Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)

Under the descriptions of the chemical manufacturing facilities and oil refineries you will see the toxic releases from those facilities. This comes from the Toxic Release Inventory or TRI. Since the passage of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (and later expanded under the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990) any facility that produce more than 25,000 pounds or handles more than 10,000 pounds of specific toxic chemicals must report to the EPA how much of those chemicals it releases into the environment, disposes of onsite, or sends offsite for disposal. The data is all self-reported, that is each facility must keeps track of their own releases (this usually comes from discharge permits given by state environmental agencies) and provide that information to the EPA. These are all legal releases of toxic material. The facilities are legally allowed to discharge certain amounts of toxic material into the environment. This does not include accidental or un-permitted releases. It generally takes two years for the EPA to process all of the TRI submissions and release the data so you will see that all of the TRI data in Rivergator is from the most recently available year at the time of its writing which is 2013. We have only included releases of toxic material into the air and water in Rivergator. Virtually all of the TRI water discharges listed in Rivergator are into the Mississippi River. Information about the specific toxic chemicals released, onsite and offsite disposal, and host of other information is available online.

You can access the TRI data directly from the EPA at: http://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program

TRI data can also be accessed via an organization called the Right To Know Network. Their website can access EPA’s TRI database in a way that is sometimes easier to use than the EPA site: http://www.rtknet.org/db/tri

229.6 – 228.6 RBD – Port Of Baton Rouge

The Port of Baton Rouge has 45′ deepwater access for ocean-going vessels, 3,000 continuous feet of wharf, 525,000 square feet of warehouse space, 50,000 square feet of open shipside storage, rail and truck access to transit sheds, covered tracks between warehouses allow for all-weather operations, and a conveyor systems from landside to wharf.

There is over 73,000,000 gallons of liquid bulk storage capacity at the port including storage for molasses, specialty chemicals, petroleum products, and fuels. There is also a 40,000 ton raw cane sugar warehouse and a flour mill that produces 360 tons of flour per day.

The two large white domes just upriver of the I-10 bridge are wood pellet storage domes for the Drax Biomass export terminal. Draw Biomass has a terminal in the Port that loads ships with wood pellets which are exported to the United Kingdom to burn in coal fired power plants. The wood pellets are from trees that are harvested in Louisiana and Mississippi, ground up, and pressed into pellets. This practice is ostensibly to help the UK meet carbon reduction goals but many critics of the practice believe that wood pellets are as bad or possibly even worse than coal when all manufacturing and transport factors are considered.

The Port of Baton Rouge is also home to the Community Coffee roasting plant which is the tall white building towards the back of the port just below the I-10 bridge.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities built a new grain and oilseed export terminal at the downriver end of the Port of Baton Rouge in 2013. The terminal can unload 20 to 24 barges per day, can load vessels holding 60,000 metric tons, and can move 5,000,000 metric tons of grain and oilseed every year.

222 and 210 RBD – Dow Chemical Company Louisiana Operations, Dexco, and Shintech Addis

With the purchase of four plantations in Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes, Dow established it’s Louisiana Operations in 1956. Today, the 1,500-acre integrated manufacturing facility is one of Louisiana’s largest petrochemical facilities. It straddles the base of Manchac Point and can be seen from both sides.

Louisiana Operations has 23 production units manufacturing more than 50 different intermediate and specialty chemical products, such as chlorine and polyethylene, that are used to produce cosmetics, detergents, solvents, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, plastics for a variety of packaging, automotive parts, electronics components, and more.

Dexco Polymers manufactures styrenic block copolymers at a plant within the Dow complex. Formed in 1988 as a 50/50 joint venture of Dow Chemical and ExxonMobil, Dexco was acquired by TSRC corporation of Taiwan on April 1, 2011.

Shintech’s Addis plant manufactures PVC right across Hwy. 1 from Dow.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Dow:
Air: 1,863,204
Water: 522,233

Dexco:
Air: 442,550

Shintech Addis:
Air: 68,742

209.6 RBD – Dow wastewater outfall

A torrent of wastewater enters the Mississippi River here. This area is best avoided.

205.5 Axiall (formerly Georgia Gulf) & 204.8 Shintec Louisiana Plaquemine PVC Plant

These two large facilities produce chlorvinyl chemicals, primarily for the manufacture of PVC. Shintech Corp. is the worlds largest producer of PVC. Along with the Dow Chemical and other Shintech facilities in the area, a large amount of the nations chlorovinyls and PVC are manufactured in this area.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Axiall:
Air: 268,699
Water: 144,402

Shintech:
Air: 259,430

203.8 LBD – LBC Sunshine Terminal

LBC Sunshine terminal is a bulk liquid terminal with 40 tanks, a storage capacity of 118,020,000 gallons, and handles chemicals, petroleum products, and oils.

203.3 RBD – SNF Flopam

SNF Flopam manufactures acrylamide monomer and polyacrylamide powders packaged in bags or supersacks within the Dow complex.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

SNF Flopam:
Air: 317,435

201.6 LBD – Willow Glen Power Plant

Entergy’s Willow Glen Power Plant is a natural gas and fuel oil fired power plant used to provide variable levels of energy and/or capacity to the area when needed and the first power plant that you will encounter on this stretch of your paddle.

200.1 LBD – Industrial Complex including Taminco Inc., Syngenta, and Olin Chlor Alkali

The largest facility in the complex is Syngenta Crop Protection LLC which produces atrazine, herbicides, some insecticides, and seed safeners which are shipped to agricultural operations in 90 countries. Many of the trucks leaving the facility bring containers of finished products to the Port of New Orleans for loading onto container ships which bring the products to Latin American countries.

