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Social Responsibility
Tesoro’s Environmental Commitment
From the pristine beaches of the Hawaiian Islands and the emerald archipelago of the Pacific Northwest, to the sweeping grasslands of North Dakota and the icy waters of Alaska, Tesoro operates in some of the most ecologically sensitive areas of the country.
At Tesoro, we seek continuous improvement in environmental management, and we take responsibility for minimizing adverse environmental impact, reducing waste and emissions and promoting conservation. Our goal is to protect the environment and the ecosystems we operate in from harm.
We also strive to ensure that each of our employees and suppliers of goods and services are informed about our environmental policies and are aware of their environmental responsibilities when doing business with Tesoro.
In addition, we provide specific environmental training for our employees in the areas of hazardous waste minimization, spill prevention and response training, transportation and gasoline distribution at the retail level. In fact, Tesoro conducts 164 various spill drills or emergency response drills annually throughout the company. Each year, three of these drills are worst-case scenario spill drills that simulate a disaster of losing 100 percent of the largest tank or shipment – which can be up to 600,000 barrels. These drills are rotated among the company’s refineries and terminals enhance Tesoro’s preparedness and spill-prevention practices.
As an environmental steward, Tesoro has established programs to conserve resources, minimize wastes, improve processes and protect the environment. Following are some examples of our environmental commitment.
Double-hulled Tanker Program
One of Tesoro’s most impressive environmental stories is the company’s tanker program. Tesoro was the first company to introduce OPA-90 compliant double hull tankers in Alaska. Currently four time-chartered U.S. flag tankers, nine U.S. flag barges, and three foreign flag tankers are in operation for Tesoro full-time. All sixteen are double-hulled vessels designed to help protect the environment in the event of an accident. Although use of double-hulled tankers will not be required by law until 2015, Tesoro requires all of its time-chartered vessels to have a double hull and all its persistent (heavy) oil be carried in double hull vessels.
Legacy Awards
We have been honored three with the prestigious Legacy Award for Oil Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response by the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force. Legacy Awards are awarded for projects, accomplishments or leadership that demonstrate innovation, management commitment and improvements in oil spill prevention, preparedness or response, resulting in enhanced environmental protection.
In 2001, Tesoro Alaska Company was selected for having established a record of successful, collaborative efforts to reduce the likelihood of oil spills and related environmental impact. These include voluntary application of state-of-the-art technologies; engagement in the communities around our operations; and a willingness to seek constructive solutions in cooperation with all players.
In 2004, Tesoro Maritime/Seabulk Tankers, along with Polar Tankers, Inc., SeaRiver Maritime, Inc. and the Alaska Tanker Company, LLC, were named Legacy Award recipients. Together, these companies moved approximately 330 million barrels of Alaska North Slope crude oil from the Valdez Marine Terminal to various refineries on the West Coast without negatively affecting waters along Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii.
In 2008, Captain Tim Plummer, President Tesoro Maritime Company, received a Legacy award for his “foresight to go above and beyond regulatory compliance that has made him a catalyst for exceptional achievements in maritime safety for Alaska.”