Lake Charles and Norco, Louisiana Refineries All four Lake Charles and Norco refineries have expanded since 1993 by an average of 15%, or a total of 103,500 barrels/day from 707,500 bpd to 811,000 bpd and additional major crude expansions are planned. Table 1: Refinery Capacity barrels per day Calendar Year 1993 2001 Norco-Lake Charles Area Citgo Westlake/Lake Charles 305,000 Conoco Lake Charles 175,000 American’s Lake Charles 12,500 Motiva Norco 215,000 Total Norco-Lake Charles 707,500 316,000 245,000 22,000 228,000 811,000 Refinery Capacity (100,000 barrels per day) Three major oil refineries are located at Lake Charles and ranked by their crude capacity: 1) Citgo's Westlake refinery, 2) Conoco's Westlake refinery, and 3) American's small Lake Charles refinery. "Citgo releases large volumes at 2-3 million pounds of toxic air pollution a year." Citgo's Westlake refinery expanded 4% to 316,000 barrels/day. Potential NSR violator Citgo operates a large U.S. refinery at Westlake, Louisiana which is currently rated at 316,000 barrels/day capacity. Citgo's Westlake refinery modestly expanded by nearly 4% (11,000 barrels/day) from 305,000 (1993) to 316,000 (2001). Citgo is one of the largest and dirtiest plants in the Lake Charles area. According to TRI data, Citgo releases large volumes at 2-3 million pounds of toxic air pollution a year. Citgo's changes in criteria emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter need to be thoroughly evaluated to determine if NSR violations occurred during the refinery expansions of the 1980’s and 1990’s. "Conoco was granted a nearly 500 ton, or one million pounds net increase of toxic chemical emissions." 200 100 Conoco's Westlake refinery 0 1993 2001 Norco-Lake Charles average refinery capacity rose by 15% since 1993. expanded 40% to 245,000 barrels/day. Potential NSR violator Conoco operates its largest U.S. refinery at Westlake, Louisiana, which is currently rated at 245,000 barrels/day capacity. Conoco conducted a major expansion by 40% (70,000 barrels/day) from 175,000 bpd (1993) to 245,000 bpd (2001). No NSR violations have been officially cited at the Westlake refinery. One part of the recent expansion occurred in1999, when Conoco applied for and received a Potential Serious Deterioration Lake Charles and Norco, Louisiana continued permit for the Petrozuata Syncrude Project and state permits for a major refinery expansion and plant wide-air emissions increase involving toxic and hazardous chemicals. Conoco then emitted 13,097.8 tons a year (only for normal operations) and was granted a nearly 500 ton (or one million pounds) net increase to 13,612 tons a year. Conoco was allowed to increase emissions of particulates (PM10 - up 30.6 tpy to 649 tpy), sulfur dioxide (SO2 - up 123.1 tpy to 5,293 tpy) and other sulfur compounds, nitrogen oxides (NOx - up 107.7 tpy to 2,543 tpy), volatile organic compounds (VOCs - up 14.7 tpy to 1,723 tpy), carbon monoxide (CO - up 206.5 tpy to 3,371 tpy), and other pollutants. "American's Lake Charles refinery expanded over 70% and may be a potential NSR violator." American's Lake Charles refinery over 70% to 22,000 barrels/day. Potential NSR violator American International Petroleum Corporation (formerly Calcasieu Refining) operates a small refinery at Lake Charles, Louisiana which is currently rated at 22,000 barrels/day capacity. American's Lake Charles refinery has expanded by over 70% (9,500 barrels/day) from 12,500 (1993) to 22,000 (2001), but has not been cited for any NSR violations by EPA to date. American plans to start its refining operations at Lake Charles in Louisiana with a test run in the first quarter of 2000. The American International Petroleum Corporation owns the Louisiana refinery through its subsidiary American International Refinery, Inc (AIRI). The subsidiary owns and operates the Lake Charles refinery. The company claims that the Lake Charles plant has a potential capacity of 30,000 barrels/day. Norco, Louisiana Motiva's Norco refinery expanded 11% to 228,000 barrels/day. EPA confirmed NSR violator. "The Motiva refinery violated NSR requirements resulting in EPA pursuing recent enforcement action." Motiva (a partnership of Shell and other oil companies) runs a large Norco, Louisiana refinery rated at 228,000 bpd capacity. The refinery expanded by 11% (13,000 barrels/day) from 215,000 bpd (1993) to 228,000 bpd (2001) and violated NSR requirements resulting in the EPA pursuing recent enforcement action. The EPA has a Consent Decree pending for CAA violations, including NSR violations, against four Motiva refineries, including the Port Arthur plant. The EPA has a Consent Decree pending for CAA violations, including NSR violations, against four Motiva refineries, including the Norco plant. The Consent Decree states: "7.The petroleum refining process at Motiva's four refineries results in emissions of significant quantities of criteria air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides ("NOX"), carbon monoxide ("CO"), particulate matter ("PM"), sulfur dioxide ("SO2"), as well as volatile organic compounds ("VOCs") and hazardous air pollutants ("HAPs"), including benzene. The primary sources of these emissions are the fluid catalytic cracking units ("FCCUs"), the fluid coking unit (at Delaware City, only), process heaters and boilers, the sulfur recovery plants, the wastewater treatment system, fugitive emissions from leaking components, and flares throughout the refinery." Norco Refinery Chronicles Real people, real problems Latricia Peoples was born in Norco, only blocks away from the Motiva refinery. She fears for her children and believes their breathing problems are caused by the refinery's petrochemical operations. "This child—my son—was supposed to be on oxygen for the rest of his life. It takes a piece of me. It takes a piece of my heart. When my sister said she was going have a baby, and I think she's going to have a healthy baby, I walk in there and I see my little nephew, and the doctor says he has a breathing problem and he can’t be saved. Why does he have a breathing problem? She lived right there in that house [near the refinery]. That’s why I talk boldly like I do ’cause I know there is some kind of justice that we deserve." The harm from the refinery is a generational experience. LaTricia's Mother has also suffered. "In 1988, there was an explosion [at what is now the Motiva refinery]. I was injured in it. My children was injured in it. We was moved out of our home for three solid months. I had to live through it. I was thrown out of bed. Right now I have arthritis in my back. It threw me out of the bed and I hit my back on the nightstand. Why, you keep saying, (do) I go back? Well, you have to go through it. And I have been through it, and it is very painful." Norco Refinery Chronicles Gaynel Johnson describes the very real psychological effects of living next to Shell: "In 1988, there was an explosion. I was injured in it. My children were injured in it. [People who say don't worry about it, it was a long time ago] didn't live through it. I have four brothers. Three of them went into the service. Two of them are very, very shell-shocked. And I [used to say], "You know y'all don't have to do this. You can go out and give it to God, and you can do this." In 1988 [after the explosion], I see what my brothers talked about when they talked about shell-shocked, because if we hear any type of noise—somebody passes and slams their car door— we jump. Because it's a flashback from the '88 explosion. We are shell-shocked. We sleep with clothes on. You want to ask me why do we keep going back? We keep going back [and remembering] because I am afraid. I'm frightened. My nerve is wrecked. That's why I keep going back. I'm just like those veterans. I'm shell-shocked." Deloris Brown lives on Diamond Street. Shell pipelines are in her yard. "After [the 1973 explosion], I just went on living but we are still on pins and needles. [Sometimes I] just go to bed and pray and rest my nerves. We went to a meeting right after the explosion and the [Shell] guy said, "Yes there is something over in the chemical plant. You wouldn't have no chance to escape or nothing." They come on your mind, you know, they come and go, and it's scary."