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

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

Among the many 12 refineries that emitted above the maximum degree for benzene, 5 had 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 Venture revealed on Thursday.

Benzene is a known carcinogen that is extremely poisonous and risky when uncovered to air. A lot of the excess emissions come by means of leaks from valves, tanks, pumps and different means which can be laborious to detect.

The Environmental Safety Company estimates 6.1 million folks within the US live within three miles of a refinery, with low-income folks and folks of color represented at charges practically twice that of the general inhabitants.

Out of 129 operable oil refineries in 2021, 118 reported benzene concentration registered at or near the positioning, in any other case referred to as the fence-line.

Practically half of these refineries launched benzene levels above 3 micrograms per cubic meter, which the Environmental Integrity Venture defines as a long-term potential health menace.

The EPA requires services to take motion if they exceed an average 9 micrograms per cubic meter, or above “motion degree” emission of benzene.

“If [facilities] can’t get their benzene beneath the action degree, 12 months after 12 months, we actually must see enforcement from the EPA,” said Eric Schaeffer, the manager director of the Environmental Integrity Undertaking, in a press conference. “You need to begin paying penalties when your fence-line ranges persist,” he added.

Lifetime publicity to benzene at levels as little as 0.13 microgram per cubic meter may trigger a danger of as much as one further cancer case for each one million exposed, based on the EPA. The higher the extent of benzene, the higher the well being threat.

Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City had the best average net benzene ranges in 2021, based on the evaluation of the self-reported information. Roughly 37,000 folks live within a three-mile radius of the refinery. Among them, 62% are people of shade and 47% are low-income.

“This evaluation provides important perception into why the Houston space is an industrial most cancers hotspot,” stated Leticia Gutierrez of advocacy group Air Alliance Houston, on the press conference.

“People dwelling close to these facilities have higher [exposure] to lifetime most cancers risk than some other part of the state, but the regulatory agencies answerable for protecting us proceed to approve permits for these facilities,” Gutierrez said.

Environmental Integrity Project notes that its analysis did not measure concentrations of benzene within neighborhoods adjoining to refineries, and doesn't mirror the actual ranges of benzene throughout the communities.

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