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Valero has achieved significant emission reductions and made improvements in producing cleaner-burning gasoline, diesel and ethanol-blended fuels. For example:
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Valero spent approximately $525 million to build a state-of-the-art flue-gas scrubber, one of the world's largest, at its Benicia Refinery in California that is slashing sulfur dioxide emissions by 95 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 55 percent annually
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The company spent approximately $500 million in 2005 through 2011 on the installation of flare-gas recovery systems at several of its refineries to capture and gather a variety of routine gases that are compressed, contained and used for fuel
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Valero understands the importance of alternative energy and latest technology to protect the environment.
- Valero acquired 10 state-of-the-art ethanol plants, making it the first traditional refiner to enter large-scale production of ethanol. Click here to learn more about Valero's ethanol plants.
- The company built a wind farm outside its McKee Refinery in the Texas Panhandle, with 33 turbines generating 50 megawatts of electricity.
- Valero will produce "green" diesel fuel from recycled animal fat and used cooking oil, in partnership with Darling International Inc., at a 10,000-barrel-per-day unit at the St. Charles Refinery by end of 2012.
- Valero has other investments in several biofuels companies workng to commercialize emerging alternative fuels from cellulosic materials, municipal-landfill solid waste, energy crops and other materials.
- Valero Corner Stores sell E-85, a blend of fuel consisting of 85 percent ethanol with unleaded gasoline, at several locations, for use in "Flex Fuel" vehicles
- New infrared technology allows Valero to quickly find and repair leaks of gaseous hydrocarbons, thereby reducing emissions into the environment.
- Valero installed new low-temperature oxidation (LoTOx) technology on Fluid Catalytic Cracking Units at its St. Charles, Three Rivers, Houston and Texas City refineries to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions.
- Valero refineries are reducing benzene from gasoline at various sites using new dividing-wall towers, the largest-ever used in the world, under the federal MSAT-II program.
- Valero Renewables ethanol plants take pride in their environmental performance, such as plants in Albert City, Iowa, and Linden, Ind., which operated through 2011 without an environmental incident.
- Valero is meeting the important challenge of greenhouse-gas reduction through careful scientific, economic and technical analysis, and adoption of new technologies. View the company’s greenhouse-gas policy statement.
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Valero values recognition for its environmental stewardship, including:
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the Valero St. Charles and Port Arthur refineries under its National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) program, in which the refineries voluntarily committed to recycle oily material in its petroleum coker operations
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Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality presented two Environmental Leadership Program awards to the St. Charles Refinery for developing mobile emission control devices and an electronic notification system for potential process upsets.
- Quebec's recycling program, Recyc-Quebec, recognized the Jean Gaulin Refinery for reaching its highest "Performance" level in reusing, recycling, upgrading or reducing in quantity more than 80 percent of its plant trash and debris.
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Contact Us
Corporate Health, Safety, and Environmental Send Email
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In Port Arthur, Texas, Valero is assisting the Community In-Power and Development Association Inc. (CIDA), a community development organization that has expanded its efforts to issues of environmental justice, improving neighborhoods located near refineries. Ensuring the health and safety of neighbors, employees, customers and the environment is an important part of Valero’s environmental justice mission. Valero Environmental Awards & Honors |
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