Village of Lemont Recognizes CITGO for Restoration Work in Lemont Quarries

LEMONT, Ill., Dec. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Village of Lemont recently presented the CITGO Lemont Refinery with a distinctive proclamation as an expression of gratitude for the company's significant restoration work in the local Heritage Quarry Recreation Area (HQRA).

The HQRA restoration project is part of the CITGO Caring for Our Coast program designed to boost ecological conservation, restoration and education. Throughout the last four years since the effort began, the CITGO Lemont Refinery has funded semiannual projects in the quarry, restoring 10 acres so far. Working alongside the Conservation Foundation, Lemont High School and the Village of Lemont, as well as other local volunteers, the CITGO Lemont Refinery has removed invasive plant species, brush and harvested native species' seeds for replanting.

Village of Lemont Mayor John Egofske and CITGO Lemont Refinery Vice President and General Manager Dennis Willig planted a commemorative tree in the area during the recent fall volunteer workday. "The proclamation is our way of recognizing the refinery's commitment to the HQRA project and the investment CITGO has made in our community," said Egofske.

Located half a mile east of downtown Lemont, the HQRA is situated among thousands of acres of forest preserves, which include more than 65 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as access to fishing and boating along the I & M Canal and the Consumers, Great Lakes and Icebox Quarries.

"We look forward to continuing the restoration of HQRA, and being a part of preserving this natural habitat," said Willig. "Environmental stewardship is a core value to CITGO and a priority we take seriously, especially in the communities where we live and work."

CITGO has awarded The Conservation Foundation a grant to continue the restoration work. The next volunteer work day is being planned for early spring 2019.

About the CITGO Lemont Refinery

For more than 90 years, CITGO Lemont Refinery has employed more than 750 Chicago area residents on a full-time and contract basis in support of the local economy. In addition to producing high quality fuels for a large portion of the network of approximately 5,200 independently and locally-owned CITGO stations across the country, Lemont Refinery employees also make a major positive impact on the community. Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer hours and thousands of dollars are given in support of community programs such as Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Way and a variety of environmental and preservation programs. Operations at the Lemont Refinery began in 1925 with a major expansion, doubling the facility in 1933. Over the years, new units were added to meet the demand for a better quality of gas for automobiles, aviation fuel for WWII, and the production of asphalt.

About CITGO

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 48 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,400 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 749,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the sixth-largest, and 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 5,200 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, please visit www.citgo.com.

SOURCE CITGO

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