On the downriver side of Syngenta is Olin Chlor Alkali Products (formerly Pioneer Americas) which produces chlorine, caustic soda, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen for area industry.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Syngenta:
Air: 282,563
Water: 1,210,060

Taminco:
Air: 19,042
Water: 426,813

Mexichem Fluor:
Air: 25,382
Water: 27

Olin Chlor Alkali:
Air: 158
Water: 7

187.9 LBD – Total Petrochemicals and Refining and Caravelle Energy Center

Total Petrochemicals operates a polystyrene production complex which produces styrene monomer from ethylbenzene and then polystyrene from styrene monomer. Total Petrochemical’s styrene’s complex is one of the largest polystyrene facilities in the world and can produce 1.45 billion pounds per year.

Behind Total Petrochemical is a small natural gas fired power plant called Caravelle Energy Center.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Total Petrochemicals and Refining:
Air: 22,196
Water: 7

186.8 LBD – Industrial Complex including PCS Nitrogen, Honeywell, and Williams Olefins

This chemical complex here is dominated by PCS Nitrogen which is owned by the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS, get it). PCS Nitrogen makes 0.50 million tonnes of ammonia, 2.4 million tonnes of nitrogen solutions, nitric acid, and ammonium nitrate and 0.2 million tonnes of phosphoric acid primarily for use in fertilizer manufacturing. PCS Nitrogen produces phosphoric acid by processing phosphate ore with sulfuric acid. This process results in a huge amount of phosphogypsum waste. This phosphogypsum is slightly radioactive because of the uranium and thorium that occurs in phosphate ore. Because of this the phosphogypsum waste is piled up into huge piles behind the facility. PCS Nitrogen has a permit to pile the phosphogypsum up to 200 feet tall. The pile is already approaching 150 feet and you may be able to see it looming up from the horizon from the river.

Honeywell International has a chemical facility on the downriver side of PCS Nitrogen that produces hydrofluoric acid, fluorocarbon refrigerants and AlconTM Resin.

Williams Olefins has a chemical facility between PCS Nitrogen and the big phosphogypsum pile. The plant produces 40,000 tons of propylene and 650,000 tons of ethylene every year, for use in the plastics industry, through steam cracking of ethane and propane. On June 13, 2013 an explosion occurred in the plant killing two workers and injuring 114.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

PCS Nitrogen:
Air: 983,744
Water: 1,058,406

Honeywell International:
Air: 293,263
Water: 4,972

Williams Olefins:
Air: 230,578
Water: 11

185.3 LBD – Methanex

One of Louisiana’s newest chemical plants. Methanex relocated two methanol production plants from Punta Arenas, Chile to this location between 2013 and 2015.

185 LBD – Industrial Complex including Borden Chemicals, Westlake Chemicals, and Momentive Specialty Chemicals

Borden Chemicals originally operated a chemical facility here producing vinyl chloride monomer, ammonia, and PVC. After an explosion and chemical release brought attention from Federal regulators in 1997 the U.S. Government filed a civil action against Borden for the unpermitted dumping of hazardous chemicals (which contaminated the groundwater), the illegal shipment of hundreds of thousands of pounds of hazardous waste to South Africa, and the operation of unpermitted hazardous waste facilities. Westlake Chemicals later took over the vinyl portion of the facility and currently produces PVC resin, 1,2-Dichloroethane (EDC), and vinyl chloride monomer. In July 2010 there was an accidental release of ,more than 900 pounds of vinyl chloride monomer (a known human carcinogen) as well as other chemicals. In March 2012 there was a serious explosion and fire at the facility which released 2,645 pounds of hydrochloric acid, 632 pounds of chlorine, 239 pounds of vinyl chloride monomer, and around 40 pounds of other chemicals into the area. Residents were told to shelter in place and a 45 mile stretch of the Mississippi River was shut down. In June 2014 there was a fairly large fire in a refrigeration unit at the facility. In September 2015 a fiberglass pipe caught fire and was extinguished within 30 minutes.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Westlake Chemicals:
Air: 193,616
Water: 193

Momentive Specialty Chemicals:
Air: 64,080
Water: 10

184.6 LBD – Rubicon and Lion Copolymer

The Rubicon plant in Geismar produces Methylene Diphenyl Isocyanate (MDI), Maleic Anhydride, Hydrochloric Acid (HCI), Polyols, Nitrobenzene, Aniline, Diphenylamine (DPA) used for the manufacture of Polyurethane Insulation, Furniture and Bedding, Adhesives, Coatings and Elastomers, Composite Wood Products, Footwear, Molded Plastics, and Pharmaceuticals. In September 2014 6 workers at the plant were exposed to Nitrobenzene (a toxin and possible human carcinogen), 3 required hospitalization.

Lion Copolymer is located on the other side of Rubicon and produces ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) synthetic rubber.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Lion Copolymer:
Air: 802,976
Water: 6,845

Rubicon:
Air: 324,039
Water: 110

183.9 – IMTT Geismar and BASF

International-Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT) has a relatively small bulk liquid product storage and handling terminal just over the levee.

More than half a mile behind IMTT and connected to Rubicon is a large BASF facility that dates back to 1958. BASF produces ethylene oxide, ethylene glycol, toluene diisocyanate, methylene dipheylisocyanate, polyether polyols, butanediol, gamma-butyrolactone, n-Methyl pyrrolidone, tetrahydrofuran, 2-pyrrolidone, n-vinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylpyrrolidone, glyoxal, specialty amines, aniline, acetylene, alkylethanolamines, surfactants, polytetrahydrofuran, andmethyl amines.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

BASF:
Air: 396,037
Water: 616,894

183.2 LBD – Shell Chemical and OxyChem

Shell Chemical produces industrial chemicals such as alpha olefins, detergent alcohols, alcohol ethoxylates, plasticiser alcohols, ethylene oxide and ethylene glycols. These products are used by to manufacture personal care products, soaps, shampoos and household cleaning solutions.

