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

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

Among the 12 refineries that emitted above the maximum degree for benzene, five have been in Texas, four in Louisiana, and one each in Pennsylvania, Indiana and the US Virgin Islands, a new analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project revealed on Thursday.

Benzene is a identified carcinogen that is highly poisonous and volatile when uncovered to air. Much of the excess emissions come via leaks from valves, tanks, pumps and different means which might be laborious to detect.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 6.1 million people in the US reside inside three miles of a refinery, with low-income folks and people of coloration represented at charges nearly twice that of the general population.

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

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

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

“If [facilities] can’t get their benzene under the action stage, yr after year, we actually need to see enforcement from the EPA,” said Eric Schaeffer, the manager director of the Environmental Integrity Venture, in a press convention. “It's good 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 may trigger a danger of up to one extra cancer case for every a million exposed, in keeping with the EPA. The higher the extent of benzene, the upper the well being threat.

Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay refinery in Texas Metropolis had the best average web benzene ranges in 2021, according to the analysis of the self-reported data. Roughly 37,000 individuals dwell inside a three-mile radius of the refinery. Among them, 62% are people of colour and 47% are low-income.

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

“Folks residing near these facilities have higher [exposure] to lifetime most cancers threat than some other a part of the state, but the regulatory agencies responsible for protecting us proceed to approve permits for these amenities,” Gutierrez said.

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

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