Lévis, September 23, 2016 – The project to enhance tanks at Valero's Jean Gaulin Refinery marine terminal was officially unveiled today in Lévis. The two frescoes, which are visible from the bike path bordering the St. Lawrence River, depict a historic image of the St. Lawrence and are 15 metres high and 27 metres in diameter. The project, the costs of which are being covered completely by the Jean Gaulin Refinery, is part of a $5 million enhancement program announced in June 2015 to address the concerns that the public expressed through the liaison committee consisting of company stakeholders, various organizations including the City of Lévis and the community.
"I salute Valero Energy's commitment to its community and its sustainable development efforts. By creating these magnificent frescoes in cooperation with local stakeholders, the company has responded to concerns expressed by the public, to whom we wish to provide a quality living environment. Valero Energy's vision fits nicely with the new initiative embraced by the City of Lévis, which is particularly aimed at enhancing the river and its affluents, major urban parks and the interconnectedness of its bicycle paths," said Gilles Lehouillier, the Mayor of Lévis, at the official unveiling of the frescoes.
"We are very happy with the comments we have received since the work started in July. This further confirms the merits of the interventions we have made in cooperation with the people from the area. It is a source of pride for Valero Energy and all of its employees to deliver concrete initiatives that can positively impact the community," said Ms. Martine Péloquin, the General Manager of Valero Energy's Jean Gaulin Refinery.
New phases to come
The enhancement project was conducted by a working group that was formed by the community liaison committee where the refinery is located, along with experts. For the terminal's tanks, a choice was made to go with a trompe-l'oeil adaptation of an 1870 picture from the McCord Museum, depicting the industrial past of Lévis and the importance the river has had in its development.
"Today, thanks to the cooperation between liaison committee members, the working group and Valero Energy, we can appreciate the image conveyed by these frescoes. They have become a socially acceptable balm on these two tanks which were long perceived as intruders in the landscape," stated Alexandre Faber, Chair of the Community Liaison Committee involving the Valero Energy Jean Gaulin Refinery.
The enhancement program of the refinery's marine facilities will now continue with the phase-by-phase installation of a stylized screen to attenuate the presence of pipes bordering the river.
"The working group is pleased with the completion of this initial phase of the enhancement of the dock area and wishes to thank Valero Energy for the efforts it has made to bring this project to fruition. The members of the group have enthusiastically agreed to continue their involvement in future phases of the program," said Émilien Bouffard, spokesman for the liaison committee enhancement working group and president of the St. Laurent street enhancement group.
About Valero
Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, is an international manufacturer and marketer of transportation fuels, other petrochemical products and power. Valero subsidiaries employ approximately 10,000 people and its assets include 15 petroleum refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3 million barrels per day, 11 ethanol plants with a combined production capacity of 4.9 billion litres per year, a 50-megawatt wind farm, and renewable diesel production from a joint venture. Through subsidiaries, Valero owns the general partner of Valero Energy Partners LP (NYSE: VLP), a midstream master limited partnership. Approximately 7,500 outlets carry the Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, and Beacon brands in the United States and the Caribbean, Ultramar in Canada and Texaco in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Valero is a Fortune 500 company based in San Antonio. Please visit www.valero.com for more information.
Canadian operations
Valero Energy Inc. owns and operates the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis, which has a refining capacity of some 265,000 barrels per day, along with several other logistics infrastructures in Eastern Canada, including the Montreal East oil terminal, the most important of its kind in Canada, and the Pipeline Saint-Laurent that links the Lévis refinery and its Montreal facilities. Its Canadian operations also make it a leader, among others, in the field of industrial and commercial sales of petroleum products, and as a supplier to resellers and independent distributors. Valero Energy Inc. is wholly owned by Valero Energy Corporation.
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