CITGO Lemont Refinery Recognized for Workplace Safety Excellence

Recently, the CITGO Lemont Refinery received the Elite Gold Safety Award from the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) organization. The refinery is being recognized for its 2019 safety record---in addition to previous years of workplace safety excellence.

The Elite Gold Safety Award goes to the top one percent of refineries in the industry. Each AFPM member facility must first qualify and then be invited to apply for the award, which is based on a set of established criteria--- including an employee and contractor total recordable incidence rate of 0.30 or less. During this application year, approximately 290 AFPM member sites were eligible to apply, but only 29 made it through the rigorous screening process.

Dennis Willig, CITGO Lemont Vice President and General Manager, attributes the Lemont Refinery’s exemplary safety record to teamwork.

“When it comes to safety, we have strong procedures and standards in place, but our success is due to our dedicated workforce. Together, we achieved this milestone, and together we will continue raise the bar for safety excellence,” said Willig.

According to Art Klein, CITGO Vice President Refining, over the years, the Lemont Refinery has consistently achieved outstanding safety performance. And by receiving this award, the facility has now established itself as one of the world’s safest oil refineries.

The refinery will officially accept the award at an industry conference this August in San Antonio, Texas.

For more than 90 years, CITGO Lemont Refinery has employed more than 750 Chicago area residents on a full-time and contract basis in support of the local economy. In addition to producing high quality fuels for a large portion of the network of more than 5,200 locally-owned CITGO stations across the country, Lemont Refinery employees also make a major positive impact on the community. Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer hours and thousands of dollars are given in support of community programs such as Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Way and a variety of environmental and preservation programs. Operations at the Lemont Refinery began in 1925 and a major expansion doubled the facility in 1933. Over the years, new units were added to meet the demand for a better quality of gas for automobiles, aviation fuel for WWII, and the production of asphalt. For more information, visit www.citgolemont.com

CITGO, headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 48 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,400 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 769,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the fifth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 4,700 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.

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