Located behind Shell, OxyChem (formerly Occidental Chemical) is a chlor-alkali facility owned by Occidental Petroleum Corporation. OxyChem produces caustic soda, chlorine and chlorinated organic chemicals.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Shell Chemical:
Air: 272,086
Water: 48,186

OxyChem:
Air: 179,120
Water: 1,639

173.5 RBD – CF Industries

CF Industries sprawling 1,400 acre Nitrogen Complex is touted as the largest nitrogen operation in North America. The facility produces anhydrous ammonia, granular urea and urea ammonium nitrate solution for agricultural and industrial use. In 2000 the facility had an explosion that killed 3 and injured 14. In June 2013 an explosion killed 1 and injured 7. In December 2015 a contract worker was found dead in a vessel that was under construction (investigation ongoing).

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

CF Industries:
Air: 6,924,957
Water: 1,127,771

170 LBD – Burnside Terminal and Burnside Alumina Refinery

Impala Warehousing’s Burnside Terminal is the most recently constructed coal export terminal on the lower Mississippi. Burnside Terminal can handle coal, bauxite and alumina.

Almatis recently acquired the Burnside Alumina Refinery from Ormet Primary Aluminum Corporation. The facility is right behind Burnside Terminal and can be readily identified because it is covered in orange dust (bauxite). Burnside Alumina Refinery began producing smelter grade alumina (aluminum oxide) in 1958. The facility produces 500,000 metric tons of high quality alumina per year.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Almatis: Air: 3

169.2 LBD – Chemours

Formerly E I DuPont De Nemours, the Chemours facility was originally built in 1968 and regenerates spent sulfuric acid. Oil refineries use sulfuric acid to produce gasoline which leaves a large amount of “spent” sulfuric acid waste. This waste material is converted back into sulfuric acid which can be used again by the refineries. in 2014 a whistleblower filed a lawsuit against the facility claiming that the facility experienced nearly daily leaks of toxic and carcinogenic sulfur trioxide gas for more than 2 years without reporting it to authorities. The whistleblower further claims that he was harassed, intimidated, and denied promotions for trying to report the leak during that time.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

CF Industries: Air: 7,364

168.3 LBD – Motiva Convent Refinery

Motiva Convent Refinery is a 50/50 joint venture between affiliates of Shell Oil Company and Saudi Aramco. The refinery is designed to process approximately 225,000 barrels per day of crude oil. The refinery produces conventional petroleum products and refinery grade sulfur.

The refinery is located on a 4,400-acre tract of land that straddles Ascension and St. James Parishes in Louisiana. The processing equipment is located in St. James Parish and occupies approximately 900 acres. The refinery uses two docks along 6000 feet of Mississippi River access. The facility is bounded by Louisiana Highways 44 and 70.

The Convent Refinery began operations as a Texaco refinery in 1967. In the mid-1980’s the refinery capacity was approximately doubled to its current capacity.

On July 1, 1998, a joint venture was formed between Texaco, Saudi Refining and Shell Oil Company under the name Motiva Enterprises LLC. In 2001, Texaco was purchased by Chevron and its interest in Motiva was sold to Shell Oil and Saudi Refining, Inc. on February 13, 2002.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Motiva Convent Refinery:
Air: 115,956
Water: 235,295

167 RBD – Mosaic Faustina and American Styrenics

The Mosaic Company’s Faustina plant sits on a 2,850-acre site and was owned by Gulf Oil Corp. between 1967 and 1972, the Williams Co. between 1972 and 1986, Freeport-McMoran Corp. from 1986 to 1983, IMC Global from 1993 to 2004, and was bought by Mosaic on Oct. 22, 2004.

The Mosaic Company’s Faustina plant produces ammonia and receives phosphoric acid from Mosaic’s Uncle Sam plant to make diammonium phosphate (DAP), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), and Mosaic MicroEssentials® products. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) is a dark grey granular material; if you see a dark grey granular material in barges being loaded onto ships around here, it’s probably DAP. In 2006 an explosion at Mosaic Faustina rattled houses several blocks away but no one was injured. The facility has more than 1,400 acres of waste pits and ponds behind it.

The American Styrenics plant is on the downriver side of Mosaic. They produce styrene monomer from benzene and ethylene for the production of polystyrene, styrene-butadiene copolymers, and other plastics.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Mosaic Faustina:
Air: 1,649,888
Water: 32,543

American Styrenics:
Air: 120,550
Water: 1,946

163.8 LBD – Zen-Noh Grain

ZEN-NOH (?? Zenn??), National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations (??????????? Zenkoku N?gy? Ky?d? Kumiai Reng?kai?), is a federation of agricultural cooperatives in Japan formed in 1972. ZEN-NOH consists of 1,173 agricultural cooperatives and federations that in 2004 had a combined revenue of $53.8 billion (USD). ZEN-NOH is involved in the marketing, tracking, and quality assurance of the products of its cooperatives. ZEN-NOH is one of the world’s largest importers of animal feeds and agricultural fertilizers. Here grain grown in the mid-western U.S. is loaded onto ships and sent out to the world (presumably much to Japan).

163 LBD – Nucor Steel

Nucor Steel, today the largest producer of steel in the United States, recently built this direct reduced iron plant making it one of the newest in the industrial corridor. Nucor plans to produce 2,500,000 tons of iron at the plant. Iron ore is “reduced” into sponge iron by heating it with hydrogen and carbon monoxide made from natural gas. You will see two spherical storage domes; there were three but one suddenly and unexpectedly collapsed in 2013.

160.7 RBD thru 158 RBD – St James Petroleum Terminals

It’s difficult to see it from a canoe or kayak but for almost 3 miles along the West Bank (RBD) are a continuous series of petroleum terminals making up one of the nations most important crude oil hubs. If the water is high enough or you climb up the levee you will see over 100 large storage tanks; the largest of which cover over 1.5 acres a piece. These tanks are primarily used to store crude oil as it is transferred between pipeline (a number of major crude oil pipelines tie in here), railcar, and ship. Pipelines connect the terminals to offshore oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and oil refineries in Louisiana and Texas. Crude oil from the Bakken, Niobara, and Eagle Ford shales are brought in by rail. Crude oil can also be imported and exported via tanker ship.

