Vicksburg Refinery

Ergon Refining, Inc. formed in 1978, and their first oil refinery was built in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The plant is still in operation today, and has a daily output of 25,000 barrels of oil. Throughout it's history, the Vicksburg Refinery has faced many tribulations.

At one time, most every oil plant utilized products made out of a material called asbestos. It was commonly used as an insulation material and in industrial items such as gaskets that are commonly found in refineries. Asbestos was widely used because it has a strong resistance to high temperatures, and these plants produce a great amount of heat in daily operation. Unfortunately, it was later discovered that asbestos is a highly toxic material that can lead to cancer and respiratory disorders. The products it was found in would break apart over time, and release small asbestos fibers into the atmosphere. Plant workers would then breathe the fibers in, where they can remain for several years and become deadly over time. While all of the major oil refineries have gone through a process of removing all asbestos from their facilities, anyone who worked at the Vicksburg plant while these materials were in operation was put at risk for exposure.

Another major incident that the Vicksburg plant was forced to deal with was the presence of a chemical known as Benzene. Exposure to Benzene can lead to serious diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma. This put the employees of the plant at further risk, and their have been large lawsuits brought against the refinery on behalf of the workers.

To make matters worse, some of the high ranking officials from the plant were charged with intentionally dumping hazardous chemicals into the Mississippi River, which is in violation of The Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act and The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. A top executive, John R. Cooke, was convicted of several violations as well purposely giving falsified data to the Department of Environmental Quality As a result, Cooke faced up to a $2.5 million fine, and possible jail time.

Despite the difficulties Ergon Refining has gone through over the years, the company continues to thrive and expand its operations in Vicksburg. They are currently working on a large plant which produce Ethanol, an alternative form of fuel that burns cleanly and is renewable. It is made from corn, which opens up new opportunities for local farmers to grow crops that will be used by the new Ergon plant. Another benefit to the community is that the plant is not being subsidized by any tax money, and the local government is not supplying funding for either the construction or the ongoing operation of the plant once it is finished. As part of this plan, the Vicksburg refinery is expected to double in size, and some estimates claim that gas stations in Mississippi may feature ethanol pumps sometime in 2008.

Last modified: December 09 2009.