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As part of the investigation being conducted by the Tribunal Judiciaire in Paris, Lubrizol has been identified as an entity with “mise en examen” status with respect to alleged violations of certain classified installation regulations and to alleged discharges to ground, surface or sea water.
Lubrizol intends to vigorously defend against these allegations. The mise en examen status will allow Lubrizol to demonstrate that the company has fully complied with its obligations as operator of a classified installation and that its fire-fighting measures met the requirements of its permit and the applicable regulations. It should be emphasized that Lubrizol’s fire-fighting measures and other operations are subject to very regular inspection and permitting by environmental and safety regulatory agencies and that specific responses already have been provided to firmly challenge all of the various points raised by the inspection report created after the fire.
In the context of an extraordinary fire which simultaneously affected two sites, Lubrizol's fire-fighting measures and the commitment of its teams and the emergency services made it possible to confine the event to only storage warehouses, without causing any injuries. Lubrizol is confident that the investigation underway will determine the origin of the fire, which much of the evidence suggests was outside of Lubrizol’s site, and demonstrate that Lubrizol has completely fulfilled its regulatory obligations. Lubrizol will of course continue to cooperate closely with the judicial authorities.
FM Global has been our property insurer since 2008. Every year, FM Global performs evaluations of the risk of property loss at our Rouen site. FM Global evaluations focus on opportunities to progressively reduce the risk of property loss and business interruption and are not focused on human health and safety or environmental risks.
FM Global recommendations identify continuous improvement opportunities and do not reflect regulatory requirements. The Rouen site, including all of our equipment, met all health, safety, or environmental regulatory requirements at the time of the fire.
Using FM’s recommendations as well as inputs from experts in mitigating health, safety, and environmental risks, we continuously prioritize site enhancements with the greatest risk-limiting potential. Prioritizing actions that would have the most impact on reducing these risks (as well as FM Global’s most impactful property loss mitigation recommendations), we have invested nearly €100 million in improvements at the site since 2008. Prioritizing site enhancements at Lubrizol is a matter of acting with urgency to reduce all kinds of risk, not saving money.
We are pleased to have received approval for a partial restart of our operations in Rouen. As we have stated, 90% of our site was not impacted by the fire, though we have stood idle since September 26. Resuming partial operations through a safe and secure phased approach ensures the livelihood of thousands of direct and indirect employees, families, customers and suppliers who depend on our work in Rouen, all of whom have already sustained considerable impact.
All restart operations will be completed safely and securely in conjunction with local authorities, and we have executed a variety of new safety measures. Our commitment to the Rouen community has never faltered, and we look forward to continued collaboration with the local authorities and the community as we work toward a safe return to operations at our Rouen site.
For more than 60 years, Lubrizol has been an active part of the Rouen and Normandy communities. Our work in Rouen provides more than 600 direct jobs and nearly 2,200 jobs when accounting for indirect jobs tied to the site.
With the permission of authorities, we will seek to resume partial operations through a safe and secure phased approach starting with the most basic blending operations. Learn more here.
See press release from the Ministry of Agriculture here.
Rouen, France – October 25, 2019 - On September 26, a fire impacted Lubrizol’s production facility in Rouen, France. Lubrizol is deeply saddened by the fire and is very sorry for the concern and disruption it has caused to local communities.
To continue to provide support, today Lubrizol firmed the following agreements:
Farmers: This morning Lubrizol CEO Eric Schnur and Lubrizol France President Fredric Henry signed an agreement, together with FMSE, to provide financial support from Lubrizol to farmers experiencing loss as a result of the Prefectural restrictions issued after the fire. Access Submission Site
This may include direct losses from destroyed or consigned crops, losses as a result of purchasing alternative animal feed, or cleaning reimbursement for farmers who produce milk, eggs, honey, farmed fish or plant products in each of the communities affected by the Prefectural restrictions. FMSE and Lubrizol’s third-party administrator will publish and oversee the eligibility parameters and will collect and process claims. Lubrizol and FMSE also will pursue a second phase to include farmers who experienced losses that might be outside of the current agreement scope.
Businesses and communities: Lubrizol also signed an agreement to support businesses and communities who experienced losses as a result of the fire. A third-party administrator also will publish and oversee the eligibility parameters and will collect and process claims. Access Submission Site
Tourism: Lubrizol wants to help ensure continued tourism in the beautiful city of Rouen and the Normandie region. Lubrizol has re-affirmed its commitments with elected officials this week and will finalize these details the weeks ahead.
In addition to these commitments, Lubrizol has already provided funding for:
Environmental Testing: A multi-phase testing program, funded by Lubrizol and executed by third-party experts, includes sampling of soil, surface water, watersheds and vegetables, amongst other natural mediums. Testing is already underway and more will be added overtime.
Cleaning: Lubrizol has provided funding for cleaning of public spaces and will continue to provide ongoing support.
