Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Profile
Marathon Petroleum is a fossil fuel company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, that was created by the merger of three companies Marathon Oil (previously Ohio Oil Company), Ashland Refining and Tesoro Refining. The merged company is the largest producer of refined petroleum products in the United States, with 16 refineries across the country including the Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas and the Garyville Refinery in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, two of the three biggest refineries in the country.* The Michigan and Louisiana refineries are located in major industrial zones with dozens of other polluting facilities and have been protested regularly by local communities who have suffered serious breathing problems and high cancer rates. In 2020, Marathon agreed to pay out $360,000 for air pollution at the Detroit refinery while several workers were hospitalized in a major explosion at the Garyville refinery in February 2022. Additionally the Texas City, Texas, refinery experienced a large oil leak from a storage tank as well as a hydrogen fluoride leak in 2021 that injured several workers.
Petroleum, Petrochemicals, Gasoline.
Violations
| Top 5 Offense Groups (Groups Defined) | Penalty Total | Number of Records |
|---|---|---|
| environment-related offenses | $1,387,585,659 | 218 |
| employment-related offenses | $44,142,966 | 12 |
| safety-related offenses | $40,621,603 | 109 |
| consumer-protection-related offenses | $22,500,000 | 1 |
| financial offenses | $20,011,655 | 2 |
(September 30, 2022)
Stories
Activism
Locked-out Marathon Petroleum workers win growing support
Nick Neeser | The Militant | March 22, 2021
The 200 locked-out members of Teamsters Local 120 continue to win support and solidarity in their fight for safety against Marathon Petroleum refinery bosses here. Marathon is the largest oil refining company in the U.S.
Group protests Marathon refinery in wake of oil vapor cloud
Charles Ramirez | The Detroit News | September 13, 2019
A group called on the governor and state officials Friday to hold the owner of a southwest Detroit oil refinery accountable for emissions it puts into the air.
- American Friends Service Committe: Investigate
- Center for Health, Environment & Justice
- ExxonKnew
- Greenpeace
- Oil Change International/Price of Oil
- Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families
- Union of Concerned Scientists
- A Community Voice
- Alliance for Affordable Energy
- Climate Reality New Orleans
- Coalition Against Death Alley
- Healthy Gulf
- Justice and Beyond
- Louisiana Bucket Brigade
- Louisiana League of Conscious Voters
- New Orleans Office Sierra Club
- Poor Peoples Campaign
- SouthWings
- Sunrise Movement, New Orleans
- RISE St. James
- 350 New Orleans
& Lawsuits
Marathon agrees to $80K fine, $280K community investment after 2019 broken pipe dilemma
Rod Meloni | Click On Detroit | July 28, 2020
On Tuesday night, Marathon Petroleum and its surrounding neighborhood have a tentative deal in the dispute over noxious odors emitted into the air there.
Marathon Petroleum to Cut Air Pollution, Fed Fines $334.6M
Zacks Equity Research | Yahoo Finance | June 10, 2020
Leading independent refiner, transporter and marketer of petroleum products, Marathon Petroleum Corporation MPC, has agreed to spend $334.6 million to settle a dispute over refinery pollution across five U.S. states. The company will also pay a $326,000 civil penalty.
Environmental Impacts
Hydrogen fluoride leak at Marathon’s Galveston Bay refinery came from piping
Erwin Seba | Reuters | May 5, 2021
Marathon Petroleum Corp is investigating what caused a toxic chemical release that injured two workers on Tuesday at a Texas City oil refinery, a spokesman said, as the U.S. industrial safety watchdog also began looking into the incident.
24 Hours Later, Officials Are Still Cleaning Up Crude Oil Spill at Texas Refinery
Sophie Hirsch | Green Matters | October 7, 2021
Most of the time, the phrase oil “spill” is a bit of an understatement. And that’s absolutely true of the Marathon Petroleum oil spill that happened in Texas City this week. A leak caused oil to cascade out of a storage tank, flooding the ground, shutting down a nearby road, and causing concern for locals and environmentalists.
Oil spill at Texas City refinery prompts road closures and clean-up response
ABC 13 | October 6, 2021
A crude oil leak at a Texas City refinery has forced the closure of at least one road in the area.
PERI Pollution Indexes
Based on United States Environmental Protection Agency data ranking the top 100 worst polluters.
& Relations
Union ends Marathon refinery strike in St. Paul Park
Bob Shaw | Twin Cities Pioneer Press | July 1, 2021
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 120 announced Thursday that their workers would be returning to the job, after members approved a six-year contract offer from the company.
Union raises safety concerns about refinery
John Croman | Care11 | April 27, 2021
Union workers who've been locked out of the Marathon Refinery in the south metro suburb since January say they're worried about potential safety hazards. In fact, a group of labor unions issued a report this week, sounding the alarm about replacement workers' lack of knowledge and experience.
Dispute idling 200 workers at St. Paul Park refinery enters its 8th week
Mike Hughlett | Star Tribune | March 11, 2021
A work stoppage at Marathon Petroleum's St. Paul Park refinery is entering its eighth week with no end in sight.
Financials
Note: Most recent list is not always the most complete list.
- Marathon Petroleum Subsidies (via U.S. SEC 2020)
- Marathon Petroleum Subsidies (via U.S. SEC 2018)
- Marathon Petroleum Subsidies (via U.S. SEC 2017)
Croctail Subsidiary Tool using the CorpWatch API - This API extracts the subsidiary relationship information from Exhibit 21 of companies' 10-K filings with the US SEC.
- CIK numbers link to SEC database (EDGAR)
- Section 21 links to SEC list of companies.
- Marathon Petroleum Croctail Profile
Click here for the latest data.
Political Influence
Open Secrets - Tracks corporate lobbying of US politicians.
OpenSecrets.org Profile of Marathon Petroleum
Import & Export Data
ImportYeti - Shipping Tracking Tool - Bill of ladings are public information that are too cost prohibitive, challenging to obtain and difficult to use for the average joe. ImportYeti's goal is to solve that problem.
- ImportYeti Profile of Marathon Petroleum
& Evasion
Marathon Petroleum, accused of fraudulently seeking tax exemption, asks commerce board to defer vote on its request
Sara Sneath | Louisiana Illuminator | November 13, 2020
A state board deferred consideration of $43 million in tax breaks for Marathon Petroleum Friday after claims that the company falsified public records to avoid going to St. John the Baptist Parish officials for approval.
Marathon Petroleum takes bailout tax breaks while pumping pollutants into poor communities during a pulmonary pandemic
Sarah Thomas & Nathan Heffernan | Greenpeace | July 13, 2020
Fossil fuel companies have reaped millions of dollars in benefits from a stimulus package intended to help struggling Americans and the economy. Among these is Marathon Petroleum, the largest oil refiner in the country, which has a history of air pollution violations impacting low-income and Black and Brown communities.
Marathon Petroleum halts projects at St. Paul Park refinery until next year
Lauren Sanicola | Reuters | July 8, 2020
U.S. refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp is delaying all maintenance projects at its 102,000 barrel-per-day St. Paul Park, Minnesota, refinery for 2020, a source familiar with the matter said, amid concerns related to the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Procurement
Marathon Petroleum contracts with the U.S. Federal Government (via USA Spending)