This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Woods Cross
Like many Utahns who grew up in the Salt Lake Valley prior to construction of Interstate 15, HollyFrontier refinery environmental manager Mike Astin remembers the drive to Lagoon seemed to last forever.
The five oil refineries built within a few miles of one another in northern Salt Lake and southern Davis County with the flames coming out of their safety stacks proved to be landmarks. When we passed the refinery where Astin works, we could rejoice. The white roller coaster would soon be within sight.
"We used to wonder why the refineries were built way out in the country," said Astin. "They seemed like a far distance away. Back then, we wondered why they didn't bring this closer to the people."
Now, as Tesoro and HollyFrontier propose major expansions, some residents wonder why the refineries were built so close to Utah's population center.
I always was curious about why they were built on the outskirts of downtown Salt Lake City.
A fascinating piece written by Don Strack on utahrails.net traces the development of the refineries in what was once a fairly rural part of the Wasatch Front to the fact they were near the Union Pacific Railroad line.
According to Strack, the refinery now operated by Tesoro was opened in 1909. The HollyFrontier facility began operations in 1932, followed by Chevron in 1948, Flying J in 1949, and the Woods Cross Refinery in 1954.
Researching further, I met with Astin, HollyFrontier refinery manager Lynn Keddington and Lee Peacock, president of the Utah Petroleum Association recently to learn more.
Peacock said the five refineries produce roughly 1 billion gallons of gasoline and 1 billion gallons of diesel and jet fuel annually. Though some of this product might be shipped to Las Vegas or north, the refineries roughly refine enough fuel to keep Utah's cars and trucks running each year.
They produce high-paying jobs as well, directly employing between 900 and 1,000 people and indirectly giving jobs to another 10,000 vendors and contractors. The average salary at HollyFrontier is $81,000 a year.
So, what's the deal with the flares so obvious from the road?
Keddington said they serve as safety valves, much like a valve works to release steam or hot water from a home water heater to keep it from exploding. Much of what is being burned consists of natural gas used to purge lines carrying product.
"They are like a great big pilot light," he said. "We have an alarm if the flame goes out. I hate those as much as anyone [because they burn product that might be sold] but they are a safety device."
HollyFrontier has been hosting a number of open houses for people living nearby in an effort to explain its expansion process.
That promises to be an interesting and informative debate as refinery row's five big plants continue to churn out fuel for a gas-starved state.
Twitter @tribtomwharton