Employees: All Lubrizol Rouen employees have and will continue to be paid in full during the recovery and are fully supported by Lubrizol.
Contact:
Emmanuelle Maddocks, Emmanuelle.maddocks@lubrizol.com (France)
Alicia Gauer, Alicia.gauer@lubrizol.com (Outside of France)
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Learn more about the makeup of the Lubrizol materials impacted by the Rouen fire and how they compare to products consumers use regularly.
On October 22, Lubrizol President and CEO Eric Schnur appeared before the French National Assembly and French Senate. Through both opening remarks and as part of a question-and-answer session, he provided insights on Lubrizol’s work with officials the day of the fire and in the days and weeks following, as well as information on Lubrizol materials in Rouen, the company’s safety procedures and its commitment to the community. Read Eric's opening remarks.
Today we participated in continued conversations with elected officials, NGOs and community groups in order to partner and further define Rouen support initiatives.
See our English update here.
Lubrizol is committed to providing ongoing updates to Rouen and citizens across France. Today, Lubrizol launched a website dedicated to sharing the latest frequently asked questions, updates and information relative to the fire impacting our facility in Rouen. See more here.
The early morning of September 26, a fire impacted the drumming and warehousing assets of Lubrizol’s site in Rouen in the Normandy region of France. Since that time, employees across our global business have been urgently working with local authorities to ensure the safety of all involved. No one was injured in the incident.
Most importantly, we are part of the Rouen community, and we are doing everything we can to support Rouen and its residents. We are deeply saddened by the impact of the fire on the city and committed to collaborating with local authorities on ongoing environmental testing to ensure the safety of residents and the community. The local Prefecture implemented a PPI (Plan Particulier d’Intervention), which means all decisions and communication to the community are managed by the Prefecture and its technical councils. We have respected the PPI and have been involved as a main stakeholder. We thank the Prefecture for their leadership.
An investigation has been ongoing since Thursday. Video surveillance and eyewitness accounts indicate the fire was first observed and reported outside of the Lubrizol Rouen site, suggesting the fire originated outside of Lubrizol and unfortunately spread to our facility. We continue to support local law enforcement in the investigation to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
We have approximately 30 Lubrizol employees currently working on our Rouen site to support the fire brigade, environmental testing, clean up and investigations. These employees also are beginning to prepare the site for a return to operations to enable our 420 Rouen employees to resume their work when it is safe and acceptable to do so. Preliminary evaluations indicate that outside of the drumming and warehousing area, the Rouen site sustained little to no damage. As we continue to assess the situation, some of our employees will also work out of our Le Havre, France, manufacturing site, where we continue to manufacture and ship product.
We understand the community has many questions. Local residents can seek more information from the prefect of Seine-Maritimehereas it relates to regular updates.
We have been committed to Rouen and the surrounding community since we initiated operations there in 1954. We look forward to continued collaboration with the local authorities and the community as we work toward a return to normal and safe operations at the Rouen site.
Early Thursday morning, a fire impacted the drumming and warehousing assets of Lubrizol’s plant in Rouen, France, as well as a neighboring warehouse not belonging to Lubrizol. No injuries were reported, and the fire was extinguished late yesterday. It is not yet clear where or how the fire started.
Lubrizol personnel are on site, and our leadership is working closely with local authorities to determine the origin of the fire. We will continue to partner in the days and weeks ahead. Environmental testing by local authorities indicate no findings of acute toxicity in the air, and authorities have lifted restrictions on travel and shelter.
Local residents can seek more information from the prefect of Seine-Maritime here as it relates to ongoing updates and frequently asked questions. We thank all who have been involved in responding to the fire.
Contact:
Alicia Gauer
Office: 440.347.7700
Email:Alicia.Gauer@lubrizol.com
Early Thursday morning, a fire impacted Lubrizol’s plant in Rouen, France, generating a prompt response from both local fire and emergency responders. No injuries were reported, and the fire is now extinguished.
Environmental testing by local authorities indicate no initial findings of acute toxicity from the resulting smoke. Shelter and travel restrictions previously in place have now been lifted.
Reports indicate the fire has impacted a drumming warehouse and an administrative building at the Lubrizol Rouen site. The cause remains unknown at this time.
Contact:
Alicia Gauer
Office: 440.347.7700
Email:Alicia.Gauer@lubrizol.com
Early this morning, a fire impacted Lubrizol’s plant in Rouen, France, generating a prompt response from both local fire and emergency responders. No injuries have been reported, and the fire is now contained.
Environmental testing by local authorities indicate no initial findings of acute toxicity from the resulting smoke. The prefecture has taken local precautionary measures, asking those in surrounding areas to stay indoors and limit travel. Local schools also have been closed for the day.
Reports indicate the fire has impacted a drumming warehouse and an administrative building at the Lubrizol Rouen site. The cause remains unknown at this time.
Contact:
Alicia Gauer
Office: 440.347.7700
Email:Alicia.Gauer@lubrizol.com