Newsletter

Meridith Wilson, Vice President, Sustainability for Buckeye, has spent her career in the oil and gas industry, including having touchpoints with terminal operations as part of oil and gas midstream operations.

In her current role, Wilson enjoys many aspects of her job, but especially the interactions she has with the various functions across the organization in evaluating climate-change risks and opportunities.

“A close second would be simply supporting and watching Buckeye’s business strategy unfold,” Wilson said. “I’m excited about what the future holds for us at Buckeye.”

Over the course of her career, Wilson has seen a variety of constant changes, emphasizing that the industry is always evolving, whether it’s changes in technology, policy changes, or market conditions that spur different business strategies.

As the energy transition continues on a global scale, the demand for new and increased storage and transportation of liquid fuels in North America is likely to both grow and shift. Energy and fuel demand are projected to increase through 2050 and, due to the nature of biofuels, hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels, there is a predicted change in global markets with new trade dynamics and roles for different regions.

On July 21, ILTA and a team of terminal industry representatives met with Brenda Shine and Michael Cantoni of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Durham, North Carolina to discuss pending rulemaking regarding the Gasoline Distribution Industry package of air regulations that EPA proposed last year and the NSPS Subpart Kb storage tank standard that EPA is currently reviewing.  In addition to the 5-person delegation representing ILTA, over fifty additional members called into the meeting.  

Some members may be familiar with Rob Ferry as a long-time trusted consultant for ILTA, a role he’s filled for many years. Though Ferry is now retired from his position as Managing Consultant for Trinity Consultants, he continues his involvement with ILTA.

Ferry’s career in the industry began back during the period of the Ford presidency.

“While he was serving as president, I was starting my career as a structural engineer with a tank building company, where I designed the first aluminum domes ever installed on petroleum storage tanks,” Ferry said. “The dome building unit was spun off as a separate company, and I was appointed the General Manager at the tender age of 28.”

Though Ferry loved running that company, he devoted almost every waking hour to it. To resolve this dilemma, he resigned without any plan for what to do next.

European industries are pressing the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on the cost, effectiveness, and availability of replacements for PFAS-containing firefighting foam. In comments to ECHA’s Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis’ (SEAC) draft opinion of the proposed restriction of PFAS in firefighting foams, EU industry groups expressed the difficulty of transitioning to foams that achieve the same performance as their PFAS-based predecessors, under the timeline and phaseout scheme laid out by ECHA’s proposed restriction.