Lake Charles and Norco, Louisiana Refineries refineries have expanded since 1993

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."