Sinclair Oil

Sinclair, Wyoming, is home to the oldest refinery owned by the Sinclair Consolidated Oil Corporation. The original refinery and town were called Parco, after the Producers and Refiners Corporation. Sinclair acquired Parco - the company and the town - during the Great Depression. This original refinery produces an average of 60,000 barrels of petroleum products per day; despite being one of the region's longest-running industrial plants, it is now one of the most modern facilities in the region. Additionally, Sinclair Oil operates the Little America Refinery in Casper, Wyoming. This smaller refinery produces 20,000 barrels of petroleum products per calendar day.

Sinclair Refinery Near Rawlins, Wyoming Had a Difficult 2009

Despite being a modern facility, Sinclair's Wyoming Refinery encountered a number of challenges recently. 2009 saw two serious incidents occur:

• A catalytic cracking unit caught fire in March 2009. The fire forced the shutdown of that unit and led to the refinery to be still operating at half capacity a month later - producing 41,500 barrels of refined petroleum product rather than more than 80,000.
• In May, the Sinclair Refinery experienced a leak of nearly 3 million gallons of a potentially explosive fluid. In December, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality cited Sinclair for failing to take steps to prevent the spill. Additionally, because the tank remained out of use for longer than 90 days, the Sinclair tank is considered a hazardous waste site under Wyoming state law. The corporation had until March 1, 2010, to respond to the violation notice.

Oil Refineries and Asbestos

In situations where extreme heat or combustion was a danger, asbestos was the insulating material preferred by builders for most of the 20th century. Therefore, it was quite common for oil refineries such as Sinclair Oil's Wyoming facilities to be built with materials that contained asbestos. Along with being fireproof and heat-proof, certain kinds of amphibole asbestos are also especially resistant to reactive chemicals. Floor tiles, insulation, work surfaces, even protective uniforms, therefore, often were made with the fibrous mineral. And while the asbestos worked well in safeguarding against fire damage and in protecting life and property from high temperatures, it also exposed those same people to significant health risks.

In general, amosite was the kind of asbestos utilized. The brown pigment associated with amosite is a result of iron molecules in its chemical composition; this also makes amosite resistant to corrosive substances like those manufactured in facilities like Sinclair Oil. This amosite, in the form of asbestos transite, was used in oil refineries, labs and chemical plants across the United States for many years before it was banned for construction purposes in the 1970s.

Asbestos transite had properties similar to cement; it could be sprayed onto pipes and ductwork, laminated and molded into working surfaces. As long as asbestos transite remained solid, this form of asbestos offered almost no risk. As this transite ages and become prone to becoming powdery, however, deadly, microscopic particles can float into the atmosphere. In other words, such asbestos is friable, a term that is used for materials that are easy to crush. The insulation lining of laboratory and chemical plant kilns also frequently were constructed with friable asbestos.

Why Friable Asbestos Is a Problem

When friable, asbestos fibers are readily dispersed in the air. Inhaling asbestos particles can cause conditions like cancer or asbestosis. Mesothelioma, a rare and often deadly cancer of the mesothelium (the lining between the lungs and the pleural cavity), has been shown to be linked with inhaling asbestos. Peritoneal and pericardial mesothelioma are linked to ingesting asbestos fibers, which happens if the microscopic particles are released into the air and settle on food or in beverages.

In the past twenty years medical researchers have discovered a lot concerning the risks associated with asbestos exposure; therefore there are strict guidelines regulating its use. When facilities such as Sinclair Oil refineries were first operating, however, the use of asbestos was more prevalent. And even now, asbestos from long ago can cause problems when it is disturbed during remodeling projects.

The Lurking Danger of Asbestos

Unlike most on-the-job injuries, which are easily observed and known about immediately following the incident, asbestos-related diseases may take many, many years to appear. It can also be challenging to diagnose asbestos-related disorders since their symptoms resemble the symptoms of other disorders. Those that worked in or lived near oil refineries such as Sinclair Oil should therefore notify their physicians about the chance of exposure to asbestos. New methods including mesothelioma radiation are being discovered, and early detection provides the patient the highest chance of overcoming the form of cancer in the face of the low mesothelioma survival rate.

Sources

Boston.com - Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Cites Sinclair for Refinery Spill
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/01/12/wyoming_deq_cites_sinclair_for_refinery_spill/

KULR8 - Sinclair Refinery at Half Capacity
http://www.kulr8.com/news/wyoming/42908332.html

Sinclair Oil - About Sinclair Oil
http://www.sinclairoil.com/about_sinclair.htm

University of Wisconsin - Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) - Laboratories and Shops
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/ASB/acmimages3.html

University of Wisconsin - Asbestos Disposal
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/EHSRM/HAZEXCEPTIONS/a.html