Description: caller has agreement with refinery that if she hears/sees anything coming from facility they will immediately respond, last night they refused to investigate exact locaiton of noise described as a high pitched hum w/ vacuum sounding background and denied they were source Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: LDEQ doesn't regulate noise, no further action required Investigation Delay: 3 Accident Report Filed: |
| 99254 9/7/2007 | Description: while walking thru neighborhood, noise was really loud and foul odor in the air, noise meter @ 68-69 peaking @ 72 Health Effects: noise was intense enough that it hurt complainant's ears, generates headache LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: noise measured to be 60-70 db, complainant also objected to the odors in the neighborhood, odors weren't measured Investigation Delay: 14 Accident Report Filed: |
| 99230 9/5/2007 | Description: huge north flare, excessive amts of black smoke Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: #2 Cat Gas Compressor shut down for about 10 min and sent hydrocarbon to the flare for about 10 min, there was some soke and noise but the combustion of the vented hydrocarbon was essentially total, noise came from the steam that allows this stream t Investigation Delay: 16 Accident Report Filed: |
| 99114 9/1/2007 | Description: huge flare Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: hydrocracker was venting hydrogen to the flare, PSA Tail Gas Compressor come off line for about 35 min, no RQ's exceeded and no emergency was created, burning hydrogen produces only water vapor as a combustion product, sound from flare operation was Investigation Delay: 5 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100440 10/23/2007 | Description: tail gas compressor, backup and wet gas compressor are broken, notified will not fix until Thursday, airplane sounds, steam to flare, flare too large and smoky, happen about every 5 days, request root cause analysis Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy stated that no RQ's were exceeded and the noise was well below the 85 db level found in OSHA hearing conservation recommendations Investigation Delay: 28 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100408 10/22/2007 | Description: huge really large flare and rumbling like an aiport (not thunder), refinery claims compressor is broken, burning extra hydrogen, pattern 5 days quiet acitivty with little amt of odors, 5 days noise, smells, complainant concerned with what is being done about faulty or inadequate equipment Health Effects: headaches and nausea LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy stated that no RQ's were exceeded and the noise was well below the 85 db level found in OSHA hearing conservation recommendations, the white dust was reported to be a white deposit on one barbeque that had already been washed off by rain Investigation Delay: 29 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100458 10/22/2007 | Description: flare burned for hours with smoke, large flame orange Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy stated that no RQ's were exceeded and the noise was well below the 85 db level found in OSHA hearing conservation recommendations Investigation Delay: Same Day Accident Report Filed: |
| 100246 10/16/2007 | Description: rumbling like a rocket ship from the flare, white dust over apts in Meraux Walkers Lanes Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy stated that no RQ's were exceeded and the noise was well below the 85 db level found in OSHA hearing conservation recommendations, the white dust was reported to be a white deposit on one barbeque that had already been washed off by rain Investigation Delay: 27 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100225 10/15/2007 | Description: compressor and hydrocracker still broken, Murphy is having extremely large flares that make everything around have an orange glow, terrible emissions, and loud noises Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: PSA Recycle Compressor at the Hydrocracker was undergoing maintenance at the time of this report, some additional methane was being sent to the flare which resulted in a small but measurable increase in the gases sent to the flare, maintenance of com Investigation Delay: 25 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100200 10/14/2007 | Description: large, bright flare, sounds like an airplane Health Effects: sickening odors LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy had a compressor shut down by a mechanical fault, the compressor is being repaired, until the compressor is repaired the plant is flaring a hydrogen rich recycle gas stream, this gas stream burns cleanly because it has almost no sulfur and nit Investigation Delay: 3 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100199 10/13/2007 | Description: loud booms and ecessive rumgling Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: plant shift foreman's log was reviewed, no unusual events occurred at the time of the reported incident, plant was in apparent normal operation, flare was in use but the plant didn't report any loud noise at the time of the complaint, no excess emiss Investigation Delay: 24 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100103 10/11/2007 | Description: large yellow flicking flare and intermittant noises from Murphy Oil, ongoing for the past 12 hrs, concerned about children's safety, would like a risk analysis, complainant was asked by a Murphy Oil rep to be a good neighbor and not call DEQ, yet they continue to have obvious issues they will not fix or report Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy had a compressor shut down by a mechanical fault, the compressor is being repaired, until the compressor is repaired the plant is flaring a hydrogen rich recycle gas stream, this gas stream burns cleanly because it has almost no sulfur and nit Investigation Delay: 6 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100138 10/11/2007 | Description: large flaring, had stopped in pm but started again by 22 hrs, black smoke, noise resembling airplane, Murphy had a broken hydrocracker Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy