Safety & Environmental Commitment
Marathon is committed to conducting all aspects of this project in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. This commitment encompasses construction, design, operation and maintenance of the pipeline and refinery projects.
Refinery Responsibility
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) approved Marathon's air permit for the Detroit HOUP on June 20, 2008. The department's decision followed a period of extensive review that determined Marathon's proposal does meet the strict standards contained within federal and state air quality regulations. Click here to be transferred to MDEQ's Web site to read Marathon's permit.
Marathon will invest more than $270 million in pollution-control technology and approximately $275 million in clean fuels technology as part of the expansion project. The company will also spend an additional $50 million to upgrade the refinery's wastewater treatment facilities.
In addition to compliance with the stringent environmental requirements set out by the MDEQ permitting process, Marathon has committed to going beyond compliance with additional environmental enhancements that include:
- Retrofitting 150 Detroit Public Schools' buses with diesel emissions controls;
- Adding eight additional continuous air emission monitors on process unit stacks to further monitor compliance with permit requirements;
- Installing at least four ambient air monitoring stations on the refinery perimeter to monitor air quality at a cost of more than $2 million;
- Capturing emissions from trucks hauling petroleum coke at the refinery;
- Enhancing street sweeping of paved roads near the refinery;
- Collaborating on the city/county emergency notification system; and
- Sharing emissions data with the refinery's Community Advisory Panel and community-based organizations near the refinery.
The Detroit refinery currently operates well below the EPA regulations at approximately 40 percent of the allowable limits for criteria pollutants (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter). The refinery will continue to operate within the allowable limits once the expansion is complete. In fact, the refinery will have fewer actual emissions in 2011 once the expansion is completed than it did in 2004, even though the facility's refining capacity will be increased.
The Detroit refinery has reduced its annual emissions by 75 percent since 1999, and invested more than $43 million in pollution-control technology.
To keep the community informed, Detroit refinery representatives meet monthly with its Citizens Advisory Panel composed of representatives from the surrounding neighborhoods and communities.
In 2000, Marathon was the first company in the U.S. to adopt the chemical and petroleum industry’s Responsible Care® principles across all organizations. These principles focus on the continuous improvement of environmental, health, safety and security performance areas. The Detroit refinery also is the first refinery in the world to receive Responsible Care’s 14001 certification recognizing the company’s commitment to the quality of its health, environmental and safety systems.
Pipeline Integrity
To balance and minimize environmental, cultural, safety and land-use concerns, MPL intends to follow the existing pipeline route corridor to the extent practical. In addition, extensive surveys have been conducted to gather data to help minimize environmental and cultural impacts along the route of the new pipeline.
A variety of advanced pipeline construction methods will be used to ensure its long-term reliability and safety. MPL will also maintain clear rights of way to allow access for maintenance or emergency response activities and to avoid tree root damage to the pipeline. We will also perform periodic aerial inspections to make sure that unsafe activities are not occurring along the right of way.
MPL, as an operator of liquids pipelines, complies with federal regulations governing the pipeline’s design, construction, operation and maintenance. These rules generally require that an integrity assessment of pipelines be made at a minimum of every five years. These assessments could include using an in-line inspection tool called a "smart pig" to measure restrictions and deformations in the pipeline. A smart pig is loaded into the pipeline at a checkpoint and carried through the line by the product’s flow. Hydrostatic testing is also used as part of the comprehensive integrity management program. It involves filling a portion of the pipeline with water and pressurizing the line for a specified period. 
Smart Pig
MPL will perform regular routine inspections of the pipeline as well as periodic maintenance. MPL monitors the operation of its pipeline systems 24/7 from a state-of-the-art control facility in Findlay, Ohio. The system includes the most sophisticated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) computer controls available to detect pipeline operating conditions, as well as trained pipeline analysts.
Markers Identify Route
The U.S. Department of Transportation of requires the use of signs to indicate the location of underground pipelines to help avoid public impact to pipelines. Examples of the signs are below.
Painted metal or plastic posts
|
Signs located near roads,
|
Pipeline casing vent
|
Marker for aerial patrol
|
Award Winning Results
MPC earned the 2006 North American Refining & Energy Company of the Year award from Hart Energy Publishing for its excellence and dedication to:
- Cleaner Environment – producing cleaner, high-quality fuels
- Investment & Growth – developing the highest operational and safety standards
- Vision – focusing on innovation and development on a global scale
MPL earned the 2006 Distinguished Award for Outstanding Safety and Environmental Performance from the American Petroleum Institute. The award recognizes outstanding pipeline performance, low rate of safety incidents, community outreach efforts, strong integrity management program, impressive training commitment and effective use of advanced technology.
