El Paso Refinery
El Paso, Texas' oil refinery has been owned and operated by Western Refining, although they are considering the possibility of selling the plant. The facility currently has a daily output level of 120,000 barrels of crude oil.
The plant has not met the expectations that Western Refining had regarding its monetary earning capabilities. Company executives are currently examining the pros and cons of a sale. The lower than hoped for profit margin is by no means the only problem that has faced this facility. Among the other issues plant owners have deal with was the necessary removal of products within the plant that were made out of asbestos. These products were found within most every oil refinery, and they were popular because of their ability to withstand the excessive temperatures that these plants produce. Asbestos has the natural ability to endure great amounts of heat, but over time it will break apart and allow particles to escape into the air. These particles are invisible to the naked eye, so people often inhale them without even realizing it. Afterwards, the asbestos can remain within a human body for many years, and do a large amount of damage, specifically to the respiratory system. It also results in a cancerous disease that can be lethal, known as mesothelioma. When these facts were unearthed, plant owners were forced to pay for the proper removal and disposal of every product on the site that contained even small amounts of asbestos.
A fire broke out inside of the plant early in 2001. Fire crews raced to the scene to battle the blaze and were able to finish it off without any reported injuries. After the fire was subdued, the entire plant was temporarily shut down to give inspectors time to review all of the equipment to be certain it was all in good working order. Production did not resume at the refinery until it was deemed safe and functional.
The El Paso plant also came under fire by an environmental group called The Refinery Reform Campaign. This group has a mission of protecting people and the environment from refineries that produce more than the illegal amount of pollution. Every plant has a level of legal emissions and contaminates that they may produce annually, but many refineries far exceed these levels. Such activity is monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and when other groups such as The Refinery Reform Campaign find blatant polluters, they will report their findings to the EPA. EPA officials may then cite the facilities, charge them large fines and force them to make repairs and upgrades that will establish a safer and "greener" work site.
Last modified: December 09, 2009.
