North Pole Refinery - Flint Hills
A second refinery in North Pole, Alaska is run by Flint Hills Resources, and it produces up to 220,000 barrels of crude oil each day. This plant opened in 1977, after oil had been discovered in the area in the late 1960's. Earth Resources was the company that originally owned the facility, and it was later sold to MAPCO. They greatly expanded the operation of the plant, and brought the level of production up immensely. In 1998, the plant inherited a third owner after it was bought by Williams Companies.
Flint Hills Resources purchased the plant in 2004. This refinery is now considered to be environmentally friendly and a safe work environment, but earlier in its history the plant was a regular user of products made out of asbestos. Almost every oil refinery used asbestos based items at some point in their history. They were popular within industrial settings because of their ability to withstand the tremendous heat that is produced in the oil refining process. Although these items could take the advanced temperatures, over time they would break apart, and that would release microscopic bits of asbestos into the environment. The asbestos fibers would float in the air, or cling to most any surface. This allowed them to be accidentally transported with ease, as they could stick to the clothing worn by employees and be unknowingly taken to other locations. At any point, the asbestos could break free again, and be released into the atmosphere where it could be inhaled by anyone nearby. People who inadvertently breathe it asbestos are put at great risk. Through ongoing investigations, scientists discovered that asbestos was actually highly toxic, and the consumption of even a small amount could lead to cancer such as Meothelioma, which is often fatal. Anyone who was employed at an oil refinery in North Pole, Alaska, or lived close to the facility is urged to contact their healthcare providers to notify them of this potential exposure.
Prior to the purchase by Flint Hills Resources, the plant suffered a major kerosene spill in 2004. Approximately 2,000 gallons leaked out of crude oil producing unit before the problem was discovered. The cause of the leak was a vent that was accidentally left open while the unit was in operation. Clean up of the kerosene began immediately, and in under an hour most of it had been collected by a large vacuum truck.
Although Flint Hills Resources did not have to deal with these issues, they did face a minor incident in January of 2007 when a small fire erupted inside of a service building. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the flames, and no one was injured. Plant owners had to repair the damage done by the blaze, but oil production was not halted because of it.
Last modified: December 09, 2009.