The terminals include: – Plains All American Pipeline LP – St James Terminal which has a storage capacity of 8,300,000 barrels and a rail unloading capacity of 130,000 barrels of oil per day
– NuStar Energy – St James Terminal which has a storage capacity of 8,363,000 barrels and a rail unloading capacity of 120,000 barrels of oil per day.
– Shell – Sugarland St. James Terminal storage capacity unavailable.
– Loop – St. James Terminal has 2,600,000 barrels of storage capacity situated on 140 acres of land.

161.5 LBD – Occidental Chemical Convent

This Occidental Chemical (Oxy) plant produces Chlorine, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide and Ethylene Dichloride.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Occidental Chemical Convent:
Air: 15,319
Water: 4

160.9 – SunCoke Energy Convent Marine Terminal

SunCoke Energy just bought this coal export terminal from Raven Energy. The terminal has a unique oval shaped rail spur that surrounds the facility allowing coal trains to simply pull through to unload and end up going out back the way they came in. The coal comes in on rail, is stored in the coal yard and then is loaded onto ships for export overseas. The facility can move 15,000,000 tons of coal per year.

160.4 – Mosaic Uncle Sam

Mosaic’s Uncle Sam plant brings in phosphate rock from Florida and Peru. The phosphate rock is then combined with sulfuric acid to produce phosphoric acid which is shipped to Mosaic’s Faustina plant just up the river.

The Uncle Sam facility sits on a 3,300-acre site, was originally owned by Freeport Chemical Co., and then by IMC global between 1993 and 1994, and was bought by Mosaic on Oct. 22, 2004.

This process results in a huge amount of phosphogypsum waste. This phosphogypsum is slightly radioactive because of the uranium and thorium that occurs in phosphate rock. Because of this the phosphogypsum waste is piled up into a huge pile behind the facility. The EPA contends that the phosphogypsum waste has been improperly handled and disposed of over the years and in 2015 Mosaic entered into a $2 billion dollar settlement with them. The pile of phosphogypsum behind the Uncle Sam plant covers more than 960 acres and is approaching 200 feet tall. You might be able to see it looming up in the distance as you paddle by.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

CF Industries:
Air: 321,139
Water: 18

150.4 LBD – ADM Growmark St. Elmo

ADM Growmark’s St. Elmo grain terminal is just upriver from Paulina, LA. It has a 2,000,000 bushel capacity

146.2 LBD – Louisiana Sugar Refining (LSR)

Founded in 1895 by a group of financiers from Gramercy Park, New York on a site called “Faubourg Lapin”. First operated as a sugar mill to process sugar cane from Golden Grove Plantation. A refinery was built in 1902 to supply granulated sugar to the U.S. market. The company town offered housing, schools, church, store and recreation. Previously the Colonial Sugar Refinery and owned by the Cuban-American Sugar Co. for 52 years. Dr. George P. Meade, co author of “Cane Sugar Handbook” worked here for 37 years. Cargill, Inc. and Louisiana Sugar Growers and Refiners, Inc. now own the refinery.

145.6 LBD – Rain CII Gramercy Calciner

Commissioned in 1972 by Kaiser Aluminum; the plant was built to calcine (heat in rotary kilns) petroleum coke in order to produce carbon that is made into aluminum smelter anodes (electrodes). It has one rotary kiln with 230,000 ton/yr capacity. The facility can store 150,000 tons of “green” petroleum coke. The facility produces 210,000 pounds of steam per hour and the excess steam is sent to Noranda Alumina. Petroleum coke is the solid granular stuff that is leftover from refining crude oil. This “green” coke is mostly carbon but still has enough leftover stuff in it that it needs to be heated in a rotary kiln (a calciner) to “burn off” all the non-carbon material. If the facility is operating you will see smoke from the burning impurities pouring out of the stacks.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Rain CII Gramercy Calciner:
Air: 523,239
Water: 274

145.4 LBD – Noranda Alumina Gramercy

The orange facility just downriver from Rain CII is the Noranda Alumina refinery. The orange color comes from bauxite (aluminum ore). Construction on the alumina refinery began in 1957 with the first shipment of alumina occurring two years later. Ocean going freighters supply the plant with bauxite from the bauxite mine in Jamaica. Utilizing the Bayer process (dissolving the aluminum oxide in the bauxite with caustic soda under pressure) to chemically extract alumina from bauxite, the original plant was designed to produce 438,000 metric tonnes of alumina per year. The plant has undergone several expansions and modernizations since then to increase the output of alumina to 1.2 million metric tonnes per year. The Gramercy facility was originally owned by Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation. In 2004, Noranda formed a joint partnership with Century Aluminum and purchased the Gramercy refinery and the St. Ann bauxite mining operations from Kaiser. In 2009, Noranda became sole owner of the refinery, which now operates as Noranda Alumina, LLC.

After the aluminum oxide is removed, all of the rest of the bauxite (minus aluminum) is leftover in a caustic red waste referred to as red mud. Over a million pounds of red mud waste from Noranda is dumped each year into more than 800 acres of waste pits behind the facility.

There is also mercury in the bauxite and it was discovered in 2014 that the Noranda facility has been emitting far more mercury than regulators were aware of or that the facility is permitted to emit. In 2013 alone Noranda emitted 1,803 pounds of mercury into the environment. State regulators are still trying to determine the extent of any mercury contamination from the facility.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Noranda Alumina Gramercy:
Air: 948,231
Water: 25,607

143.6 LBD – Nalco Garyville and Evonik Stockhausen

Nalco first opened a production facility in Garyville in 1970. Today, the Garyville complex comprises more than 220-acres and produces industrial water treatment products, such as corrosion and scale inhibitors, used in boilers and cooling towers; wastewater treatment products; and process chemicals used in the papermaking, mining, petroleum, steel, power generation, food and beverage, metalworking and aluminum refining industries.

