Shell Puget Sound Refinery is now within a few weeks of completing a “turnaround” focused on “sustaining the refinery’s asset integrity and reliability performance,” said the company at the start of the six-week event. The statement continued: “The site will put more process safety barriers in place and also improve its electrical infrastructure.” The turnaround was estimated to peak at more than 2,500 people on-site per day, making this the largest turnaround in the refinery’s history. Shell predicts an influx of at least $2.5 million in new consumer spending in the area from turnaround workers during the event, with most of this economic activity coming from spending on food and lodging. (Photo taken Tuesday, Oct. 24 from Mt. Erie)
