2015 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 28
BY SENATORS CROWE AND MORRELL
A RESOLUTION
To commend the ExxonMobil Chalmette Refinery for one hundred years of operation in St.
Bernard Parish, Louisiana, and the commitment to Louisiana demonstrated by such
a long-standing presence in the state and to recognize Monday, April 20, 2015, as
"ExxonMobil Day" at the Louisiana State Senate.
WHEREAS, the Chalmette Refinery was constructed in 1915 and is located on four
hundred acres of the former De La Ronde Plantation near Chalmette Historical Park, the site
of the last major battle of the War of 1812, the Battle of New Orleans, a significant victory
for the young United States of America; and
WHEREAS, the current refinery is a mid-sized facility that receives crude primarily
from wells off Louisiana's Gulf of Mexico coast and from Venezuela because the facility is
uniquely equipped to refine the heavy crude oil produced in Venezuela; and
WHEREAS, the Chalmette Refinery, a joint venture of affiliates Petróleos de
Venezuela, S.A. and ExxonMobil, employs approximately one thousand employees and
contractors; and
WHEREAS, the refinery employs a dedicated and highly-skilled workforce
responsible for operating the facility, twenty-four hours each day of the year, who also are
involved members of the community of St. Bernard Parish and surrounding areas; and
WHEREAS, in the post-Hurricane Katrina world of St. Bernard Parish, the
Chalmette Refinery has been a focus for community survival and rebuilding, at one point
serving as the command post for hurricane response and rescue due to its advantageous
location on high ground in the parish; and
WHEREAS, once attentions turned to rebuilding the parish, ExxonMobil and the
ExxonMobil Foundation donated twenty-three million dollars for hurricane recovery for the
entire New Orleans area, with more than four million dollars for St. Bernard Parish schools
alone, and two million dollars for a new cultural arts center for the school district; and
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WHEREAS, as the largest employer and taxpayer in St. Bernard Parish, ExxonMobil
understands its role as the leader of efforts by employers in the parish to both enrich and
better the lives of those working in and living near the Chalmette Refinery; and
WHEREAS, the ExxonMobil employees at the refinery contribute to the community
through volunteer participation in a wide range of charitable organizations, including the
Greater New Orleans United Way, the Nunez Community College Process Technology
Program, the St. Bernard Chapter of the American Red Cross Super CPR Saturday, and the
Special Olympics; and
WHEREAS, the Chalmette Refinery helps fund the Green Team Summer Youth
Employment Program and the New Orleans Ballet after-school dance program in Chalmette
and Algiers, Louisiana, helping to enrich the cultural life of St. Bernard Parish; and
WHEREAS, the refinery also involves itself in environmental projects that better the
lives of the residents of St. Bernard, especially through the provision of funds and resources
for the care of the Pakenham live oak trees, which have been a project of the refinery for
more than twenty-five years; and
WHEREAS, ExxonMobil and the Chalmette refinery also focus on improving
science and math education, encouraging employees to devote time to such activities as the
Science Ambassador Program, tours of the refinery, Engineering Week activities, and
science fair judging; and
WHEREAS, the original Chalmette refinery was built at a time when the primary
product was kerosene, used for lighting in homes and businesses, but with the discovery of
oil and the growing popularity of automobiles, gasoline soon became the primary product
of the refinery; and
WHEREAS, with the advent of gasoline engines in both automobiles and boats, the
refinery found a customer base in fueling boats used to deliver produce and fruits along the
Mississippi River, particularly those boats owned by the Vaccaro brothers, Joseph, Felis, and
Luca, who purchased the refinery and changed its name to the Chalmette Oil and Refining
Company; and
WHEREAS, the Vaccaro brothers owned the refinery until 1944 when it was sold
to Bay Petroleum, which, in 1953, sold the facility to Tennessee Gas Company, which later
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became Tenneco Oil Company; and
WHEREAS, in 1988, Tenneco Oil sold the refinery to the Mobil Corporation, a
corporation that merged with Exxon in 1998, thus bringing the refinery to the newly
combined corporation, ExxonMobil; and
WHEREAS, the designation of ExxonMobil Day at the Louisiana State Senate
recognizes the contributions of ExxonMobil and its thousands of employees and retirees to
the vibrant life in Louisiana and seeks to spotlight the volunteer activities and the
commitment to bettering life for all Louisiana citizens through nonprofit organizations that
range from local food banks to the cultural activities and festivals that seek to celebrate life
in the unique state of Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend the ExxonMobil Chalmette Refinery for one hundred years of
operation in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, and the commitment to Louisiana demonstrated
by such a long-standing presence in the state.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does
hereby recognize Monday, April 20, 2015, as "ExxonMobil Day" at the Louisiana State
Senate.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
ExxonMobil Chalmette Refinery.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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