Yumans want more refinery info

BY MICHELLE VOLKMANN
Yuma Sun
Mar 13, 2005

Nearly 30 people listened as two Yuma residents expressed their opinions on the proposed oil refinery near Tacna during a debate on Saturday.

The event, which was organized by the Yuma Democratic Club, was designed to give the pros and cons of the proposed $2.5 billion refinery.

Greater Yuma Economic Development Corp. Project Manager Julie Engle presented the arguments in favor of it, while Snyder Farm owner Jack Cunningham argued against it. Councilman Gerry Giss was the moderator.

Engle said this refinery will not be the dirty industrial place people think it will be.

"I think the only thing wrong with this project is it has the word 'refinery' in it," she said. "This is not going to be a refinery. It's not going to look like a refinery. It's not going to have smokestacks. It's not going to putting out that cloud that refineries put out."

If built, this refinery would be the first one built in the United States in 30 years and some claim it will be the "cleanest" one ever built.

"It is absolutely true, if this refinery is built, it will be the cleanest refinery ever built," Cunningham told the crowd at The Crossing restaurant. "But then the Titanic was safest boat ever built. Man can not build things perfectly."

But that doesn't mean you don't try, Engle said.

"I'm really glad after the Titanic sank they didn't stop building ships because I've been on a cruise and it was the best vacation I ever had," she said. "I would love to see this oil refinery replace all of our oil refineries in the United States."

Phoenix-based Arizona Clean Fuels is trying to build an oil refinery on vacant desert land 40 miles east of Yuma. The company would like to start construction by 2006.

Right now, the company is waiting for the Environmental Protection Agency to announce a decision on a draft permit which was written by the Arizona Department of Environ- mental Quality. The permit sets the maximum allowable emissions standards and compliance rules for the refinery.

That announcement is expected to come on March 21.

Supporters of the refinery say it will generate property tax revenue and provide 600 new jobs to the county.

Refinery opponents agreed that will happen, but it will also have a detrimental effect on the environment.

"We're not saying don't build it," Cunningham said. "Make the monitoring (information) publicly available. Don't keep it locked up in a room in a secret room where you can jack around with the figures. We just feel this is a reasonable thing to do."

Regulation by ADEQ and EPA is what everyone wants, Engle added.

"We want nothing more than strict monitoring," she said. "We want those answers too. We are opposed to people using emotional-based arguments for something that could benefit the entire United States, the entire world".

The two did agreed that it was unlikely this refinery will get built.

"We may be arguing about something that may never happen," Engle said.

Michelle Volkmann can be reached at
mvolkmann@yumasun.com or 539-6855.

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