US oil refineries spewing cancer-causing benzene into communities, report finds | Pollution

A dozen US oil refineries last year exceeded the federal restrict on common benzene emissions.

Among the many 12 refineries that emitted above the utmost level for benzene, 5 have been in Texas, 4 in Louisiana, and one every in Pennsylvania, Indiana and the US Virgin Islands, a brand new analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project revealed on Thursday.

Benzene is a recognized carcinogen that's extremely toxic and unstable when uncovered to air. A lot of the excess emissions come via leaks from valves, tanks, pumps and different means which can be laborious to detect.

The Environmental Safety Agency estimates 6.1 million individuals within the US dwell inside three miles of a refinery, with low-income people and folks of color represented at charges nearly twice that of the general inhabitants.

Out of 129 operable oil refineries in 2021, 118 reported benzene focus registered at or near the site, otherwise often known as the fence-line.

Practically half of these refineries released benzene levels above 3 micrograms per cubic meter, which the Environmental Integrity Mission defines as a long-term potential well being threat.

The EPA requires facilities to take action in the event that they exceed a median 9 micrograms per cubic meter, or above “action level” emission of benzene.

“If [facilities] can’t get their benzene below the motion degree, year after year, we actually have to see enforcement from the EPA,” mentioned Eric Schaeffer, the chief director of the Environmental Integrity Venture, in a press convention. “It's worthwhile to start paying penalties when your fence-line levels persist,” he added.

Lifetime publicity to benzene at levels as little as 0.13 microgram per cubic meter could trigger a threat of as much as one extra most cancers case for every a million exposed, in line with the EPA. The upper the level of benzene, the upper the well being risk.

Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City had the very best common internet benzene ranges in 2021, in keeping with the evaluation of the self-reported data. Roughly 37,000 individuals reside within a three-mile radius of the refinery. Amongst them, 62% are folks of colour and 47% are low-income.

“This evaluation offers necessary perception into why the Houston area is an industrial cancer hotspot,” mentioned Leticia Gutierrez of advocacy group Air Alliance Houston, on the press conference.

“Folks dwelling close to these facilities have greater [exposure] to lifetime cancer threat than any other a part of the state, yet the regulatory businesses accountable for defending us proceed to approve permits for these services,” Gutierrez stated.

Environmental Integrity Venture notes that its analysis didn't measure concentrations of benzene within neighborhoods adjoining to refineries, and doesn't mirror the actual levels of benzene inside the communities.

Marathon Petroleum and the EPA did not immediately respond to a request for remark.