What
is Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma?
Arizona
Clean Fuels Yuma, LLC is a company dedicated to producing
the cleanest burning gasoline, diesel and jet fuel that can
be produced in the United States today. To this end, Arizona
Clean Fuels Yuma is building a refinery in Arizona which,
when completed, will be the most advanced fuel refinery in
North America.
Where
will the refinery be built?
The Arizona Clean
Fuels Yuma refinery is planned for a remote area about 100
miles southwest of Phoenix and about 48 miles east of Yuma
in Yuma County on the north side of Interstate 8.
What
do you mean when you say the "cleanest fuel"?
The fuels
produced at the proposed refinery will meet or exceed all
current and projected product quality requirements that impact
emissions from users such as automobiles, trucks, trains and
airplanes. These ultra clean burning fuels allow for the introduction
of the new generation gasoline and diesel engines that operate
virtually pollution free.
What
will this refinery mean to me in Arizona?
Arizona
consumers are presently at the mercy of refineries that operate
in California or Texas. This leads to price and supply fluctuations
that negatively affect Arizona drivers. The Arizona Clean
Fuels Yuma refinery will go a great distance toward correcting
this problem, acting as a ready supply for Arizona. But that's
not the best news. The net effect of a cleaner burning fuel
being used in our state means tons of exhaust pollution that
would have gone into the air, instead will not go into the
air. Indeed, as recent experience proves, people are not ready
to give up the freedom that comes with the automobile…
and big trucks will continue to roll down the highways delivering
goods to their final destinations. In light of these facts,
a cleaner burning fuel is the most powerful and practical
weapon that we have to fight for clean air in Arizona. And
the Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma refinery is being built for that
purpose.
How big
is it?
The plant
is a huge economic investment. Owners of the project (many
of whom call Arizona home) are planning to spend well over
three billion dollars constructing the refinery. When complete,
the plant is expected to employ hundreds of people and pay
tens of millions of dollars annually in taxes - Even more
if you count the businesses that will be created and employees
hired as a result of the ripple effect the refinery will have
on the local economy. The site covers approximately 1,400
acres of land with an additional 155 acres of land area surrounding
the facility that will be used as a buffer zone and for additional
offshoot industries.
How
much fuel will it produce?
The plant will
be able to produce approximately 6 million gallons per day
of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
When
will the refinery be up and running?
Once the
necessary permits are obtained, Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma will
immediately begin construction of the refinery - a three to
four year process. Obtaining permits to build and operate
the facility is not an easy task, as government regulators
at all levels have developed stringent rules and guidelines
that must be followed. We anticipate full operation in late
2013.
Won't
this refinery be a major source of pollution?
Just as
technology has advanced and changed our lives, so has technology
advanced and changed the way oil is refined. Yes, refineries
do produce emissions and ours will not be an exception. Neither
will the emissions have an impact on the people living in
the area near the refinery. The project will be the most remote
site compared to other existing refinery locations in the
southwestern U.S.
Will
it affect the Yuma area air quality?
The Arizona
Department of Environmental Quality would not have issued
a permit if the Department determined the refinery would have
a significant adverse impact on air quality. The important
fact to keep in mind with regard to emissions is this: what
counts is the net effect. The net effect of cleaner gasoline
and diesel being used by consumers in Arizona means car/truck
pollution that would have gone into our air will not go into
our air because of the Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma refinery.
I've
seen pictures of refineries with tall stacks belching black
smoke. Is this what we can expect?
Absolutely
not. Technology has come a long way since the days when refineries
put out black smoke for the entire world to see and breathe.
The Arizona Clean Fuels Yuma refinery will be the newest in
the nation complete with the Best Available Control Technology
as required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency
and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. The refinery
won't emit any black smoke to be seen or breathed, in fact,
the only visible emission from the plant will be steam.
What
about other environmental impacts?
The Arizona
Clean Fuels Yuma refinery will meet or exceed all of the many
rules and regulations regarding our environment. No radioactive
or other such extremely hazardous wastes or chemicals will
be created or used at the site, nor will hydrofluoric or sulfuric
acids be used.
Is water
a problem?
The project
will use approximately the same amount of water that a cotton
farmer on the property would use to grow cotton or citrus.
The water will come from the Colorado River and backup water
would come from underground wells. Additionally, the refinery
is being designed with a sophisticated water recycling system
that will make wise use of this precious resource.
What
about safety?
Arizona
Clean Fuels Yuma intends to be an industry leader in refinery
safety. We will rigidly adhere to and enforce both mandatory
and voluntary stringent safety requirements in order to protect
the health and safety of all employees, contractors and the
public. Special emphasis will be placed on hazard prevention,
assessment and communication. We will meet or exceed all state
and federal OSHA regulations. And, before any employee is
allowed to entire the site, he or she shall be required to
have a minimum of 10 hours of OSHA training and retraining.
We will have full-time personnel devoted solely to on-site
safety monitoring and enforcement. Our emergency response
team will be capable of handling any facility event and will
work with all state and local government agencies in cooperative
training and response programs. In addition, we will maintain
a drug and alcohol-free workplace, including implementation
of an aggressive, random drug-testing program.
Is Arizona
ready for this? Do we really need a refinery in our state?
Arizona
is one of the fastest growing states in the country. Currently,
all of our fuel supply comes from out-of-state, which puts
consumers in Arizona at a severe disadvantage. Unstable prices
and unsteady supply that we all have recently experienced
are only two of the many problems that can be at least partially
solved with an instate refinery.
What
type of employment opportunities will the project create?
The refinery
project expects to provide numerous jobs during the course
of construction and operation. Over 3000 people will be needed
to construct the refinery and over 600 jobs will be created
in order to operate the refinery and its ancillary components.
All hiring
information will be posted to this website as it becomes available.
Thank you for your continuing interest in this important Arizona
project.
