When GVEA was actively interested in being a part of the project to truck natural gas to Fairbanks the past couple of years, specifically to get a supply to their North Pole generation facilities, Flint Hills was also invited to the table. Governor Parnell actually met with all the parties in 2013. Flint Hills was asked about sharing some of their plans so that funding could be more forthcoming from the state. Instead of cooperating, I was told that Flint Hills walked away and said they would not be involved in any way. It would seem that their own secret business plans were more important than reducing the cost of energy from operating the refinery. It kind of reminds me of their 'interested parties to buy the refinery', but only if Flint Hills could get off the hook for sulfolene cleanup, something they didn't adequately account for in their purchase agreement of the refinery from Williams Companies in 2004. The refinery started operation in 1977 under Earth Resources, then was sold to Mapco in 1980, then was sold to Williams in 1998.
I thought I would share this 1979 North Pole Refinery Energy study that the FNSB produced. It doesn't have any mention of environmental cost of pollution from spills, but had some other interesting numbers. A chance to look at a bit of history.
