Lumberton Refinery

In 2003 the Hunt Refining Company founded a new subsidiary known as Hunt Southland Refining Company. They quickly purchased several oil refinery plants in Mississippi, including one in Lumberton.

The Lumberton plant specializes in producing asphalt, and ships it out to locations all across the world. They offer transportation solutions through the use of trucks, trains and large ships. Since taking over the plant, they have become well known as a reliable source for high quality, paving grade asphalt. Their daily production includes the processing of up to 5,800 barrels of crude oil.

Employees of the Lumberton plant have been faced with several health hazards over the years. One of the first issues was the presence of products that were made from asbestos throughout the plant. Asbestos is a natural material that is made up of thousands of tiny fibers, and it was used in a large variety of building materials such as insulation, gaskets and pipe coverings.

The primary reason asbestos was used so commonly is that it has a very strong resistance to high temperatures. Oil refineries produce a tremendous amount of heat during normal operation, and products made out of asbestos were very prevalent at Lumberton. While the asbestos products were able to endure extreme heat, over time they would crack or crumble, and the problem begins when the products start to fall apart. This releases the fibers into the air, where they can easily be inhaled. They can also attach to clothing or other personal items, which allows them to be inadvertently transported to other locations, where they might break loose and be breathed in by anyone nearby. Asbestos commonly leads to serious respiratory problems and a cancer known as Mesothelioma, which can be fatal.

Asbestos has not been the only problem to plague the Mississippi oil refineries owned by the Hunt Refining Company. A chemical known as Benzene has also been discovered within the Lumberton plant. Benzene may also be easily inhaled, and it can lead to lymphoma and leukemia.

In 2007 the United States the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency issued complaints about the three oil refineries in Mississippi that are run by Hunt Southland Refining Co. The company recently settled this dispute, at a total cost of 49 million dollars. This money will be used to clean up the plant, and $475,000 of the money has been devoted to improving the environment for the local community.

Anyone who was employed by the Lumberton Refinery should seek medical assistance to be certain they are not suffering from diseases that were developed as a result of breathing in toxic materials that were prevalent in the plant.

Last modified: December 09 2009.