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Protecting our environment
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ExxonMobil has been a proud community partner and environmental steward in the Baton Rouge area for more than 115 years. As one of the largest refining and petrochemical complexes in the world, we are continuously optimizing our processes to minimize emissions, enhance energy efficiency and maintain the highest standards of environmental care.
Recent achievements
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60% decrease
in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from 2015 to 2023 at the Baton Rouge Refinery
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25% decrease
in VOC from 2019 to 2023 and has completed a project to reduce VOC emissions by another 10% at the Baton Rouge Refinery -
67% decrease
in routine hazardous waste generated through waste recycling and reclamation initiatives at the Baton Rouge Complex from 2019 to 2023
2023 awards
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Fourth ENERGY STAR® certification
The Baton Rouge Refinery earned its fourth ENERGY STAR® certification from the EPA for achieving the top 25 percent of petroleum refineries nationwide for energy efficiency and meeting strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.
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Clean Biz Leadership award
Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) awarded ExxonMobil the Clean Biz Leadership award for our dedication to KLB's mission and our operational practices to support a cleaner, greener community.
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Silver-level Certified Wildlife Habitat
ExxonMobil’s Wildlife Education Building and outdoor education area was designated as a silver-level Certified Wildlife Habitat by the Wildlife Habitat Council.
A flame burning at the top of a pipe stack can look alarming. Although the sight of flares and the rumbling noise that sometimes accompanies flaring can cause concern, please remember that occasional flaring is a vital part of keeping our facilities running safely during unplanned operational interruptions or scheduled maintenance activities.
How do flares work? Flares are important safety devices used in refineries and petrochemical facilities. They safely burn excess hydrocarbon gases that cannot be recovered or recycled. Excess hydrocarbon gases are burnt in the flare systems in an environmentally-sound manner, as an alternative to releasing the vapor directly into the atmosphere. During flaring, excess gases are combined with steam and/or air, and burnt off in the flare system. The use of flares is minimized to the extent that is possible. However, flaring can occur during a start-up and shut-down of any of our facilities for maintenance, and also during unplanned operational interruptions such as power outages.
What is that black smoke? While we strive to achieve smokeless flaring, it may not always be possible during operational situations. On some occasions, there may be black smoke from the flare. The smoke, which is mainly made up of carbon particles, occurs when there is insufficient amount of air to support a complete combustion. This may happen when there is a sudden release of excess gases to the system with a delay in response before sufficient steam can be supplied to the burning process. Steam is usually added to the gases to increase turbulence in the gas flow. This increases air intake that helps to achieve complete combustion and smokeless flaring.
What is that rumbling noise? Occasionally, during flare activity, a rumbling sound, much like far-off thunder, resonates from the system. The rumbling that may be heard is the result of the turbulent mixing of vapors, air and steam during the flaring process.
Regulating emissions. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality strictly regulates emissions from the stacks and limits the density and duration of allowable smoke. In recent years, ExxonMobil in Baton Rouge has taken a number of steps to recover and reprocess excess materials to lessen the flaring on a day-to-day basis. However, use of the flare system is still essential to the safe operation of our facilities.
Water vapor
Our neighbors sometimes see "clouds" over the ExxonMobil complex and wonder what they are and how they are formed. These "clouds" billowing over our facilities are actually water vapor. Especially on cold, clear mornings, water vapor condenses and is very visible. This is the same reason why you can “see your breath” on cold days.
Cooling towers
Water evaporates from several parts of the complex, including the cooling towers. Cooling towers conserve energy by evaporating a portion of water to cool it back down for recycling. This process is environmentally friendly because it reduces the fresh water we take in from the Mississippi River and Southern Hills Aquifer and allows us to release cool water back to the river rather than hot water.
Weather impacts
The look of a “cloud” varies based on the temperature of the water vapor and the weather. When warm vapor meets cooler air, it condenses and forms “clouds” in the same way natural clouds are formed. Temperature and humidity affect how water vapor evaporates. On a humid or rainy day, there is already so much water in the air that it cannot absorb the water vapor “clouds” very quickly.
Therefore, the “clouds” are darker and heavier looking on those days. Water vapor “clouds” often appear white and fluffy on sunny days, just as natural clouds do. But if the sun is directly behind a water vapor “cloud,” it can appear dark, just as a thundercloud does when it is between you and the sun.
Odors can come from many sources. Refineries and chemical plants use raw materials and convert them to things we can use such as gasoline, jet fuel, plastic and rubber. Part of the process involves removing impurities to create these products.
At our sites, we take an active approach to determine the source of odors in the neighborhoods near our plants. We encourage our neighbors to call us if they think we may be the source of an odor. Plant personnel will promptly work with neighbors to help identify the odor.
While responding quickly to an odor call is important, preventing odors is our true goal. We follow stringent air regulations, and our emissions and odors are carefully monitored, controlled and reported to regulators such as the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to minimize impact to the community.
When you call ExxonMobil to report an odor, our employees will ask questions, such as:
- What does the odor smell like?
- Where are you located?
- Which direction is the wind blowing?
- How long have you smelled an odor?
These questions and more help us take the first steps in determining what the odor is and where it might be coming from.
Greenbelt
The land around our complex is the Greenbelt property. We focus on beautification, indigenous tree and wildlife preservation and stormwater drainage support. Regular landscaping and maintenance is performed, weather permitting. For concerns regarding maintenance, please call 225-977-8393.
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