CAC Responsibilities

The Community Advisory Council to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend Refinery serves as a liaison between the refinery and surrounding communities. The Council strives to promote open communication, awareness, and shared knowledge by focusing on three key areas:

  • Safety
  • Environmental
  • Community Health

Council members support the above three focus areas, and throughout each term, look for presentations, topics, discussions, and refinery activity driven by these  themes.  This further builds the trust and understanding between the refinery, the council, and the citizens that live in the communities served by the council.

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Safety

The CAC provides recommendations to Flint Hills Resources on enhanced refinery safety programs and community initiatives. In addition, the CAC reviews safety concerns and hazards happening at other refineries, learning about Flint Hills Resources’ award winning safety programs and discussing proactive steps to reduce the risk for accidents with the refinery. This includes helping establish the FHR Emergency Notification through the Dakota County Communications Center.

To learn more about the Dakota County’s emergency notification call system, or to self-register, please go to http://www.mn-dcc.org and click on the Community Notification tab.

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Environmental

The CAC reviews, prioritizes, studies and makes recommendations to the other members—and ultimately Flint Hills Resources —on issues related to air, water, solid waste, and other environmental areas from both a community and a regulatory perspective. The CAC works with independent consultants to collect and review data and to assist in making recommendations.

Since the Council’s inception in 1998, the CAC has taken a very proactive approach in understanding highly technical data and seeking third-party expertise, while involving the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency as well as Flint Hills Resources’ environmental team.

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Health

The CAC is focused on the ongoing personal and community health of residents within the council’s proximity. While health does overlap both safety and environmental responsibilities, constantly changing regulation, laws, and scientific studies have elevated this theme within the council.

Since the Pine Bend Refinery is recognized as a very clean and environmentally conscious facility, the council wants to ensure both themselves and residents don’t become inattentive to potential future concerns that could arise. A continuous focus on health is a critical pillar to the council’s efforts, and will guide much of the conversation with the refinery.

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