Memphis Refinery
1941 saw the opening of the only major oil refinery located in the state of Tennessee. The Memphis oil facility was owned by Premcor for many years.
Under Premcor's control, the plant was considered to be unsafe and hazardous by many local residents. A special group was put together consisting of these individuals, called The Riverview Collaborative. The Collaborative set out to initiate talks with Premcor executives about safety issues, and to institute a "good neighbor policy". The group hoped to receive cooperation and start a discussion about decreasing the amount of pollution the plant created and improving security measures such as fire alarm response time and enhanced warning systems. Official's at Premcor refused to meet with the group, but they did issue a statement in which they claimed to dedicated to security issues as well as making sure the plant is environmentally sound.
Premcor faced another problem with the refinery in Memphis. The plant had many different items on the premises that were made out of a naturally occurring material called asbestos. These products were used in oil refineries all throughout the country, and were highly prized due to their ability to hold together under intense heat situations. Over time, however, the products would break up and fall apart. This wouldn't have been an issue, except the asbestos inside the items is actually very toxic. It is made up of small fibers that can get into the air supply and be inhaled without being noticed. The fibers will remain inside the body for many years, and can do a lot of damage to the respiratory system and develop into a form of cancer known as mesothelioma. This cancer can be deadly.
The Memphis plant, as well as other refineries across the globe, had to take steps to remove the asbestos. All products that contained the harmful substance were in need of proper removal and disposal. Moving asbestos is very dangerous, as it can release the fibers into the air, so only a qualified professional should ever attempt to do this.
In 2005, the Memphis refinery was sold to Valero Energy Corporation for a total of $245 million. Valero made many immediate upgrades, and brought oil production up to 195,000 a day. Within two years they had been investigated by the Department of Justice and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and ordered to pay an additional $236 million to pay for more efficient pollution control equipment and fines that had been imposed. The new equipment will bring down the plant's nitrogen oxide emissions by over 1,870 tons and sulfur dioxide by over 1,810 tons on an annual basis. It is also expected to reduce carbon monoxide levels at the refinery.
Last modified: December 09, 2009.
