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Irving Oil Becomes First Oil Company to Receive USEPA Clean Air Award

At a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Irving Oil became the first oil company to win a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Air Excellence Award. The company received the award for producing low sulphur gasoline three years ahead of regulation. Low sulphur gasoline improves air quality, vehicle performance and has health and environmental benefits.

Irving Oil has been making low sulphur gasoline since 1999 and was the first in North America to commission full-scale desulfurization technology at its refinery in 2000. Because of these changes, Irving Oil's low sulfur gasoline met 2004 EPA sulfur standards more than three years ahead of schedule.

"Why did we make the decision to move ahead of regulation? It was the right thing to do," says Kenneth Irving. "We searched the world for state of the art technology and made a significant investment, but the key factor in our decision was the confidence we had in our people to make it work. Our people believed in this innovation and worked hard to take the concept from the drawing board to the pump. We are really, really excited about being recognized by the EPA for our commitment to cleaner air."

Irving Oil accounted for over 75% of Canada's gasoline exports to the United States and 19.9% of all US gasoline imports in 2001. The company brings over 150,000 barrels of petroleum products into the Northeastern US market every day.

"I am proud to honor these pioneering individuals and organizations for using creative ideas, showing once again, that government and industry working together can achieve a healthy environment without sacrificing economic growth," said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. "The winners of the Clean Air Excellence Awards are real life examples of how one person ? or one organization ? taking steps to reduce pollution can make our air cleaner."

The United States EPA Clean Air Excellence Awards Program annually recognizes and honors "outstanding, innovative efforts that help make progress in achieving cleaner air." This year, Irving Oil was one of 21 winners to receive this award, and the first and only oil company to ever win. The award was in the Clean Air Technology category.

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