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Garyville Refinery

Marathon Petroleum Company runs the oil refinery in Garyville, Louisiana. The company is perhaps best known for the chain of gas station convenience stores it co-owns, the Pilot Travel Centers.

Garyville's oil refinery is the last one that was ever built in the United States. The plant began operation in 1976 when a large source of untapped oil was discovered. Marathon acted quickly and established their facility, which currently has the ability to produce 245,000 barrels of crude oil on a daily basis. They are working on a major expansion project that will allow the company to manufacture up to 436,000 barrels each day. When this expansion project is completed, the plant will be one of the biggest refineries in the United States. Plans call for Marathon to spend nearly $3.2 billion and finish with the new construction by late 2009.

In April of 2007, a small fire erupted at the plant when a piece of equipment unexpectedly shut down. This caused oil to leak out of the unit, and it ignited upon coming into contact with a source of heat. Internal fire fighting crews were called to the scene, and they quickly put out the flames. No one was injured, and normal operations were soon able to resume.

Aside from the minor blaze, the refinery in Garyville has been recognized for its accomplishments in worker safety and environmental awareness. During the years of operation, the plant has received many awards, including being one of the few refineries accepted into the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) National Waste Minimization Partnership Program. It is also the only plant to be included in two other EPA programs, the Voluntary Early Reduction Program for Air Toxics which is associated with the Clean Air Act, and the National Environmental Performance Track which recognizes companies that have outstanding environmental records. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also designated the refinery as a Star Site, which indicates that the facility has an outstanding safety record for its employees. Marathon's facility has also earned the Louisiana Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention on 8 separate occasions since 1996.

Although the plant has been recognized as an exemplary facility for its positive safety and environmental records, there was one serious issue that affected Marathon Petroleum Company and its employees early on. Like so many other refineries, a variety of products were brought in to the facility that contained asbestos. These products used to be very common because they had the ability to operate under the high temperatures produced in the oil refining process, but asbestos was later found to be a health hazard. Exposure to the tiny fibers that make up asbestos can lead to respiratory damage and even a potentially lethal form of cancer called mesothelioma. Every item that contained this hazardous material had to be removed from the plant, but anyone who worked there while they were present has been put at risk. All current or former employees who worked in close proximity with items made from asbestos should contact their doctor and set up an appointment for a check up as soon as possible.

Last modified: December 09 2009.