Cherry Point refineries make donations to Covid-19 relief efforts

The two refineries in Whatcom County’s Cherry Point industrial zone, BP and Phillips 66, have made donations to assist with Covid-19 relief efforts.

In an April 29 news release, BP said that it will supply three million gallons of jet fuel to FedEx Express charter flights and Alaska Airlines at no cost to support the timely delivery of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essential goods to areas of the U.S. at greatest risk for Covid-19.

The London-based multinational energy company said that it will offset the carbon emissions of all donated fuel deliveries.

“Frontline medical providers depend on PPE to treat patients suffering from Covid-19 and to save lives,” said Susan Dio, chairman and president of BP America. “BP is working to help deliver this equipment quickly by donating jet fuel to air carriers who will get supplies where they need to go.”

The donation to FedEx Express will be used for international air transportation to and from the U.S. to deliver medical supplies including gloves, gowns, ventilators and masks. Supplies will be directed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to communities in greatest need based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The fuel will be supplied by BP’s Whiting refinery in Whiting, Indiana and BP’s Cherry Point refinery in Blaine and will be delivered to the Chicago O’Hare and Seattle-Tacoma International airports, respectively. The fuel will supply more than 45 FedEx Express charter flights for HHS.

Fuel will also be donated from BP’s Cherry Point refinery to Alaska Airlines to support the availability of food, medical supplies, mail and emergency transportation in several remote Alaska communities.

In an April 16 news release, Houston-based Phillips 66 announced that it will contribute $3 million to Covid-19 relief efforts in the U.S. and U.K. Locally, the Phillips 66 Ferndale refinery is donating $50,000 as part of the overall contribution, including $25,000 to the Whatcom Community Foundation Resilience Fund and $12,500 each to the Ferndale and Bellingham food banks.

Local Phillips 66 employees have also been supporting Whatcom County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) by filling roles within the Whatcom Unified Command structure in logistics, planning and safety. “Their collective volunteer efforts reflect close to 400 hours of service,” said the company’s release.

In March, the Phillips 66 Ferndale refinery donated an initial $60,000 to the county’s EOC for response management software support and training, and it also provided masks and gloves to Whatcom Unified Command, the multi-government group that is overseeing virus response in Whatcom County.