On the downriver side of Nalco; Evonik Stockhausen manufactures chemicals and polymers for textile, water treatment, skin care, and agricultural applications. The company also provides absorbent polymers for baby diapers, feminine care, and adult care.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Nalco Garyville:
Air: 2,587
Water: 8,129

Evonik Stockhausen:
Air: 8,668

140.5 LBD – Marathon Garyville Refinery, Pinnacle Polymers, and Air products and Chemicals

Construction began in 1973 by ECOL, Ltd. and was completed in 1976, when Marathon purchased and started up the plant. Marathon is located on 3,500 acres of former San Francisco Plantation property. Marathon is the third largest U.S. refinery with 522,000 barrels per calendar day. The refinery uses the following processes: crude distillation, hydrocracking, catalytic cracking, hydrotreating, reforming, alkylation, isomerization, sulfur recovery and coking. Producing: gasoline, petroleum distillates, fuel-grade coke, polymer-grade propylene, asphalt, propane, slurry and sulfur.

Pinnacle Polymers has a plant on the far side (from the river) of the Marathon refinery. Pinnacle Polymers produces polypropylene plastics for fiber and solid materials and can produce in excess of one billion pounds of polypropylene per year.

Air Products and Chemicals has a small plant in the Marathon complex behind the Cargill grain elevator. The plant produces hydrogen from methane (natural gas) which it supplies to the Marathon refinery as well as feeds into Air Products extensive Louisiana Hydrogen Pipeline Network. The plant produces 120,000,000 standard cubic feet of hydrogen per day.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Marathon Garyville Refinery:
Air: 664,053
Water: 9,601

Pinnacle Polymers:
Air: 106,216

Air products and Chemicals:
Air: 37,970

139.4 LBD – Cargill

Cargill’s Terre Haute grain terminal is located just downriver from Marathon. The terminal has 4 load spouts and a 6,000,000 bushel capacity.

139.2 LBD – ADM Growmark

ADM Growmark has a grain terminal just downriver from Cargill

138.7 LBD – Globalplex

Formerly a sugar mill, the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal is a public terminal -owned by the Port of South Louisiana and operated by Associated Terminals- for both vessels and barges that provides handling and storage for bulk, breakbulk, and containerized cargos.

135.7 LBD – DuPont Pontchartrain Works

This DuPont Pontchartrain Works contains two plants, one that makes neoprene rubber, the other makes Kevlar fiber. DuPont invented neoprene, a synthetic chlorinated rubber, in 1930. DuPont invented Kevlar, a para-aramid synthetic fiber, in 1965. In 2014 DuPont sold the neoprene plant to Denka and Mitsui companies of Japan. Starting in late 2015 E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, known as DuPont, will merge with Dow Chemical Company and the resulting company will be called DowDuPont.

Neoprene is made from the monomer chloroprene which shows clear evidence of causing cancer in rats and mice and is reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans. 258,185 pounds of chloroprene was released into the environment from the DuPont neoprene plant in 2013.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

DuPont Pontchartrain Works:
Air: 345,803
Water: 20,275

132.4 LBD – ArcelorMittal (Bayou Steel)

ArcelorMittal, formerly Bayou Steel, produces steel materials including billets, equal leg angles, unequal leg angles, flats, channels, standard beams and wide flange beams. There is also an automobile shredder and barge wrecking service at the facility.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

ArcelorMittal:
Air: 22,686

129.8 RBD – Waterford 1 & 2

Energy owns two small natural gas fired power plants here, just upriver from Waterford 3.

129.5 RBD – Waterford 3

Owned by Entergy, the Waterford 3 nuclear power plant has one Combustion Engineering two-loop pressurized water reactor. The plant produces 1,218 megawatts of electricity since the site’s last refuel in October 2009. It has a dry ambient pressure containment building.

129.4 LBD – Little Gypsy Power Plant

Natural gas fired power plant owned by Entergy.

128.9 RBD – Occidental Chemical Taft

Occidental Chemical (OxyChem) produces chlorine, caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) and caustic potash (potassium hydroxide).

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Occidental Chemical Taft:
Air: 105
Water: 209

128.4 RBD – Air Products, Air Liquide, Praxair, Galata, Koch Nitrogen

Air Products, Air Liquide, and Praxair are companies that operate facilities that supply industrial air products to larger industrial facilities. Most of the larger industrial complexes will have at least one of these facilities which supply liquid nitrogen, oxygen, CO2, and various other gasses to the larger facilities that use them in their production processes.

Air Liquide acquired an air separation plant from Dow Chemical in December 2003 and is the exclusive supplier of oxygen to Dow’s 270,000 tonne/year n-butanol (NBA) plant in Taft and its operations in Seadrift, Texas.

Galata Chemicals is one of the world’s leading producers and marketers of additives for the Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and associated industries; including plasticizers, lubricants, and foaming agents. The facility primarily manufactures polymer additives, which maintain the durability and longevity of PVC pipe, fencing, and plastic products.

Koch Nitrogen anhydrous ammonia import/export terminal. In 1995 a leak caused ammonia to spread over the St. Charles Parish area causing health effects in many residents and resulting in a lawsuit with 8,000 individuals who believed that they were harmed.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Praxair:
Air: 1,506

Koch Nitrogen:
Air: 4,180

Galata Chemicals:
Air: 16,692

128 RBD – Dow St Charles Operations

Union Carbide Corporation began operating a petrochemical plant near Taft, La. in 1966. Dow Chemical Company acquired Union Carbide Corporation in 1999 and the facility now operates under the Dow logo. The facility currently consists of a 2,000-acre petrochemical manufacturing complex with it’s own electrical and steam generation and has the capacity to produce over 10,000,000,000 pounds of product. The facility makes glycol ethers, polyolefin’s, elastomers, polyethylene, and various other specialty chemicals. Accounts of numerous accidents and spills can be found, some highlights follow: In December 1982 a tank containing acrolein exploded shattering windows for over a mile and resulting in the evacuation of 17,000 people. In March of 1990 a power outage caused a release of 36,722 pounds of propylene, 10,000 pounds of acetylene, and 497 pounds of ethylene oxide. In April 1990 4,500 pounds of naphtha was spilled. In June of 1990 2,268 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was spilled. In March of 1991 4,400 pounds of tetrahydrofuran spilled into Mississippi River. In October of 1991 1,360 pounds of ethylene glycol spilled into Mississippi River. In January of 1993 1,100 pounds of ammonium hydroxide spilled into the Mississippi River. In July of 1993 8,300 pounds of ethylene released. On July 7, 2009 ethyl acrylate was released from a ruptured tank that required evacuations and shelter in place orders, some local residents believe they were negatively affected by the exposure and were critical of the handling of the situation by parish emergency officials.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Dow St Charles Operations:
Air: 396,482
Water: 104,859

