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Santa Maria Refinery - ConocoPhilips

One of the two oil refineries in Santa Maria, California is run by ConocoPhillips. At one time they also owned the other plant, but the eventually sold it. Their remaining facility has a daily output of 41,800 barrels of crude oil. ConocoPhillips is a direct descendent of the Continental Oil & Transportation Company (CO&T) which was established in 1875. The company became involved in the acquisition of oil from California in the 1940's.

The Systems Safety and Reliability Review Committee (SSRRC) has performed audits at the facility and found the site to be up to code in safety and environmental standards. A follow up audit is set for November 5th, 2005. SSRRC members will thoroughly investigate the facility to ensure that it is not releasing dangerous levels of toxins or violating and environmental codes such as the Clean Air Act.

In August of 2008, a strong odor emanated from the plant, causing local residents to phone in complaints about the unusual smell. ConocoPhillips claimed that a valve on a storage tank was not properly turned, and it caused the venting of gas to relieve excessive pressure on the tank. The Air Pollution Control District (APCD) was immediately called once the problem had been discovered. They were notified that the cause of the venting had been discovered and fixed by refinery employees. The APCD is currently conducting an investigation to ensure that no future leaks are likely to occur.

Although the Santa Maria refinery owned by ConocoPhilips has managed to avoid many of the serious environmental violations and toxic emissions of the second plant which is run by Greka Energy, they did have one common problem many years back. Both facilities used products that were made out of a naturally occurring material called asbestos. This material was regularly used for years, but later it was reported to be an extreme health hazard. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibers, and they can easily break apart and infiltrate the atmosphere. As the fibers float in the air, they can not be seen by the human eye, and may be inhaled without notice. Breathing in the asbestos will allow it to lodge in the respiratory system where it can do large amounts of damage and is often the cause of a potentially lethal type of cancer known as mesothelioma.

Signs of the diseases and damage that can be caused by asbestos often take a long time to develop, so even former refinery employees who worked around the contaminated products might be at risk. Anyone who may have been exposed to asbestos fibers should notify their healthcare provider and explain the situation as soon as they can.

Last modified: December 09 2009.