Community Advisory Panels

Eagle Point Refinery
The Eagle Point Facility participates in the Mantua Grove Community Advisory Panel (CAP), beginning after Sunoco acquired the facility in January of 2004. The Mantua Grove CAP has 40 members comprised of representatives from area businesses, emergency officials and the community.

The CAP serves as an open discussion forum where members of the community, emergency officials and public officials can share information and concerns pertaining to the refinery/area. Topics of discussion include health, environmental and safety issues.

The CAC formed a Shelter-In-Place subcommittee, led by the Philadelphia Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Administration Unit, that developed Shelter-In-Place guidelines for use during a major emergency or release and when conducting drills at local schools. The subcommittee's efforts led to an augmentation to the Philadelphia Fire Code Section 409, "Shelter-In-Place," which mandates that all Philadelphia schools practice shelter-in-place drills twice each school year.

Prospective new industrial business leaders often present their proposed projects to the CAP to seek input on any community concerns. The CAP also offers a forum to community leaders to discuss community issues, not just those related to industry. The members view the industry representatives as community leaders.

The Haverhill Operations Manager represents Sunoco at all CAP meetings and functions. CAP members developed an educational shelter-in-place program consisting of a video and handouts, which is presented to local governments, schools, area fire departments and at county fairs. In addition, the CAP put together an educational video presentation on local plant products and their contribution to everyday life, similar to the American Chemistry Council's Essential2 information.

The 2009 goals include getting all CAP members to visit each sponsoring facility for tours and operational and HES briefings.

LPCAC membership is very diverse. Members include teachers, students, retired plant workers, a mechanical engineer, a chemical engineer, an interior designer, the city emergency services director, a school public information officer, an environmental management professor, a social worker, a business leader, and a state representative's staff member, to name a few.

For the first time in LPCAC history, the plant managers did not represent their sites at the June CAC meeting. Instead, at the request of the community members, hourly workers attended from each site for a discussion about worker safety. The discussion was very well received and is expected to become an annual practice.

Two major topics of discussion in 2008 included a review of trends in air quality with a specific focus on benzene data collected by the Houston Regional Monitoring network, and a presentation from the Manager of the Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Cancer Registry. The presentation provided data regarding cancer rates and mortality in the zip codes that our Houston assets are located. The summary showed the observed vs. expected cases of specific cancers and revealed no statistically significant difference in the incidence in La Porte as compared to the rest of the state.

The EAC elects its own officers. Meetings are run by the EAC Chairperson with a set format, including a public comment/question and answer period. Normally, highlights from the EAC meetings are shared at monthly Township and Borough meetings.

The plant manager represents Sunoco at the CAP and other staff members are occasionally asked to attend and make presentations. CAP members have worked with the local schools to conduct shelter-in-place awareness and training. The CAP also advocated for a local 911 system and worked with the local fire department to landscape its new firehouse.

The CAP, whose meetings are led by the Philadelphia Facility Manager, meets each month, except August, at the refinery or at a member organization's location. All decision-making, including meeting agenda development, is achieved by consensus. In the beginning, meetings were facilitated by a third party, paid for by Sunoco. However, in late 2006, the group decided to forgo this approach for the foreseeable future. In the event such services are needed again, the CAP members have decided that they should be contracted on an as-needed basis. The refinery continues to provide administrative support for the group.

The meetings are chaired by CAP members on an alternating basis. The agenda for the meetings is mutually agreed upon by the CAP and Sunoco. Administrative support is provided by Sunoco and includes sending out meeting notes and agendas, making reminder calls and arranging for speakers as requested by CAP members.

Every two years a Leadership Luncheon is held where the CAP "hosts" a meeting with the opinion leaders where various activities of the refinery are reviewed. The 2009 luncheon is anticipated to be a discussion of air quality and effect on breathing by an air expert and the refinery environmental manager.

Sunoco is represented by appropriate management personnel who are considered non-voting members of the CAP. Sunoco employees in attendance include a recorder to take minutes, the refinery manager and the communications specialist. Other staff members often are asked to attend and make presentations to the group, such as the environmental manager or the health and safety manager. All decisions are made by consensus.

Meetings are held bimonthly and facilitated by the Sunoco communications specialist. CAP members assist in the development of the meeting agendas, with Sunoco often offering suggestions on educational or informational topics of interest. CAP members are given a refinery operations update, as well as a status report on safety and environmental issues, at each meeting. CAP members are also invited to assist the Tulsa Refinery with planning Open Houses and other events.