Justice is Our Success
We are a highly experienced and specialized practice, which sets us apart from other small law firms. Our firm has the resources, expertise, and experience to manage litigation from case preparation through the trial and appellate process.
Our firm has the experience and resources to effectively manage and litigate your claims.
Federal officials designate Murphy refinery area as “hot zone”
-September 13, 2005
As the flood waters from some of the most heavily damaged areas of New Orleans is cleared away, the environmental mess left from the Murphy Oil Corp. spill, as well as from other refineries, has become especially evident.
At least six serious oil spills and a number of other smaller incidents in southern Louisiana have hit the area because of Hurricane Katrina’s force, but the most notable is the leak of an estimated 672,000 gallons of crude oil from a storage tank at Murphy Oil Corp’s refinery.
Federal officials have designated the area around the Murphy refinery in Meraux in St. Bernard Parish as a “hot zone,” or a potentially deadly hazard. Wall Street Journal reporters drove through the city streets, despite the area being restricted, and saw blocks of homes within a mile of the refinery that had been covered over with an oil and mud looking mixture.
Murphy Oil’s Mindy West, who had not been to the site, said she believes about half the spill is cleaned up and said, “The oil leaked out into a limited area.” In addition to the Meraux spill, the U.S. Coast Guard is helping clean up as many as six separate oil spills in Louisiana. The Coast Guard said Murphy Oil estimated 672,000 gallons of crude oil leaked out of the partially filled storage tank, which has a 3.6 million-gallon capacity.
The company believes most of the spilled oil was trapped behind a containment dike around the storage tank. Officials say that as crude sinks into the earth, it may be likely that as many as 4,000 homes will have to be razed and two to three feet of soil removed before the area can be inhabited again. The oil sludge has spread across an area of three square miles, according to government officials.
There are several harmful substances in crude oil, including benzene. Although exposure to sun and air help break the oil down and allows it to evaporate, the crude oil from the Meraux Murphy Oil tank could seep inside of the homes and take longer to vaporize. Former assistant administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Lynn Goldman, said if it enters inside structures it can remain for an extended period of time.
Murphy Oil says the refinery will be closed for months.