126.9 LBD – Shell Norco Chemical Plant West Site and Momentive Specialty Chemicals

The Shell Norco Chemical Plant West Site was built in 1955.

Momentive Specialty Chemicals (when it was Resolution Performance Products) purchased Shell’s resin unit in 2000. It produces epoxy resins.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Shell Norco Chemical Plant West Site:
Air: 80,401
Water: 4,626

Momentive Specialty Chemicals:
Air: 60,846

126.9 LBD – Shell Norco Chemical Plant West Site and Momentive Specialty Chemicals

The Shell Norco Chemical Plant West Site was built in 1955. The East and West plants together process gas feeds and liquid feeds to produce nearly 3 billion pounds of ethylene and 1.4 billion pounds of propylene per year. In addition, the Chemical plant produces approximately 350 million pounds of butadiene per year as well as secondary butyl alcohol and olefin cracker feedstocks.

Momentive Specialty Chemicals, owned by Hexion, (when it was Resolution Performance Products) purchased Shell’s resin unit in 2000. It produces epoxy resins.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Shell Norco Chemical Plant West Site:
Air: 80,401
Water: 4,626

Momentive Specialty Chemicals:
Air: 60,846

125.5 LBD – Shell, Motiva, Valero, Union Carbide, and Rain CII

In 1916 the New Orleans Refining Company purchased 366 acres of rice, indigo, and sugar cane fields from the Good Hope Plantation and began operating it as an oil terminal later that year. In 1919, the company provided its employees with on-site living quarters, schools, and recreational facilities. As the town grew around the facility, it adopted the name Norco, which was the acronym for New Orleans Refining Company. In 1929 the facility was purchased by Shell.

The Shell Norco Chemical Plant East Site is situated on the upriver side of the Norco industrial complex. The East and West plants together process gas feeds and liquid feeds to produce nearly 3 billion pounds of ethylene and 1.4 billion pounds of propylene per year. In addition, the Chemical plant produces approximately 350 million pounds of butadiene per year as well as secondary butyl alcohol and olefin cracker feedstocks.

The Motiva Norco Refinery is a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and Saudi Refining. The refineries major refining units include Distilling, Catalytic Cracking, Catalytic Reformer, Alkylation, Hydrocracking, Hydrotreating, and Coking. Products processed or produced daily in the refinery include gasoline, jet-A aviation fuel, low sulfur diesel and anode grade coke. The refinery’s crude capacity is 235,000 barrels per day.

The Valero St. Charles Refinery, with initial construction beginning in the 1980’s, is one of the newest in the United States. It is situated on approximately 1,000 acres on the downriver side of the Norco industrial complex. The refinery processes approximately 300,000 barrels of oil per day producing gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, No. 2 and No. 6 fuel oils, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gases (LPGs) and petroleum coke.

Rain CII Carbon has a petroleum coke calcining plant adjacent to the Motiva Norco Refinery. The calciner was commissioned in 1965 by Kaiser Aluminum and produces calcined coke intended for aluminum smelter anode production. The facility has one rotary kiln with 230,000 ton/yr capacity. The green coke is supplied directly by Motiva Norco Refinery.

Praxair St Charles produces 135,000,000 cubic feet of hydrogen per day for use by Valero Refining St. Charles in their 60,000 barrel per day hydrocracker which produces low sulfur fuels.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Valero Refining St. Charles:
Air: 958,827
Water: 31,878

Shell Norco Chemical Plant East Site:
Air: 703,495

Motiva Norco Refinery:
Air: 406,892
Water: 4,922

Rain CII Carbon:
Air: 21,370

Praxair St Charles:
Air: 11,554

120.5 LBD – ADM Growmark Destrehan

Arthur Daniels Midland grain terminal with 7 loading spouts and a 5,500,000 bushel capacity.

120 LBD – Bunge Destrehan

Bunge grain terminal with 8 loading spouts and a 3,900,000 bushel capacity.

 

120 RBD – Monsanto, OxyChem, and Air Products

Monsanto produces the herbicides glyphosate and dicamba at it’s luling plant, including glyphosate based Roundup. Dicamba is a selective herbicide in the chlorophenoxy family of chemicals. Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses known to compete with commercial crops. It was discovered to be a herbicide by Monsanto chemist John E. Franz in 1970. Monsanto brought it to market in the 1970s under the trade name Roundup.

In 1992 Occidental Chemical purchased Monsanto’s isocyanurate plant. The OxyChem Luling Monsanto Production Plant produces chlorinated isocyanurate and cyanic acid. It is operated by Monsanto for OxyChem.

Air Products has a 100,000,000 cubic feet per day hydrogen plant which supplies hydrogen to Monsanto.

Momentive Specialty Chemicals, owned by Hexion, is building a formaldehyde plant in Monsanto’s facility to supply Monsanto with formaldehyde.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Monsanto Luling:
Air: 43,189
Water: 109,940

OxyChem Luling Monsanto Production Plant:
Air: 94,168

Air Products Luling:
Air: 3,392

 

118.6 LBD – International Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT) and Shell

IMTT St. Rose is a 1,000 acre bulk liquid (primarily petroleum product) terminal. IMTT has 207 Tanks with 14,750,000 barrels total capacity. Tanks range in size from 40,000 gallons to 500,000 barrels. There are 5 deepwater tanker berths, 13 barge berths, as well as truck and railcar loading/unloading facilities.

