Ten oil refineries in the United States are emitting levels of the pollutant benzene well above the federal government’s “action level” limit, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project, an environmental watchdog group.
Ten oil refineries in the United States are emitting levels of the pollutant benzene well above the federal government’s “action level” limit, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project, an environmental watchdog group. Long-term exposure to benzene can cause blood disorders and leukemia, Reuters reported.
Oil refineries with high levels of benzene are not technically breaking the law. But these facilities are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to monitor the pollutant and take action if levels exceed EPA’s limit of 9 micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over a year. Benzene is a colorless or light yellow chemical that evaporates from gasoline and oil. Exposure to it can cause vomiting, headaches, anemia, and an increased risk of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The new report from the Environmental Integrity Project analyzed a year of air monitoring data from 114 refineries around the U.S. Philadelphia Energy Solutions had the highest benzene concentrations in the nation, measuring nearly five times the EPA limit. The Philadelphia plant, once the largest refinery on the East Coast, closed in 2019 following an explosion and fire. But former employees are pushing to reopen the facility, backed by the Trump White House, InsideClimate News reported.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
Image by Johannes Plenio from Pixabay
