CITGO Safeguards Community with Proactive Worst-Case Scenario Drill

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Sep 26, 2024, 15:00 ET

SULPHUR, La., Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Lake Charles Refinery successfully completed a Worst-Case scenario drill, where more than 130 participants, including emergency responders and local, state and federal agency representatives, participated in a live exercise scenario on the waterway while testing the emergency operations' command capabilities.

CITGO Prepares for Worst-Case Scenario Drill at Lake Charles Refinery

"In our industry, preparing for and practicing our response to these emergency scenarios is critical to the safety of our employees and surrounding communities," said CITGO Lake Charles Vice President and General Manager Sterling Neblett. "Our emergency responders and agency partners play an essential role in this preparation, and we thank them for their dedication to ensuring everyone's safety."

For training exercises and emergency response efforts at its Lake Charles facility, CITGO partners with the United States Coast Guard, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Louisiana State Police, and others.

"Exercises, such as this, strengthen collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies in partnership with private entities to increase effectiveness of response efforts by implementing contingency plans, improving coordination and communication, and building public trust and confidence in the response efforts in the event of a real-life environmental incident," said Commander Elizabeth Newton, U. S. Coast Guard.

Preparing for emergencies is essential in all CITGO operations. The Company holds a worst-case scenario drill at each one of its refineries every three years.

About CITGO

CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry and operates under the well-known CITGO brand. CITGO owns and operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 42 active terminals, eight pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,600 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 807,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO ranks as the fifth-largest and is one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products, and supplies a network of approximately 4,000 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains.

SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation