Williams Energy

Williams Companies was founded in 1908 as Williams Brothers by two brothers: Miller and David Williams. They began with small construction projects around Fort Smith, Arkansas, which earned them a good reputation in the construction of petroleum and natural gas pipelines. In 1919, the Williams brothers moved the headquarters of their company to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where it still resides.

Over the next 60 years, Williams began to grow and diversify their energy interests; as a result the company changed its name in 1966 to Williams Companies to reflect its diversity. Today, Williams is a large energy- and communications-based company. Williams utilizes the company's extensive network of pipeline and high-speed fiber optic cables to connect customers to the energy and communications products they need.

Memphis Refinery

Williams Companies purchased the Memphis Refinery in the mid-1980s and operated the refinery until its sale in 2003. The Williams' Memphis refinery produced gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, propane and propylene with a maximum capacity of 195,000 barrels per day. The Memphis Refinery served the Mid-South market and processed a number of crude oils that were delivered through the Capline pipeline from the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

In September 2001, a petroleum products pipeline was opened to link the Memphis refinery to the company's West Memphis, Arkansas, terminal.

In 2007, Williams Companies was fined $2.2 million for violations of the Clean Air Act.

Memphis Refinery under new ownership

In 2002, a deal was made with Premcor to purchase the Memphis Refinery for $315 million. Premcor also agreed to purchase the oil reserves at the current market price at the time of sale. Upon closing in 2003, Premcor paid $465 million for the assets of the Memphis Refinery. In 2005, Premcor Refining Group merged with Valero Energy Corp.

Asbestos and Williams Energy in Tennessee

In much of the last century, in cases where fire or heat was a risk, asbestos was used as insulation. Asbestos-containing materials, accordingly, were commonly used when constructing oil refineries like Williams Energy in Tennessee. Along with being non-flammable as well as heat-proof, various types of amphibole asbestos are also particularly resistant to chemical reactions. Ceiling tiles, insulation, work surfaces, even protective garments, therefore, often contained the fibrous mineral. And though the asbestos did well in preventing the spread of fire and in protecting people and equipment from extreme heat, the mineral also exposed people who used it or worked around it to serious health risks.

Most of this asbestos was amosite. Frequently referred to as "brown asbestos", amosite is particularly resistant to corrosive chemicals like those produced in facilities like Williams Energy in Tennessee because of the iron molecules in its chemical composition. Although it was disallowed in building materials in the 1970s, this amosite, in the form of asbestos-containing transite, was utilized for decades in refineries and chemical plants throughout the US.

Asbestos transite could be laminated, molded into working surfaces and sprayed onto pipes and ductwork in the same way cement could. Generally, new items made with transite were innocuous because the asbestos particles were trapped in the transite. With age, however, asbestos-containing transite becomes prone to crumbling, enabling microscopic fibers to flake off into the air. Asbestos in this condition is called friable, which is defined as easy to pulverize. Also, laboratory ovens often contained friable asbestos as part of their insulation linings.

Why Is Friable Asbestos a Problem?

Asbestos fibers, when friable, are easily released into the atmosphere. Diseases like asbestosis and cancer are known to result from inhaling asbestos. Mesothelioma, an unusual but almost always deadly disease of the mesothelium (the tissue that lies between the lungs and the chest cavity), is strongly linked with asbestos exposure. Swallowing asbestos fibers, as is easy to do if those microscopic particles become airborne and settle on food or drinks, can result in pericardial or peritoneal mesothelioma. Increased pressure from medical scientists, the press and concerned citizens resulted in laws regulating how to use asbestos. When plants such as Williams Energy in Tennessee were constructed, however, asbestos was more prevalent. And even now, asbestos from long ago can cause danger if it is not disposed of properly during remodeling and demolition projects.

A Ticking Bomb

One of the insidious aspects of asbestos exposure is the associated illnesses can take ten, twenty, or even thirty years to appear - frequently long after a worker has left the employer. It can also be hard to identify asbestos-related ailments because the symptoms can be mistaken for the symptoms of other disorders. It is vital, therefore, that men and women who were employed by or lived around places such as Williams Energy in Tennessee ask their for a mesothelioma treatment guide.

In addition, family members and others who shared homes with these people are also in danger, since unless effective safety measures, including the use of workplace-only clothing and on-site showers, were followed, it was all too common for people to bring home particles of asbestos on their skin, in their hair, or on their clothing. Although there is no mesothelioma cure, the disease can sometimes be treated with various therapies.

Sources

All Business - Premcor to acquire Memphis Refinery
http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/food-stores/4476855-1.html

The Commercial Appeal - Agreement will keep Valero Energy refinery open in Memphis
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/feb/04/agreement-will-keep-valero-open/

The Oil Spot News - Premcor to buy Williams Memphis Refinery for $315 million,
http://oilspot2.dtnenergy.com/e_article000111645.cfm

Reuters - Williams Refinery fined $2.2 million for air pollution
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1452691020070315

Williams Energy Corporate website - Williams Energy signs 10-year agreement with Municipal Energy Acquisition Corporation of Tennessee,
http://www.williams.com/newsmedia/newsreleases/rel297.html

Williams Energy Corporate website - Williams Memphis Refinery prepares to produce cleaner gasoline
http://www.williams.com/newsroom/news_releases/2001/rel810.html

Williams Energy Corporate website - Williams to boost premium gasoline production at Memphis refinery
http://www.williams.com/newsroom/news_releases/1998/rel271.html

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