Due to a short power interruption just before 11am this morning, operating conditions at the refinery have required intermittent flaring. Flares are safety devices that allow for the safe combustion of excess materials in the event of non-routine operating conditions. The refinery is currently operating safely. The root cause of the power interruption is being investigated. The refinery has deployed its air monitoring team in the community as a precautionary measure. Air monitoring has indicated no impact to the community.
Refinery Alerts
Update – Aug. 25, 2021 at 1 a.m.
As an update to our previous notification, Marathon Petroleum’s Detroit Refinery has secured the incident at the refinery and has communicated updates to the appropriate government agencies. We do not expect any off-site impact to the surrounding community, and the refinery’s air monitoring resources will be in the community for the next several hours as a precaution. Our priority is to ensure the safety of the surrounding community and an investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident.
Detroit refinery responding to a release
Marathon Petroleum’s Detroit Refinery is responding to a release. Air monitoring resources are being deployed in the community. We are providing further details to government agencies. We will keep these agencies and emergency responders informed as we respond. Our priority is to ensure the safety of the surrounding community and to limit environmental impact. More information will be provided when it becomes available.
Refinery Alarm to be Tested on Sept. 10
In the morning of Thursday, Sept. 10, the Detroit refinery will test an alarm system in our visitor parking lot on Fort Street. The test will take place at approximately 9 am.
This notification is for informational purposes only. There is no community action required, or impact on the community.
Safety is a core value for Marathon Petroleum, and we regularly conduct tests of our systems to ensure constant readiness.
Smoke may be visible August 6th due to firefighter training
On Thursday morning, August 6, Marathon Petroleum firefighters will conduct a fire extinguisher training class training that will result in periods of visible smoke from company property.
This notification is for information only, and there is no community action required.
Safety is one of Marathon Petroleum’s highest priorities, and we conduct training regularly to ensure constant readiness.
UPDATE: Planned Maintenance for Detroit Refinery
UPDATE: July 1, 2020
Our neighbors near the refinery may notice increased flaring as we begin re-starting several of the units that were shut down for maintenance. The refinery’s flares may appear brighter than normal, and you may see them around the clock, for several days, but this is part of the normal operational procedure. We have notified the appropriate agencies, and there is no anticipated impact to the environment or air quality.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Detroit refinery hotline at (313) 297-6272.
The Detroit refinery is committed to operating a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly facility.
To ensure the operational efficiency of the refinery and maintain a high level of safety, a planned maintenance period has been scheduled, beginning June 16 and running for approximately 30 days.
While there is no anticipated impact to the community, controlled flaring may be noticeable. As a reminder, flares are safety devices primarily used to protect the refinery equipment, and part of normal operations to reduce emissions. More information about the Detroit refinery flaring process can be found here.
Throughout this planned maintenance period you may see increased traffic in and around the refinery. We expect all refinery employees and contractors to operate their vehicles in a safe manner.
Should you have any questions about this scheduled maintenance period, please feel free to contact the Detroit refinery hotline at (313) 297-6272
As always, you can sign-up to receive emergency alerts from the Detroit refinery here.