When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast in August and September 2005, they devastated the region in a way it had never seen before. It took years for much of the area to recover and some parts were never the same. In August 2014, CITGO Petroleum Corp. launched its Caring for Our Coast initiative to commemorate the resilience and recovery of areas along the Gulf Coast.
“As a company with operations in the Gulf Coast, we remember the events of a decade ago vividly because we saw firsthand the devastation caused by these hurricanes in our communities, employees and operations,” said Nelson P. Martinez, CITGO Petroleum Corp. president and CEO. “We were there in the hours after both hurricanes arrived ashore, providing funds and fuel to non-governmental organizations (NGO) and first responders, and personally helping evacuees out of harm’s way. Our employees at the Lake Charles Refinery worked selflessly to bring our operations back in record time so we could provide the fuel and products so desperately needed in the region.”
CITGO has been a community partner in the Gulf Coast area for decades. In 2015, the CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery in Texas will celebrate 80 years of service and its Lake Charles Refinery in Louisiana celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2014. Following the massive flooding of the 2005 hurricanes, CITGO donated $5 million to Lake Charles’ SWLA Center for Health Services to help expand clinic capacity and health care services.
The Caring for Our Coast initiative is designed to promote conservation and restoration of coastal and other natural habitats through a yearlong series of volunteer projects and educational programs. So far, the initiative has organized events in partnership with environmental and educational organizations in New Orleans and Holly Beach, Louisiana, and Corpus Christi and High Island, Texas. With the assistance of 1,225 volunteers, Caring for Our Coast has collected 231 pounds of trash, planted 70,200 grass plugs, trees and bushes, and aided in the conservation and restoration of 81 acres of coastal wetlands.
“CITGO is committed to social responsibility in environmental stewardship and to being a good neighbor,” Martinez said. “The Caring for Our Coast initiative brings people together in our local communities, including our employees, environmental organizations, consumers, local schools and industry stakeholders. By doing so, we are able to better protect our environment together, and spread knowledge about the importance of conservation and restoration near the areas where we live.”
The severe weather that regularly impacts the Gulf Coast has caused significant coastal change through erosion of beaches, dunes and disappearing wetlands. The Louisiana coast loses nearly 25 square miles of land every year, including critical wetlands that act as natural habitats to thousands of native species. The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana has said the erosion is possibly the largest preventable environmental crisis in the U.S.
“We are committed to environmental stewardship and engaging our communities in our efforts,” Martinez stated. “Our goal is to continue using the strength of our resources to better protect our environment through safe operations and the promotion of education for the next generation.”
To build on the success of the program, CITGO plans to continue working with its NGO partners with follow-up projects in 2015.
“In addition to the continued support, CITGO will expand its programming along the Gulf Coast through grants to other exemplary organizations working on the ground in the Gulf Coast,” Martinez explained. “The year will culminate in events to commemorate the 10 years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita impacted New Orleans and the Lake Charles area.”
For more information, visit http://citgocaringforourcoast.com or call (800) 992-4846.
