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

A dozen US oil refineries last 12 months exceeded the federal restrict on common benzene emissions.

Among the many 12 refineries that emitted above the utmost level for benzene, 5 had been in Texas, 4 in Louisiana, and one each in Pennsylvania, Indiana and the US Virgin Islands, a new evaluation by the Environmental Integrity Undertaking revealed on Thursday.

Benzene is a identified carcinogen that's highly toxic and unstable when uncovered to air. A lot of the surplus emissions come by way of leaks from valves, tanks, pumps and other means that are hard to detect.

The Environmental Protection Company estimates 6.1 million people in the US stay within three miles of a refinery, with low-income individuals and people of color represented at rates nearly twice that of the final inhabitants.

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

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

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

“If [facilities] can’t get their benzene under the motion degree, yr after yr, we actually must see enforcement from the EPA,” mentioned Eric Schaeffer, the chief director of the Environmental Integrity Undertaking, in a press conference. “You could begin paying penalties when your fence-line ranges persist,” he added.

Lifetime exposure to benzene at ranges as low as 0.13 microgram per cubic meter might trigger a threat of as much as one further cancer case for each a million exposed, in keeping with the EPA. The higher the level of benzene, the upper the health threat.

Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery in Texas Metropolis had the best average web benzene ranges in 2021, according to the evaluation of the self-reported information. Roughly 37,000 people reside inside a three-mile radius of the refinery. Amongst them, 62% are people of color and 47% are low-income.

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

“Individuals dwelling near these services have better [exposure] to lifetime cancer danger than another part of the state, but the regulatory companies answerable for protecting us continue to approve permits for these facilities,” Gutierrez mentioned.

Environmental Integrity Undertaking notes that its analysis didn't measure concentrations of benzene inside neighborhoods adjacent to refineries, and does not replicate the precise ranges of benzene within the communities.

Marathon Petroleum and the EPA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.