Newsletter

About 18 years ago, Mitchell Garner was searching for a career that had meaning, discipline and a place where strong bonds could be developed. He ended up accepting a position as an industrial firefighter for a company in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he and his colleagues were resident contractors to major oil and gas companies along the Gulf Coast.

“That career opportunity opened me to a world of knowledge about industry operations and industrial safety,” said Garner.

Years later, he transitioned to a terminal company in the Houston area where he spent nine years in their EHS department. Today, as Regional Manager of Safety and Emergency Response for LBC Tank Terminals, Garner truly enjoys the work he does.

The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA), and The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) (hereinafter, Associations) submit these comments responding to the Cybersecurity in the Marine Transportation System Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in the Federal Register on February 22, 2204.  ILTA represents 82 commercial operators for over 600 aboveground liquid storage terminals that handle a wide range of liquid commodities, including crude oil, refined petroleum products, chemicals, fertilizers, animal fats, and vegtable oils.

On Tuesday, May 7, ILTA held its Annual ILTA Safety Awards Presentation and Breakfast to honor 28 terminal member companies that achieved outstanding safety performance in 2023.

To receive the 2024 ILTA Safety Excellence Award, companies were required to score in the top two quartiles for both the 20 question self-assessment survey on leading indicators and the lagging indicator survey based on OSHA Form 300A.  This year, 52 companies participated in the safety survey, representing 70 percent of our membership.

The International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA), a prominent industry association representing the liquids terminal industry, is delighted to announce the promotion of Leakhena Swett from Executive Vice President to President.

In 2009, Steven Laws had been working in Whiting, Indiana—away from home—for approximately one year. It was then a friend of Laws called and asked if he was interested in working for a terminal company.

“I wanted to get back home and had never worked in a terminal, so I saw it a new opportunity and started working for Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) in 2009,” said Laws, who is still with the company today in in Deer Park, Texas as a Safety Specialist II.

For Laws, the best part of his job is getting the opportunity to work with a great team.

“ITC has allowed me to grow as an employee and afforded me opportunity to grow in my personal life as well,” Laws said, offering advice to those just starting out in the industry. “Look, learn and listen; be a sponge absorbing all the information you can. Also, if your new to the liquid terminal business, utilize your resources (veteran employees, policies and procedures, etc.)”