In 1999, Marathon was one of the first companies to become a pioneer company in the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association Responsible Care® Partnership Initiative, which focuses on improvement through implementation of key HES practices.
Marathon’s activities under the Responsible Care initiative include sponsoring programs to meet each of the six Codes of Management Practice and sharing information with the public about the Responsible Care initiative.
All seven Marathon refineries currently have active Community Advisory Panels (CAP) that have been organized to fit the framework of Responsible Care. Each refinery has made presentations about the Responsible Care initiatives to their CAP and local civic organizations. Marathon’s product terminals are sponsoring Responsible Care days, educating transport drivers and the public about the program. Similarly, Responsible Care displays have been prominently displayed at open houses held at Marathon refineries.
Marathon refineries continue to play an important role in promoting the quality of life in the areas where they operate. The refinery employees contribute time and resources for community enhancement through such activities as United Way, community emergency planning, hazardous waste collection, volunteer firefighting, local government administration, law enforcement and education support, vocational training promotion, and through an overriding commitment to ethical business conduct.
The Robinson refinery conducted a community survey in 2008 soliciting feedback from neighbors and community leaders. There were three methods of surveying: door-to-door canvassing of neighbors, soliciting at local festivals, and targeted mailing to community leaders. Nearly 700 surveys were completed, representing 3.4 percent of the Crawford County population. The results of the survey were overwhelmingly positive.
The Robinson refinery’s Committee for Awareness and Responsibility for Environmental Stewardship (C.A.R.E.S.) is a “Green Team” with a mission to bring awareness of environmental issues and practices to the attention of Marathon employees, their families and the Robinson community. The C.A.R.E.S. Committee hosts an annual Household Hazardous Waste Day and Waste Tire Collection Day (both co-sponsored with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency); sponsors Conservation Day for local students (co-sponsored with the University of Illinois Extension Office), and promotes recycling throughout the refinery The committee also has obtained WasteWise certification for the refinery and LEED certification for the Main Office building.