WATCHING GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY

May 15, 1995
With Patrick Crow from Washington, D.C The U.S. oil industry continues to improve its environmental and safety efforts. The American Petroleum Institute's scorecard for operations in 1993, the last full year for which data are available, shows the industry spent $10.6 billion for environmental and safety programs. Edward Murphy, director of API's finance, accounting, and statistics department, said, "Oil spills and pollutants have declined, recycling of refinery waste and used oil have

The U.S. oil industry continues to improve its environmental and safety efforts.

The American Petroleum Institute's scorecard for operations in 1993, the last full year for which data are available, shows the industry spent $10.6 billion for environmental and safety programs.

Edward Murphy, director of API's finance, accounting, and statistics department, said, "Oil spills and pollutants have declined, recycling of refinery waste and used oil have improved, and workplace safety has increased."

API began issuing the scorecard 3 years ago to counter the public's impression that the oil industry was not improving its environmental operations.

Murphy said an added benefit is that the report gives oil companies' environmental managers a means of gauging their firm's progress against that of the rest of the industry.

SPECIFICS

API said refinery releases of about 300 toxic chemicals declined by II% in 1993 and have dropped 32% since 1988.

Refiners generated 3% less hazardous wastes in 1993 for a total drop of 25% since 1987. They collected 73% more used oil.

Oil spills in U.S. waters declined 47% in 1993. During the most recent 10 year span for which records are available, oil spill volumes dropped 82%.

"At the end of 1993, three quarters of the underground storage tanks included in an API survey of member companies met federal standards that will not go into effect until 1988," API said.

"These standards help guard against corrosion, overfilling, and spills from underground storage tanks. All the tanks were checked regularly for leaks, and 42% met 1998 standards for detecting leaks."

At the end of 1993, all facilities in API's survey met or exceeded requirements for gasoline vapor controls.

API said Occupational Safety and Health Administration data show of industry workers are less likely to have their health harmed bv their jobs, on average, than Americans in other lines of work.

The rate of job related injuries an illnesses among petroleum workers fell 3.5% in 1993 for a total decline o 7% since 1986. That compares with an 8% increase for the U.S. private sector during the same period.

Injuries and illnesses dropped 32% for refinery workers, 25% for exploration and production workers and 16% for transportation workers.

PERSPECTIVE

The $10.6 billion industry spent i 1993 for environmental and safety measures was more than it spent exploring for oil and gas in the U.S.

Total environmental and safety spending has soared 42% in the past 4 years. So why was 1993 spending only $100,000 higher than in 1992?

Murphy explained that some of the previous spending was made up of one-time outlays in response to specific laws.

Also, the oil industry is under financial pressure, and "companies are achieving a higher level of environmental performance with their expenditures."

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