Shell jointly operates (with IMTT) an asphalt plant on the northeast side of the IMTT facility. Strong odors from the asphalt plant plagued nearby residents in St. Rose in 2014. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality said that the odors resulted from the use of crude oil that contained high levels of sulfur compounds and the failure of equipment designed to prevent such odors.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Shell St. Rose:
Air: 7,905

117.6 RBD – ADM Growmark Ama

Arthur Daniels Midland grain terminal with 4 loading spouts and a 5,500,000 bushel capacity.

114.5 RBD – Fortier Manufacturing Complex

Cornerstone Chemical Company’s Fortier Manufacturing Complex is located on 800 acres of the former Orange Grove Plantation which was built by Eugene Fortier in 1786. Construction of the Fortier Manufacturing Complex began in 1952 by American Cyanamid for the production of ammonia, acetylene, hydrogen cyanide, acid, acrylonitrile, ammonium sulfate, and oxygen.

Today Cornerstone Chemical Company produces 2,500,000,000 pounds of acrylonitrile, hydrogen cyanide, melamine, oleum, and sulfuric acid at the complex every year.

Evonik Industries has a plant in the Fortier Complex that produces methyl methacrylate and methacrylic acid.

Kemira Group has a plant in the Fortier Complex that produces acrylamide.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Cornerstone Chemical Company:
Air: 267,448
Water: 31,891 

Evonik Industries:
Air: 18,032

Kemira:
Air: 288

108.2 RBD – International Matex Tank Terminals (IMTT) Avondale

IMTT Avondale is a 100 acre bulk liquid terminal with 82 tanks for 1.1 million barrels of total capacity. Tanks range in size from 3,000 to 80,000 barrels. The terminal handles vegetable and other natural oils, specialty chemicals, and non-flammable petroleum products.

107.7 RBD – Avondale Ship Yard

Avondale Shipyards was founded in 1938 as Avondale Marine Ways. Initially the yard built barges and a few tugs but when the war effort started, it expanded to build large tugs and small cargo ships for the U.S. Maritime Commission. After the war, it expanded to its present site and also to a repair yard on the Harvey Canal. In May 1959, the original owners sold it to Ogden Corporation for $14 million and it became Avondale Shipyards Inc. as of July 1st, 1960. It was the site of the modernization of the USS Iowa in the early 1980s and built US Navy and US Coast Guard ships. At one time, it was the largest employer in the state of Louisiana with about 26,000 employees. It was later acquired by Litton Industries, then by Northrop Grumman Corporation, and most recently acquired by Huntington Ingalls Industries. In June of 2015 Huntington Ingalls stated it’s intention to sell the facility which remains unused.

104.4 RBD – Nine Mile Point Power Plant

Entergy Louisiana’s Ninemile Point plant has been powering New Orleans and southeast Louisiana since the 1950s. The facility comprises five dual-fuel (primarily natural gas but can be run on fuel oil) boiler units, the oldest of which came online in 1951. The plant currently has just under 2,000 MW of generation capacity in operation. This is less than in the past because Units 1 and 2 have been retired, and Unit 3, commissioned in 1955, is nearing end-of-life. There are plans to add additional units.

103.1 RBD – Cargill Westwego

A Cargill grain terminal with 4 loading spouts in lower berth section, 2 load spouts in upper berth section, and a 4,300,000 bushel capacity.

102 RBD – Kinder Morgan Seven Oaks Terminal

Kinder Morgan Seven Oaks Terminal is situated on 173 acres and has 19 tanks for total storage capacity of 32,266,080 gallons. It handles primary organics, organic intermediates, organic end chemicals, inorganic chemicals, plasticizers Petroleum – fuel, refined products, crude oil, ethanol, and animal and vegetable oils.

101.9 RBD – National Gypsum Co.

National Gypsum Co. gypsum board (sheetrock) production plant.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

National Gypsum Co.:
Air: 95,304

101.4 RBD – Blackwater Midstream Westwego

Blackwater Midstream’s (a wholly owned subsidiary of American Midstream) Westwego Terminal site consists of approximately 1 million barrels of storage capacity ranging in size from 5,000 to 100,000 barrels. The terminal handles caustic soda, lube-oil additives, oil-field drilling fluids, vegetable oils, and specialty chemicals.

100 LBD – New Orleans Container Terminal

Modern container facility with six gantry cranes and 640,000 annual Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) capacity located on a 65 acre site. There is 2,000 feet of berth space able to accommodate vessels with 45 feet of draft. An intermodal rail terminal next to container terminal provides easy access for rail shipments.

90.8 LBD – Domino Sugar Refinery

One of the oldest sugar refineries in the country, the Domino Sugar refinery began operating on May 17, 1909. Today the refinery is said to be the largest in the Western Hemisphere and produces 2 billion pounds of sugar annually, or about 7 million pounds a day.

90.7 LBD – Arabi Terminal aka Chalmette Slip

This small harbor between Domino Sugar and Chalmette Battlefield is part of the Port of St. Bernard.

