EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A Community Advisory Panel (CAP) meeting hosted by Marathon Refinery was canceled on Thursday after a reported incident at the refinery, according to El Paso Rep. Josh Acevedo.
In a social media post on Instagram, Acevedo, who represents parts of Central El Paso, said the meeting he was planning to attend on Thursday evening was canceled by Marathon due to “another incident” at the refinery.
“Tonight’s Community Advisory Panel (CAP) meeting- the one that Marathon hosts each month, where they handpick people to attend- was canceled by Marathon for the second time in two weeks. Why? To no one’s surprise, there was another incident at the refinery,” Acevedo said in the social media post.
While it is unclear what type of incident occurred at the refinery or what led to the incident, KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out to Marathon and Acevedo for more details.
According to Acevedo, the refinery did not give any further explanation of what happened, citing a statement he received from Marathon.
“We were not given an explanation of what happened and were simply told, ‘Operating conditions at the refinery this evening require the attention of our refinery leadership team as we focus on an operational situation that only recently emerged. To be clear, the situation does not involve injuries or off-site impacts, but out of an abundance of caution, our team will focus on our operations today,'” Acevedo said, citing Marathon.
Marathon meeting canceled after another reported refinery incident, El Paso rep says
Questions over Marathon’s monthly meetings were initially raised during Wednesday’s community meeting, where neighbors living near the refinery were able to question city, state, and federal leaders on what’s being done to address a major release of pollutants tied to an incident earlier this month.
Speaking to KFOX14/CBS4 on Wednesday, residents raised questions about the purpose of the panel, how the meetings are conducted, what topics are typically discussed, and who is invited or expected to attend.
When asked by KFOX14/CBS4 about the meetings and how they are conducted, Marathon said on Thursday that the meetings with the panel include local city leaders and residents near the refinery.
“One of our long-standing commitments to transparency is monthly meetings with our Community Advisory Panel, which consists of neighborhood association leaders from the communities around the refinery, two city representatives, a county commissioner, principals from nearby schools, the police PAR officers, county constable, business owners, and other residents,” a Marathon Refinery spokesperson said in a statment.
Marathon added that while it is committed to having open discussions, the monthly meetings are not expanded to include other attendees.
“We are committed to creating an environment where open, candid discussions can take place between these neighbors and Marathon’s representatives. Therefore, we do not expand attendance beyond the neighborhood representatives and other members mentioned,” Marathon said.
Meanwhile, the canceled meeting comes weeks after a major pollution release.
On Aug. 4 and 5, an incident at the Marathon refinery led to tons of pollutants being released into the air.
An updated environmental report later indicated more pollution was released than previously reported.
The updated report puts the release at more than 15 tons of pollutants into the air, with three pollutants accounting for nearly 15,000 pounds: more than 10,000 pounds of propylene, more than 3,800 pounds of carbon monoxide, and about 1,095 pounds of sulfur dioxide.
Marathon said it had shut down the affected equipment, stabilized the unit, and notified the city of El Paso and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Marathon added that it followed required reporting protocols and is still investigating the cause.
Acevedo said the canceled meeting has renewed his calls for Marathon to be transparent and accountable.
“These events must be bad if they continue to leave our community in the dark, with more questions than answers. They are not transparent and are unaccountable to El Pasoans. I will continue to fight for answers,” Acevedo said.
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