Who We Are - Flint Hills Resources

Flint Hills Resources
Port Arthur
Who We Are
Flint Hills Resources is a leading refining,
chemicals and biofuels company based in
Wichita, Kan., and employs more than 4,000
people, including nearly 200 in and around Port
Arthur, Texas. A 2013 study shows that each
Flint Hills Resources job in Port Arthur supports
an additional 10 jobs in the area. We are proud
of our contribution to the local community.
“With the turnaround behind us,
we are now able to focus on
evaluating local growth and
investment opportunities.”
—Phil Gaarder, vice president of
operations for Flint Hills Resources
In November 2013, Flint Hills Resources marked
six years in Port Arthur. Our constant focus is on
working safely, improving our environmental performance, creating value for our customers, and
being a good neighbor.
Our Port Arthur chemical plant, located on nearly
210 acres off Savannah Avenue and Highway 75,
is a U.S. producer of ethylene and propylene,
which are basic chemical building blocks used
to manufacture a variety of products such as
medical devices, automotive parts and appliance
components.
SAFE AND
RELIABLE OPERATOR
Flint Hills Resources is committed to operating
safely and reliably.
We are proud to report that in 2011 our Port
Arthur chemical plant was recertified by the
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration as a Voluntary Protection Programs STAR
worksite—a prestigious designation for facilities
with exemplary safety programs.
Additionally, we safely completed a scheduled
plant turnaround in late 2012, shutting down
certain operations for approximately three
months to conduct repair work, which will
bolster our plant’s reliability for years to come.
INVOLVED
CORPORATE NEIGHBOR
Flint Hills Resources is committed to giving
back to communities where it operates.
In Port Arthur, we contribute to a variety of
local community organizations that provide vital
services and resources to area youth and those
in need: Junior Achievement, Texas Alliance
for Minorities in Engineering, YMCA, The
Salvation Army, Port Cities Rescue Mission,
Hughen Center, Julie Rogers “Gift of Life”
Program, Inspire Encourage Achieve, Garth
House, Buckner Children & Family Services,
and Southeast Texas Food Bank.
We also take an active
role in inspiring,
encouraging and
developing the next
EDSON VERA
generation of engineers
and skilled tradesmen
right here at home. The
fhr.com
Flint Hills Resources
Edson Vera is one of five students
recognized for outstanding achievement in Outstanding Student
math, science or vocational trades in 2013. Program, launched in
2013, recognizes Port Arthur high school students
for achievement in math and science, as well
as welding, engineering design, construction
technology and metal manufacturing. And as the
title sponsor of Junior Achievement’s annual
Engineering Job Shadow Lunch, our employees
help area youth learn about careers available in
our industry.
FLINT HILLS RESOURCES
OUTSTANDING STUDENT PROGRAM HONOREE
RECOGNIZED FOR WELDING
“Flint Hills Resources recognizes Port Arthur
high school students for skills and talents
that often go unnoticed, and yet are vital to
local industry. It is great to see our students
getting this recognition.”
—Dr. Mark Porterie, superintendent of
Port Arthur Independent School District and a
longstanding member of the Flint Hills
Resources Community Advisory Panel
“We had far more student participation than
last year at our Engineering Job Shadow Lunch
thanks to Flint Hills Resources’ generous
financial support and numerous volunteers.
The funds we raised will allow us to continue
our mission of empowering youth to own their
economic success.”
—Cindy Westfall, executive director of
Junior Achievement of the Golden Triangle
In the area of higher education, we actively
support Lamar University’s College of
Engineering and Lamar State College – Port
Arthur and as a member of the Port Arthur
Industry Group, Flint Hills
Resources contributes
to college scholarships,
summer jobs and intern
High school students explore
engineering principles through
programs for students.
hands-on experiments at an event
sponsored by Flint Hills Resources.
“Our students need to know what exciting
career opportunities are out there for them after
they graduate. Engineers, from companies like
Flint Hills Resources, sharing about their field is
a great way to help inspire the next generation
of local talent.”
—Pat Calhoun, director of Career and Technology
Education for Beaumont Independent School District
Additionally, Flint Hills Resources is committed
to engaging with the Port Arthur community and
being an active industry partner.
effort between local government and industry
to provide area residents with guidance about
personal emergency preparedness.
For years we have hosted the Flint Hills
Resources Community Advisory Panel, which
includes near-neighbors, educators and civic
and business leaders in Port Arthur. The group
meets regularly so members can provide us
input related to our local plant operations, and
we can update the panel about our performance
successes and challenges.
We also are a member of the Port Arthur
Industry Group, which facilitates dialogue
between local industry and community leaders,
and we participate in Jefferson County’s Local
Emergency Planning Committee, a collaborative
Flint Hills Resources supports local first responders,
donating $5,000 to the Port Arthur Fire Department in 2013.
ENVIRONMENTAL & SAFETY COMMITMENT
more efficiently and reduce certain emissions.
We regularly assess our air monitoring data to
identify opportunities for additional reductions.
Plant Manager Denny Wiseman
Flint Hills Resources strives for 100 percent compliance, 100 percent of the time, while meeting
the expectations of its communities to operate
safely and reliably. We continually seek ways
to improve and often go beyond regulatory
requirements to operate in an environmentally
responsible way.
Importantly, when challenges do arise,
Flint Hills Resources takes responsibility and
moves quickly to correct the situation and
apply lessons learned to prevent similar
incidents from happening again. We notify the
community through the Southeast Texas Alert
Network at www.thestan.com, if our operations
would be of interest to residents.
air monitoring
There are a number of independently
certified air monitors in Port Arthur. These
include air monitors operated by the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality, the
Southeast Texas Regional Planning
Commission, and individual companies,
such as ours. Air monitors help inform the
community about air quality in the area.
Air monitors at our fence line are an early
detection device we have used for many
years for plant safety and to help us
reduce our facility’s emissions. To see our
fence-line air monitoring data go to
www.airmonitoraccess.com.
Ways We are
reducing emissions
Since acquiring the chemical plant in late 2007,
Flint Hills Resources has taken steps to operate
We have made a number of operational adjustments to minimize short- and long-term benzene
emissions and are pleased to report that from
2009 to 2012 measurements at our plant’s fence
line indicate an approximate 60 percent
decline in benzene
concentration levels.
Additionally, in 2011,
we installed a flare
gas recovery system
to help reduce volatile organic compound (VOC)
emissions. Flares are a critical safety device
needed to safely startup and shutdown production, as well as address unexpected events. With
the flare gas recovery system, we can capture
waste gas generated during normal operations –
instead of routing it to one or both of our flares
– and use it as fuel for plant operations. The
system is working well.
4241 Savannah Avenue
Port Arthur, Texas 77640
409-989-6600 www.fhr.com
© 2014 Flint Hills Resources