Geelong Advertiser: Shell hopes to shed bad tag: “SHELL hopes to go from environmental felon to marvel under a new $28 million water plan to eliminate the refinery's dependency on Corio Bay.” (ShellNews.net) 23 Nov 04

Tuesday, November 23 2004

REBECCA TUCKER

SHELL hopes to go from environmental felon to marvel under a new $28 million water plan to eliminate the refinery's dependency on Corio Bay.

The new seven-year water master plan to be signed-off on tomorrow is one of 150 projects for the next three years.

Plans for the water project began before an independent audit of the refinery 1-1/2 years ago.

The plan includes oil and water detectors which were among 45 recommendations identified after an independent audit last year. Auditor Mike Juleff criticised the detectors' lack of implementation during an update on the refinery's progress in August.

Mr Juleff suggested the detectors could have prevented Shell's latest oil spill last month.

Geelong Refinery manger Geoff Ellison said Shell was working hard to minimise environmental risks but could ``not guarantee that there will be no incidents.''

``We know that it will take time for these projects to be completed,'' Mr Ellison said.

He said the water plan was ``an extremely large project and when it is finished, it will result in the refinery having made significant changes to its cooling and process water systems.''

``What all this demonstrates is that enormous amounts of money and energy are being applied by Shell across a very wide range of activities in the refinery.''

Tomorrow Shell will also officially unveil its new $160 million plant to provide ultra low sulphur diesel to Australia.

Mr Ellison said the plant would enable improved air quality throughout Australia, particularly in city areas.

Shell Geelong produces fuel to most of Australia and supplies half of Victoria's fuel, all of Tasmania's fuel and exports to New Zealand.

http://www.geelonginfo.com.au/readarticle.asp?articleid=13783