Community Advisory Panel to LyondellBasell and Equistar

 

History: Organized in 1990 in response to Responsible Care when today’s LyondellBasell Channelview plant was Lyondell and ARCO. ARCO explosion occurred during early stages of organization, but plant agreed to move ahead with CAP despite challenges of doing so. First meeting May 1991.

Number of plants: 1

Number of community members: Approximately 25

Facilitator: Anne Gowan

Contact information: annelgowan@gmail.com 

Meetings: Monthly except March, June, July, December at LyondellBasell Administration Building. Third Thursdays from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Plant employees also invited to attend. Meetings are open.

Goals: 

  • Build relationships between community and industry with candid yet mannerly dialogue focused on information sharing and issue resolution.
  • Share community expectations for industry on specific topics such as health, safety, and environment; as well as quality-of-life issues including education and the economy.
  • Learn about industry activities that may impact communities, such as incidents, expansions, shutdowns, safety, disaster preparedness, permit applications, plant involvement in the community, economic development, security and hazardous materials transportation.

Most common issues of interest (chosen in structured Program Planning process):

  • Annual “state of the plant” report
  • Annual report on plant emissions. Chem 101.
  • Periodic air monitoring updates.
  • Cyber security: Preventing Attacks on Process Units
  • Above Ground Storage Tanks
  • Flares
  • Preventing process safety accidents
  • Emergency Response Equipment
  • Tours (control unit and driving tour of unit, San Jacinto College Center for Petrochemical, Energy and Technology, Research and Development).