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

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

Among the many 12 refineries that emitted above the utmost degree for benzene, five were in Texas, four in Louisiana, and one every in Pennsylvania, Indiana and the US Virgin Islands, a brand new evaluation by the Environmental Integrity Mission revealed on Thursday.

Benzene is a known carcinogen that's extremely poisonous and risky when exposed to air. A lot of the surplus emissions come through leaks from valves, tanks, pumps and different means which can be hard to detect.

The Environmental Safety Company estimates 6.1 million individuals within the US live within three miles of a refinery, with low-income folks and other people of coloration represented at rates nearly twice that of the overall population.

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

Almost half of those refineries released benzene ranges above 3 micrograms per cubic meter, which the Environmental Integrity Undertaking defines as a long-term potential health threat.

The EPA requires services to take action in the event that 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 yr, we actually need to see enforcement from the EPA,” mentioned Eric Schaeffer, the manager director of the Environmental Integrity Venture, in a press conference. “It's essential start paying penalties when your fence-line levels persist,” he added.

Lifetime exposure to benzene at levels as low as 0.13 microgram per cubic meter might trigger a risk of up to one extra most cancers case for each a million exposed, in response to the EPA. The upper the level of benzene, the higher the well being risk.

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

“This evaluation provides vital perception into why the Houston space is an industrial cancer hotspot,” mentioned Leticia Gutierrez of advocacy group Air Alliance Houston, on the press convention.

“Individuals residing near these services have higher [exposure] to lifetime cancer threat than any other a part of the state, yet the regulatory agencies answerable for protecting us proceed to approve permits for these services,” Gutierrez mentioned.

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

Marathon Petroleum and the EPA didn't instantly reply to a request for remark.