On Friday, August 25th, flames ascended and dense ebony smoke surged from two chemical storage tanks at the Marathon Petroleum refinery situated between Reserve and Garyville. While en route to a court hearing concerning the potential zoning of another parcel of land in St. John the Baptist Parish, where Garyville is situated, Geraldine Watkins caught sight of the towering plumes of smoke through the window of the car’s passenger seat that morning.
Earlier in the day, a blaze ignited at the oil processing plant as a result of a naphtha leakage, despite the concerning sight. Julie Dermansky, a journalist from DeSmog, successfully entered the restricted area within a two-mile radius across the river from the facility without facing any obstacles. Local authorities issued a compulsory evacuation order for all individuals residing within two miles of the refinery, which also encompassed two nearby educational institutions. Vehicles continued to drive past the establishment, while employees at the adjacent Cargill factory stood on the levee of the Mississippi River, broadcasting the unfolding events on Facebook in real-time for over an hour.
Watkins, who resides approximately 5 miles away from the refinery, contemplated the potential impact of the smoke on her own asthma, as well as the well-being of the individuals residing in the trailer park adjacent to the fenceline of the Marathon Petroleum refinery. Concern for her grandchildren’s safety, who were en route to school in the parish, also occupied her thoughts.
Experts suggest that benzene, a recognized carcinogen, should be examined for, along with other concerning chemicals in a situation like this – naptha is not the sole concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have linked repeated exposure to naphtha to nervous system damage in automotive workers. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting can result from exposure to this type of hydrocarbon mixture. Naphtha, a colorless flammable blend derived from crude oil for the production of solvents and gasoline, raises apprehensions among Watkins and other community members regarding long-term health hazards stemming from the fire, in addition to immediate concerns like asthma.
The information about how much chemicals were leaked and the root cause of the event often becomes available over time. Many companies, including Marathon, struggle to assess the potential impacts on health and submit a letter to the state within seven days of the event to request an extension for reporting details. Neither the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nor the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality have answered repeated questions from reporters and residents about the leaked chemicals during the fire and in the days following. However, both agencies have been required to submit a letter to the state to provide information in the absence of details.
She expressed, “We have no possibility of success in this situation.” Amidst incidents at work, Watkins shared that the incident made her once again doubt the parish’s capability to ensure the safety of her family and neighbors. The fire at the Marathon refinery was completely put out on Monday and the evacuation was lifted a few hours later. Remembering instances when she had heard other chemical plants in the parish occasionally conducting tests on their emergency alarm systems, Watkins stated, “We didn’t hear any siren, not even in this area.” Watkins wondered, “I’m attempting to comprehend why we didn’t hear anything.”
Despite being largely brought under control, the fire flared up on Saturday morning, sending black smoke into the air. Another live video of the fire was posted on Friday by a Cargill employee who had filmed it. Once again, there were no triggered alarms. Firefighters fought to put out the flames at the refinery for four days in 100-degree weather. At least one firefighter was treated for heat stress. As a precaution, the local elementary school remained closed on Monday. The fire was so significant that it was captured by satellite imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
According to Greg Langley, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), the staff has been monitoring the air in the adjacent community. Langley mentioned that hand-held monitors were used for this purpose. He also suggested that a spokesperson from Marathon provided information about the fire, but Langley did not answer any questions regarding the pollutants being monitored by the department.
A spokesman from Marathon called but his call went unreturned and unanswered. Marathon was also not responding to specific questions about the pollutants being monitored. The company confirmed via email that a third-party contractor and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were conducting air monitoring, but they did not provide any specific responses.
“In a statement sent via email, Joe Gannon, a spokesperson for Marathon Petroleum, stated, ‘With safety being our primary concern, we are currently working on a plan to restore the refinery to its usual operations. Throughout the course of the response, the refinery has been operating at lower capacities as a precautionary measure.'”
The renowned environmental scientist, Wilma Subra, stated that detailed and precise monitoring of air pollution is carried out by collecting samples of air near an industrial disaster site in a canister in the laboratory. However, it is unclear whether the air that those who live and work in the area breathe is truly safe, as there is no information available about the pollutants being monitored.
Subra stated that in a situation similar to this, if air monitoring efforts were to include assessments of naphtha and a wide range of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, which are a collection of substances like benzene linked to respiratory issues and cancer, it would be beneficial. “They are not sharing any of that data,” she remarked, further noting that the majority of portable monitors are unable to identify low-level concentrations of volatile organic compounds or distinguish between different types of VOCs.
CTEH has faced allegations of supposedly hiding the potential health dangers of the train derailment, along with various other industrial accidents, which include the BP oil spill. In February, a hazardous chemical train derailment took place in East Palestine, Ohio, and the T-shirt worn by a contractor employed by CTEH indicated that the same contractor hired by Norfolk Southern was involved in the response. Individuals working for Marathon were observed collecting environmental samples in the vicinity during the weekend.
OSHA, while examining the recent fire, did not provide a response to inquiries regarding the reason behind the reduction in the fine; however, it confirmed the occurrence. Subsequently, the agency decreased the penalty to $14,502 due to an explosion that transpired at the facility in February 2022, resulting in injuries to four workers. Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration initially imposed a fine of $30,167 on the company for one of these occurrences, a total of six workers were injured and one lost their life in three separate accidents at the refinery in 2022. The fire at the Marathon Petroleum refinery on Friday is the latest in a series of recent incidents at the site.
Although she had received a callback from Watkins, she still did not know what toxins she could have inhaled. When she asked the operator to provide her with a number to call back, they said, “What service are you going to provide for me?” Over the weekend, she called the number she had taken down, which was the Marathon number for assistance. However, officials from the Parish have circulated a toll-free number for fire-impacted members of the community to call for free assistance.
The Illuminator Louisiana is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, independent news organization driven by its mission to shed light on how the decisions made in Baton Rouge affect the everyday lives of Louisianians.