Marathon Petroleum Statement following the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Public Hearing
The Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) is an important example of turning a difficult situation into a positive for the community.
As part of the consent order between MPC and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) the SEP will provide a new air conditioning, filtration and purification system at the Mark Twain School for Scholars and will benefit the entire area by providing real-time, air-quality data in the surrounding neighborhoods. In resolving these infractions, including ten violation notices dating back to 2017, we hope to do so in a way that has a positive impact on the community.
For the SEP, MPC solicited input from the refinery’s Community Advisory Panel, representatives from the Sierra Club, the neighborhoods adjacent to the refinery, the Detroit City Council and the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The current SEP is the product of that input, and allows MPC to strengthen its relationship with the community and expand its commitment to transparent communication with residents. While this project was undertaken in connection with the settlement of an enforcement action taken by EGLE for violations of air quality requirements, there is no disputing the community benefits and the undeniable wisdom of investing in the community as opposed to simply paying a fine to the State of Michigan. This is not an isolated example but representative of the culture of collaboration that Marathon Petroleum’s leadership seeks with every community in which it operates.
The Detroit refinery is one of 24 businesses engaged in heavy industry in this part of Southwest Detroit. We accept the responsibility to be a leader in managing our impact on the environment in every aspect and, over the years, have dramatically reduced emissions from our production, even as we have increased the amount of crude oil we are able to process. Specifically, we have invested $350 million in environmental and safety improvements to enable us to produce fuels and other products more cleanly than ever before; the Detroit facility has operated at more than 40 percent below the facility’s yearly permitted emission levels for the past 15 years, and has reduced its emissions by 80 percent over the past 20 years.
We are committed to the safety of the people who work in our plant and those who live and work around us. We manufacture fuels in an efficient, safe and responsible manner that provides stable, well-paying jobs for our employees and keeps Michigan moving.
We look forward to the opportunity to participate in the SEP program and our continuing support for the residents of Southwest Detroit. We’ve been part of this community for 60 years, and these projects represent just our latest investment in Southwest Detroit.