89.1 LBD – Rain CII Chalmette Calciner

Commissioned in 1968 by Kaiser Aluminum; the plant was built to calcine (heat in rotary kilns) petroleum coke in order to produce carbon that is made into aluminum smelter anodes (electrodes). It has one rotary kiln with 230,000 ton/yr capacity. The facility has a covered 25,000 ton “green” petroleum coke storage capacity. Petroleum coke is the solid granular stuff that is leftover from refining crude oil. This “green” coke is mostly carbon but still has enough leftover stuff in it that it needs to be heated in a rotary kiln (a calciner) to “burn off” all the non-carbon material.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Rain CII Gramercy Calciner:
Air: 23,456
Water: 749

88.8 LBD – Chalmette Refining

The Chalmette oil refinery was originally built in 1915 on the site of a former plantation. In 2015 it was sold to PBF Energy Inc. and was previously a 50/50 venture between ExxonMobil and state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela. The refinery has a 189,000 barrel per day capacity.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Chalmette Refining:
Air: 446,288
Water: 541,523

87 LBD – Valero Refining Meraux

The Meraux refinery was originally constructed in the 1920’s. It is situated on 550 acres. The refinery has a capacity of 135,000 barrels per day and the processes include a 34,000 barrel-per-day (BPD) hydrocracker, 41,000 BPD high-pressure hydro-treater, 12,000 BPD DAO hydro-treater, 21,000 BPD ROSE and 38,000 BPD fluidized cat cracker. The refinery produces primarily gasoline and distillate, but also petrochemicals, LPG, fuel oil and other materials.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Valero Refining Meraux:
Air: 216,786
Water: 36,410

83.3 LBD – Navy Ships

This is the home for two U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command cargo ships when they are not at sea. The 950-foot long Large, Medium-Speed, Roll-on/roll-off ships, called LMSRs, are some of the largest ships in the Navy inventory. Capable of carrying more than 300,000 square feet of oversized, heavy military cargo.

79.7 LBD – Stolthaven

A bulk liquid terminal. The terminal operates both as a domestic break-bulk facility and as an international distribution hub. The facility has 68 tanks with a total storage capacity of 81,532,920 gallons. The terminal handles petroleum products, chemicals, and vegetable oils.

76.6 LBD – AMAX Metals

This was a metals recycling plant that converted spent petroleum catalysts into four commercial products: molybdenum sulfide, alumina trihydrate, vanadium pentoxide and a nickel-cobalt concentrate. In 1989, the facility was expanded to recycle a chromium-aluminum hazardous waste material generated by aluminum finishing operations. The facility is now closed.

72.3 RBD – Chevron Oronite Oak Point

Oronite’s first and largest manufacturing site, it was originally designed to produce diesel engine additives during World War II. The facility makes performance-enhancing additives for lubricating oils and fuels.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Chevron Oronite Oak Point:
Air: 18,098
Water: 3,332

63 RBD – Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery

The Alliance oil refinery was built in 1971 and is owned by Phillips 66. The single-train refinery’s facilities include fluid catalytic cracking, alkylation, coking, and hydrodesulfurization units, a naphtha reformer and aromatics units that enable it to produce a high percentage of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels. Other products include petrochemical feedstocks, home heating oil and anode-grade petroleum coke. It has a 275,000 barrel per day capacity and can produce 125,000 barrels of gasoline per day. The majority of its refined products are distributed to customers in the eastern United States through major common-carrier pipeline systems and by barge.

Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds:

Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery:
Air: 494,321
Water: 103,897

61.5 RBD – CHS, Inc. Myrtle Grove

A CHS, Inc. grain terminal with 4 loading spouts and a 6,464,000 bushel capacity. It is your last grain terminal.

57 RBD – International Marine Terminals (IMT)

IMT is a coal export terminal owned by Kinder Morgan. The facility sits on 150 acres and can store 1,300,000 tons of coal. It can export 5,000,000 tons of coal per year.

55.5 LBD – United Bulk Terminal

United Bulk Terminal is a coal export terminal owned by Oiltanking. The facility sits on 1,134 acres and is one of the largest dry-bulk terminals in the United States. 3,500,000 tons of material can be stored at the facility and it can export 11,000,000 tons of coal per year. Three ocean vessels can be serviced simultaneously and vessels ranging in size from Handysize to Post-Panamax can be accommodated. This is your last dry bulk terminal and last major industrial facility.

51.6 LBD – Plaquemines Parish Lock-up

A boondoggle to the tune of $100,000,000 of FEMA money. Former Sheriff Jiffy Hinge had this state-of-the-art lock-up built with a capacity of 900 inmates, one of the largest parish lock-ups in the state. Plaquemines parish is one of the least populous parishes in the state and rarely has more than 100 inmates. Jiff Hingle was himself locked-up in jail after pleading guilty to bribery charges.

39 RBD – Freeport Sulphur Company

The Freeport Sulphur Company established logistics, refining, storage and shipping operations here to support its nearby Frasch Process sulphur mine at Lake Grande Ecaille. The Grande Ecaille sulphur mine, about 10 miles to the southwest out in the marsh, was the largest sulphur deposit in the world when it began operation in 1933, and remained in production until 1978. The remaining buildings were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and little remains but open fields.

35.2 LBD – Bass Enterprises

This oil field production facility stored crude oil from the oil field just behind it in tanks before being loaded onto barges for transport. Hurricane Katrina damaged the facility causing 3,780,000 gallons of crude oil to spill into the surrounding environment. It was the single biggest oil spill of the many oil spills caused by hurricane Katrina.

29.1 RBD – Daybrook Fisheries

Just over the levee in Empire is a menhaden processing plant. The plant processes menhaden (locally called pogies) into fish oil and fish meal. You may see the iconic blue and yellow boats, carrying two net tenders piggyback, motoring up or down the river between Empire and the Gulf. The menhaden are spotted by airplane and then the whole school is surrounded with a purse seine by the two 40’ net tenders. The blue and yellow Daybrook Fisheries “pogie boats” can carry 500 tons of fish each.

26.7 LBD – Chevron Pipeline Company Empire Terminal

This terminal is used to unload crude oil from barges and tankers before being sent up to refineries. Hurricane Katrina caused approximately 1,400,000 gallons of crude oil to spill from two of the tanks into the surrounding environment. The facility used to have a battery of tanks downriver by the Ostrica canal but only the ten tanks at the tanker dock remain.

2.4 LBD – Shell Pipeline Pilottown Terminal

This terminal is used to unload crude oil from barges and tankers before being sent up to refineries. Hurricane Katrina caused approximately 1,400,000 gallons of crude oil to spill from tanks at the facility into the surrounding environment. There were six tanks but only three remain.