Page 427 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

EXEMPLARY PERFORMERS—WASTE MINIMIZATION IN OIL REFINERIES 405

and federal pollution prevention programs. At the Chevron Richmond Refinery, proper
waste minimization and management is a high priority. Employees work to find bet-
ter ways to reduce waste, reduce what is generated, and treat and dispose of what
remains. The Chevron Richmond Refinery uses a variety of techniques to reduce or
recycle waste and transform it into useful products. Since 1986, the company has
reduced the off-site disposal of routinely generated wastes by more than 75 percent by
decreasing waste sources, recycling waste, and treating waste inside the refinery.
In terms of recycling, the refinery recycles everything from laser toner cartridges,
used batteries, light bulbs, and aerosol cans to newspaper. The current diversion rate
is close to 50 percent. The company has been a frequent winner of the annual WRAP
(Waste Reduction Awards Program) award from the California Integrated Waste
Management Board.
Following are the results of a number of the Chevron Richmond Refinery’s recovery
and recycling initiatives:

■ 1,022,000 barrels (152,000 tons) of oil products were recovered into refinery
process units for conversion to salable products.
■ Process by-product gas was treated to remove 99.96 percent of its hydrogen sulfide
(H S) and used as fuel gas, replacing natural gas purchases equivalent to 30 billion
2
standard cubic feet.
■ 970 tons of spent catalyst was recycled through metals reclamation, catalyst regen-
eration, and metallurgical smelters to recover the metals for reuse as catalyst and in
the steel and copper industry.
■ 1558 tons of scrap metal from demolition activities was recycled.
■ 20 percent by volume of solid waste was recycled, primarily wood and cardboard.