Mature in years, we're filled
with youthful enthusiasm for our mission of
supplying essential, environmentally
friendly fuels and other products to meet
the needs of today and tomorrow.
BP-Husky's Toledo, Ohio, refinery, located on 586
acres east of the city, has operated
continuously since 1919. Since that time,
the facility has undergone numerous
improvements and expansions to achieve its
current capacity for processing 160,000
barrels of crude oil daily.
Some 460 employees convert this crude oil
into almost six million gallons of useful
products, including gasoline and diesel
fuels, aviation fuels, propane, kerosene and
asphalt.
Most of
the output is gasoline, including low-sulfur
fuels that produce fewer vehicle emissions.
On any given day, the Toledo refinery - the
fourth largest in BP's U.S. refining network
- produces enough gasoline to power the
average automobile around the world more
than 3,200 times.
Fuels with green power
The Toledo refinery has participated in BP's
global efforts to supply more
environmentally friendly fuels before
regulations require them. Our participation
includes production of low-sulfur Amoco
Ultimate gasoline, as well as the first
ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in the Midwest.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
identified diesel exhaust particulates as a
prime target for reduction, calling for a
97-percent reduction in these pollutants by
mid-2006. Partly through the efforts of the
Toledo refinery, BP diesel fuels met this
national requirement three years before the
deadline.
The Toledo Refinery also recently pledged to
reduce the amount of sulfur in its gasoline
by around 90 percent; reduce the amount of
sulfur in the on-road diesel fuel it
manufactures by more than 95 percent; allow
automobile manufacturers to use more
sensitive and advanced emissions catalysts,
further reducing tailpipe emissions; and to
preserve the crude oil processing
capabilities of the Toledo Refinery, helping
to ensure the refinery remains competitive -
supplying high quality fuels to customers in
Ohio and the surrounding region for a long
time to come.
The Toledo
refinery is accustomed to going beyond
bare-bones requirements to voluntarily make
improvements in the environment. Typical of
this spirit was our facility's participation
in a pilot project to supply clean,
ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel for city buses
in two Cleveland neighborhoods. The pilot
aims at ultimately realizing a full-scale
program for the city's transit system that
will reduce emissions of diesel
particulates, hydrocarbons and carbon
dioxide by 90 percent.
Operating responsibly
Besides
this emphasis on providing products that
minimize emissions to the atmosphere, we
have pledged to operate our refinery in a
manner that causes no harm to people or the
environment. To that end, we have programs
in place to continually reduce waste and
discharges while increasing the plant's
energy efficiency.
In 2004,
we installed new emission control equipment
that reduced nitrous oxides by eight
percent. This marks a four-year string of
reductions that total some 28 percent. Our
waste water treatment plant in 2004 reduced
oil discharges by nearly two-thirds from the
1994 to 2000 average, helping to reduce
discharges of oil, grease and ammonia by
nearly half. In addition to waste discharge
reductions, we have instituted awareness
programs and operational practices that
decrease the amount of material entering our
waste water treatment plants and have
instituted employee incentives to help meet
our regulatory requirements.
Equally
important is the safety and well being of
the employees and contractors who work at
our site. Our four safety representatives
oversee the training of employees and also
generate weekly reports that monitor such
key measures as days without serious
incidents, as well as conducting regular
safety audits.
A
good neighbor
These
policies are part of the Toledo refinery's
larger role of being a good neighbor and a
responsible member of the community. As a
member of the Toledo community for more than
85 years, we regularly meet with our
neighbors, civic officials, the local
schools, as well as regulatory agencies, to
discuss our plant operations, answer
questions and seek input on issues of
importance to both the refinery and the
community.
BP also
invests in community programs and projects,
particularly those that promote science,
math and environmental education. But it's
not just money spent; BP encourages its
employees to participate in community
projects and volunteer activities. Our
employees have helped build playgrounds,
partnered with schools on environmental
projects, sponsored blood drives, among
numerous other activities. Our Emergency
Response Team has provided training and
assistance at various events including the
"Partners in Education" Dragon Boat races.
We also
lend professional help to the community. For
example, in 2004 our refinery fire
department's emergency response team
voluntarily backed the Toledo Fire
Department in putting out a fire at a site
that stored about 10,000 used tires.
Equally
important is the safety and well being of
the employees and contractors who work at
our site. Our four safety representatives
oversee the training of employees and also
generate weekly reports that monitor such
key measures as days without serious
incidents, as well as conducting regular
safety audits.
Our products and our outlook remain fixed on
the future: to continue supplying fuels and
other useful products that improve the
quality of life and promote a safe and
healthy environment. BP is proud to be a
member of the Toledo community and remains
committed to improving the communities where
we live, work and raise our families.
