Multi-Chem, DEQ hear permit concerns from Vermilion Parish residents

The state’s Department of Environmental Quality held a public hearing Thursday night at North Vermilion High School, and residents had plenty to say about Multi-Chem applying for a discharge permit for nontoxic waste water.
None of the residents who live near the Multi-Chem plant were in favor of DEQ granting the permit.
For the last year, Multi-Chem, which is owned by Halliburton, mixes chemicals at the plant to be used in the oil and gas industry.
Randy Stutes, a farmer who lives near the plant, told DEQ he was worried that the discharged water would contaminate the parish’s sugar cane and soy bean crops near the plant.
“If Multi-Chem discharges water and it rains, all the chemicals in the water are going into our fields, which is going to be absorbed by the plants,” said Stutes. “Those chemicals will be going into the sugar industry and just about every food we have today is made from sugar.”
Stutes said there are cattle across the street from Multi-Chem and the cattle eat the grass that has a chance to be flooded with water from Multi-Chem.
Samantha Cormier, who has property less than a half mile from the plant, is worried about the excess flooding of her property since Multi-Chem is located near Indian Bayou.
Charlotte Legé of Citizens Against Multi-Chem is worried, like Stutes, about the discharge water going onto resident’s property during excess rain. She said residents do not want the area to become an industrial parkway.
“We are not and do not want to be an industrial parkway,” said Legé.
Suzanne Byrd, a resident near Multi-Chem, said when the company operates its plant at night and turns on its bright lights, it scares the wildlife away from around her house. They also shine in her house.
“The lights are so bright, you can not see the stars at night,” said Byrd.
Before the residents spoke, Multi-Chem representative Scott Janoe spoke to DEQ and explained to them that the discharge water is not toxic.
Janoe said the permit is for the authorization to discharge wastewater “occasionally produced from the softening of city water used at the site. It is not authorizing a constant discharge of wastewater at the site.”
He also said Multi Chem is not authorizing the discharge of wastewater produced from any chemical blending operations at the site. Multi-Chem is not authorizing the discharge of materials used in hydraulic fracturing.
Janoe said, “It (the permit) is authorizing the occasional discharge of a non-toxic wastewater stream produced from treated city water before that treated water is used in Multi-Chem’s blending operations.”
The discharge consists of water from the water district plant mixed with trace amounts of commercial water softener, he said.
No political leaders from the parish attended the DEQ hearing.
DEQ has until Dec. 10 to approve or deny the permit.