Responsibilities

Building Trust and Understanding

Serving as a liaison between the refinery and surrounding communities, the Community Advisory Council to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend Refinery (CAC) strives to promote open communication, awareness and shared knowledge. By fostering a collaborative atmosphere where residents and refinery representatives can openly exchange ideas and concerns, the CAC aims to build mutual trust and understanding. The CAC focuses on two important areas: safety and the environment.

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SAFETY

The CAC partners with Flint Hills Resources on enhanced refinery safety programs and community initiatives. The CAC:

  • Reviews safety concerns and hazards in the refining industry.

  • Learns about Flint Hills Resources’ industry-leading safety programs.

  • Discusses proactive steps with Flint Hills Resources to reduce the risk of accidents.

The Pine Bend refinery provides the CAC with information on safety and security reports, including the refinery’s fire department, paramedic team, railroad safety efforts and general OSHA recordable safety incident data.

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Impact: Emergency Notification System

The CAC helped establish the Flint Hills Resources Emergency Notification system through the Dakota County Communications Center. The system keeps the community informed about incidents or emergency situations, providing neighbors with the option of receiving emergency alerts by phone, text or email. This is one of the many ways that the CAC works with the Pine Bend refinery to ensure safety. 

ENVIRONMENT

The CAC acts as a bridge between the community and Flint Hills Resources on environmental issues related to air, water, solid waste and other areas. The CAC:

  • Reviews, discusses and responds to various environmental issues or studies.

  • Coordinates with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Flint Hills Resources environmental team on an in-depth review and analysis of ambient air monitoring samples.

  • Provides timely feedback to Flint Hills Resources regarding refinery water usage and many other important issues impacting the refinery and its neighbors.

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Impact: Air Monitors and Water Conservation

In partnership with the MPCA and Flint Hills Resources, the CAC helped lead and inform the placement of air monitors near the refinery. The CAC coordinates annually with the MPCA on an in-depth review and analysis of the samples collected at the air monitors around the refinery. In addition, the CAC helped inform the Pine Bend refinery’s water conservation and treatment program. Today, the refinery’s wastewater treatment plant successfully processes 3.5 million gallons of water per day and has been recognized as an outstanding wastewater treatment operator by the MPCA.