had a compressor shut down by a mechanical fault, the compressor is being repaired, until the compressor is repaired the plant is flaring a hydrogen rich recycle gas stream, this gas stream burns cleanly because it has almost no sulfur and nit Investigation Delay: 6 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100101 10/10/2007 | Description: large yellow flickering flare, loud noise that resembles an airplane making windows rattle, concerned about cause and effects to neighborhood Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy had a compressor shut down by a mechanical fault, compressor is being repaired, until the compressor is repaired the plant is flaring a hydrogen rich recycle gas stream, the gas stream burns cleanly because it has almost no sulfur and nitrogen Investigation Delay: 7 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100010 10/5/2007 | Description: burnt odor in air, sulfur, affecting way of life when outside in yard, concerned re health risks Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy had no community complaints at this time on 10/05/2007, daily odor patrol for this time done by Murphy found no odors Investigation Delay: 12 Accident Report Filed: |
| 99900 10/2/2007 | Description: burnt gasoline odor, similar to past weekend, last night (10/1) around 10:30-11 pm sounded like driving pilings coming from Murphy Health Effects: odor causing headaches LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy had slight odor estimated to be a butenol 2 from the waste water treatment plant, at the same time there was a strong odor from a nearby marsh fire, neither odor is actionable with regard to Murphy Investigation Delay: 14 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101380 11/30/2007 | Description: loud refinery processing noises, wakes up complainant and neighbors, noise is from new processes added over recent years , noise is too loud and travels across a cleared field between Lena and Corinne Drives, ongoing since April Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: nothing unusual found at time of complaint, flare is an essential part of the refinery safety sytstem Investigation Delay: 120 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101295 11/25/2007 | Description: complainant observed from 11/25 to 11/28 very large flares, awful burning smell, and noise from refinery Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: plant records recorded no unusual events and the plant was in apparent normal operation, both the North and South Flares were operational but there were no unusual releases to those flares Investigation Delay: 90 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101198 11/21/2007 | Description: oily substance released into complainant's pool from Murphy Oil, observed black specs and black smoke emitting from flares Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: there's a citrus tree over this pool and the fruit is ripening, as the fruit ipens, citrus oil is released and settles on the surface of the pool, there is an oily substance on the surface of the pool but it does not appear to have come from the murp Investigation Delay: 120 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101195 11/20/2007 | Description: loud noise and bad sulfur odor emitting from Murphy Oil Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: found nothing unusual at time of this complaint, flare is an essential part of the refinery safety system that can produce both light and some noise when it is in operation, refinery has a noise and odor patrol system that monitors for noise with a n Investigation Delay: 120 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101071 11/15/2007 | Description: odors, flaring is horrible, complainant wants in record she may be only person phoning incidents into DEQ Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: no unusual events were found and the plant was in apparent normal operation, both the North and South flares were operational but there were no unusual releases to those flares, no noises above 65 db were found during the noise patrol plant surveys Investigation Delay: 90 Accident Report Filed: |
| 100891 11/8/2007 | Description: caller states Murphy Oil is putting contaminated soils into a berm, covering with backfill, and are scheduled to cover with limestone to make area a parking lot Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy Oil is in final stages of an oil spill cleanup that occurred on 10/29/05 during Hurricane Katrina, approved cleanup plan requires soil above recap standards to be excavated from contaminated areas throughout oil spill zone and transported to a Investigation Delay: 27 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101950 12/29/2007 | Description: heard noise from refinery, large flare with black smoke from N flare, followed by very large puffs of black smoke, over 6 occurences within as many minutes, stinks and triggers headache Health Effects: triggers headache LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: Murphy Refinery was in apparent normal operation, no upsets and the flare was operating normally Investigation Delay: 30 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101507 12/7/2007 | Description: loud refinery noise, swooshing with lots of sustained whistling, complainant noticed lots of steam (not morning fog) Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: no unusual events found, plant was in apparent normal operation Investigation Delay: 60 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101456 12/5/2007 | Description: constant high pitch tone heard on Corinne Dr Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: no unusual events found, plant was in apparent normal operation Investigation Delay: 60 Accident Report Filed: |
| 101390 12/2/2007 | Description: refinery noises, swooshing sound and background noises, also flaring Health Effects: LDEQ Followup: yes LDEQ Notes: check found nothing unusual at time of this complaint, flare is an essential part of refinery safety system Investigation Delay: 90 Accident Report Filed: |
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