Benicia Refinery

In 1969, Exxon Corporation completed construction of an oil refinery located in Benicia, California. Valero purchased the plant in 2000, and continues to operate the facility, which is able to produce up to 144,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Before Valero bought the facility, the original owners ran into a great deal of trouble. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took notice of the Benicia refinery in 1997, and recognized it as one of the top five polluters in all of California based on the number of toxic emissions coming from the site. Much of the pollution was the result of shutting down equipment improperly to avoid a potential disaster such as an explosion. When the machines are turned off quickly during an emergency situation, they tend to produce a cloud of vapors, also known as a Flare Up. The cloud is released, usually through a smoke stack, directly into the air around the plant, and this can create a hazardous situation for local residents and close by businesses. Exxon executives were forced to deal with the EPA to fix major problems around the plant and create better ways to control emissions and reduce the level of pollution.

Exxon also had to oversee the removal of a large number of products that were used in and around the plant. The items in question included asbestos, which was a major component in many industrial products before it was discovered to be highly toxic. Workers who were in close proximity to any asbestos were put in danger of unknowingly breathing in microscopic particles that would lodge in their respiratory system and cause a great deal damage. One of the more serious problems that stem from asbestos is a cancerous disease called mesothelioma. This cancer has claimed many lives over the years after unsuspecting victims inhaled asbestos fibers. Anyone who has come into contact with this hazardous material should notify their doctor as soon as possible.

After Valero took over the plant, the new owners continued to improve the facility and find better ways to lessen the pollution levels it produces. They were hit with a serious problem in June of 2003, when a fire broke out inside of a storage area on the premises. As the flames spread around the full tanks, a thick cloud of smoke developed and began to shift towards local neighborhoods. City officials ordered residents to seek shelter and stay indoors until the smoke dissipated and the air was deemed safe.

The fire raged for just under two hours before local crews were able to put the blaze out. It was still over an hour later until officials declared the oxygen to be safe, and the order for shelter was removed. Following an investigation, the cause of the fire was determined to be crude materials that were not properly stored. The oil was ignited from a small spark, and blew up into a full grown blaze. To ensure nothing like this would happen again, Valero eliminated the polymer based material from future usage and all potentially hazardous chemicals were disposed of at a local land fill.

Last modified: December 09 2009.