William A. Fontenot 

Conservation Chair, Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club 

632 Drehr Ave. 

Baton Rouge, LA 70806 

225-383-5673 

wafontenot@gmail.com 

1 - Possible exposure to more than one facility did not appear to have been considered 

2 - Worker Health and Safety 

3 - Community Health and Safety 

4 - Adequate and Appropriate Equipment and Training for Emergency Responders, 

Hospitals, Police, Schools, Nursing Homes, Day Care Facilities, Disabled People and 

Others. 

1 -The information provided by the Environmental Protection Agency for this hearing 

did not appear to have any information about the possible hazards and adverse health 

outcomes from the possible exposure to releases from multiple industrial facilities. 

Several times there was mention of exposed populations within 50 kilometers of an oil 

refinery but no discussion of possible adverse health outcomes from possible exposures 

to releases from other nearby facilities. 

Within 50 km of my home in Baton Rouge is EXXON which is one ofthe largest oil 

refineries in North America. Also within that same 50 km circle are more than 25 other 

major industrial facilities, hazardous waste and solid waste landfills, sewerage treatment 

facilities, Superfund sites, several major railroad tracks, highways with major truck 

traffic, thousands ofbarges on the Mississippi River, many pipelines carrying oil, 

natural gas and many other raw materials and finished chemicals. 

While we have lived at the same address for the last 40 years there have been hundreds of 

major accidents and thousands of releases of hazardous, toxic and in some cases cancer 

causing chemicals and elements from many different sources. 

2 - The most important group of individuals in assuring industrial safety are the workers 

including full time, part time, contract workers, etc. Because they are directly exposed to 

the most likely sources of chemicals, fires, explosions and other industrial hazards, all of 

the workers must be able to get information, training and a full understanding of the 

hazards in their workplace before they enter a work environment. This requirement must 

apply to all workers before they enter the work environment. This must include office, 

clerical, security, janitorial, health providers truck and train drivers, pipeline workers and 

anyone else who will be entering these hazardous industrial oil and natural gas facilities. 
3-Nearby community residents must also receive and have access to information about 

the types of releases, accidents, safety issues and other things which they must know 

because they live in a compromised environment. Nearby residents must receive 

information and training about how to respond appropriately to emissions, releases, 

accidents and other things which may occur at their nearby industrial neighbors. People 

must also be trained about how to prepare before hand and how to respond during an 

accident and especially during the worst case scenarios which could happen in their 

nearby industrial facilities. 

4 - The industries, management, workers, nearby residents, emergency responders, and 

any others who might be involved in or exposed to industrial accidents or releases must 

receive information about what they might be exposed to or what types of accidents 

might happen as a result of the operations at their neighboring industrial facilities. 

Of special concern are exposures to chemjcaJs for which there is little or no information 

readily available and what to do if exposure occurs.