By LEONARD GRAY

NORCO – Shell Chemical aims to buy than 100 homesites near its Norco facility. However, that is not enough, according to community activists and their supporters.

At the heart of the matter is the Diamond community, adjoining the plant site. Activists are calling on Shell to pay top dollar and buy out the entire community. Shell, on the other hand, wants properties on only two of the four streets and, the protesters complain that the company’s proposal will split up families and break up the neighborhood’s cohesion.

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has joined in the support of the Diamond residents, “disregarding the life-and-death issues for all residents of that community.” Delwyn Smith, president of Concerned Citizens of Norco, said, “We are happy to have the support of Congresswoman Waters and other members of Congress in our struggle for relocation.”

Waters wrote in a letter to Shell: “Shell Oil Company refuses to acknowledge the danger a chemical plant poses to residents of that community. In doing so, it implies that our citizens’ lives are not worth protecting. Shell Oil Company has a pervasive presence throughout this country. It is highly likely that such a powerful company could replicate these actions in numerous other communities across the nation.”

She continued, “I am committed to working to prevent the kinds of injustices and inequities that Shell has proposed as a response to the situation affecting the Diamond community.”

An activists-funded report, “Families Divided,” alleges Shell is dividing the community and destroying families. Sandra Campbell said in the report, “I have lived here all my life. Now they have made an offer for my sister to leave but not to me. Shell is causing strife within our family by picking some of us and leaving out others.”

The report is available from the Louisiana Bucket Brigade at 504-269-5070, or online at www.sheldividesfamlies.org.

Shell Chemical purchased the former Trepagnier Plantation site in 1953 for $109,000. It was the scene of one of the most dramatic episodes of the 1811 slave rebellion, where the plantation’s owner was slain as he defended his home from the rooftop. Production operations began in 1956, and the fenceline has not changed from that original purchase. Based on appraised values, offers were made early in 2001, but the residents did not agree with the appraisals, saying the appraised values did not match similar size properties elsewhere in Norco.

Shell offered appraised value plus 30 percent, plus a $5,000 moving expense grant. The minimum paid for an unimproved lot was $25,000 and for a residential lot was $50,000.

In addition to the buyout plan, Shell is working with Diamond Subdivision residents toward development of the Mule Tract, an undeveloped wooded area, which divides the subdivision from the rest of Norco.

Randy Armstrong, manager of health, safety and the environment for Shell, praised the “unique, small-town atmosphere” of the town of Norco, and pointed out that several people are returning to live in the town.

Shell Chemical has committed to reducing background odor from the effluent treater; controlling emission of methyl ethyl ketone barge loading; reducing flare emissions by product recovery and reducing fugitive emissions.

Since 1987, Shell Chemical has cut Toxic Inventory Release emissions by 99 percent, or 157 million pounds. Air emissions dropped by more than 952,000 pounds from 1998, due to improved control techniques.

Water emissions were cut by more than 8,000 pounds to 11,020 pounds from 1998 to 1999 through an active source program that concentrates on eliminating chemicals in the wastewater.

Deepwell injection, a common cause of toxic releases to the land from chemical plants, became a thing of the past at Shell Chemical in 1988. Since then, land releases dropped by 99 percent, with most materials currently going to landfills consisting now of non-hazardous maintenance debris.