The effect of the explosion Monday morning at an Irving refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, on gas and heating oil prices remains unknown, although the Governor’s Energy Office in Maine is watching developments closely because the state relies heavily on that plant for energy.
“We are trying to find out what the extent of the damage is,” said Angela Monroe, director of the energy office. “I don’t know exactly how much oil and gas we get from that plant, but it is very significant. We don’t know yet whether there is an impact.”
Monroe said the state has its Canada ombudsman working now to get information on the extent of the damage and how soon it might be repaired. She said Irving may have contingency plans to keep the energy supplies flowing.
She said she expected to have more information Tuesday afternoon.
Irving posted an update on its website Tuesday, saying the company “can confirm that the refinery as a whole is safe and the specific site of the incident is isolated and contained … we are currently planning to have our turnaround team back on site this evening for the night shift. Our plans for returning to full turnaround mode will be discussed at that time.”
To read the rest of “How the Irving refinery explosion could affect Maine fuel prices and availability,” an article by contributing Bangor Daily News staff writer , please follow this link to the BDN online.
