ConocoPhillips Ferndale Refinery
The oil refinery located in Ferndale, Washington was built in 1954 and run by General Petroleum. It is currently owned and operated by ConocoPhillips, and is able to process up to 105,000 of crude oil on a daily basis. Some of the primary products produced at the facility are gasoline, jet fuel and diesel oil.
Ferndale's refinery has a good safety record and is recognized as being an environmentally friendly facility. A few years back, however, there was some trouble at the plant that caught the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice. In 2004 the refinery was cited for allowing a higher level of sulfur dioxide emissions than was legally allowed. This continued on in to 2005, and the plant was fined and required to establish stricter emission control policies. The total amount for the fine was $92,000, and that money was divided into three separate areas.
$20,000 of the money went to an environment group known as the Northwest Clean Air Agency. Another $30,000 went to the Whatcom Council of Governments for their Smart Trips program, which is dedicated to encouraging people to take public transportation or ride bicycles in order to limit gas usage. The last portion of the money, $42,000, was used to purchase an emergency response vehicle that would be used within the Ferndale area.
In 2007, the plant experienced a minor fire on the roof of the facility. The fire began after a small amount of oil leaked out of a container and was inadvertently ignited. Fire crews that work at the facility were able to stop the blaze from spreading, and put out the fire within a half an hour. There were no injuries during the incident, and the operation of the plant was able to continue as normal.
Aside from the minor issues that have affected the refinery over the years, there was one major problem that plant officials were forced to deal with. For several years there were products made from asbestos on the premises, which had to be removed and properly disposed of. When asbestos was first discovered, it became a commonly used material for industrial products, some of which are used in most every refinery. It wasn't until years later that researchers realized asbestos was toxic, and could cause respiratory diseases and cancer. Once this happened, the material was banned from further production, and facilities all across America were forced to have all asbestos based products taken away by certified specialists. Any employee of the Ferndale refinery who worked at the plant while these products were in use should notify their doctor.
Last modified: December 09, 2009.
