People of color and those with incomes below the poverty line are more likely to live near oil refineries where air monitors show benzene levels that should trigger federal action.
This is the third year of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program to monitor benzene emissions at the fence line of 142 American refineries, to make sure the concentration of the toxic chemical in the air do not exceed 9 micrograms per cubic meter in places where people live near the plants.
That concentration is about equivalent of 3 gallons worth of benzene in the 1 billion gallons of air that would fill the Superdome. It’s not considered a dangerous level for human health, but it is the “action level” the EPA set to require refineries to reduce their emissions.
WWL-TV reached out to all four companies with Louisiana refineries on the list – Delek US, Shell, Chalmette Refining and Phillips 66. Chalmette and Phillips 66 responded Friday and Delek US provided a comment Saturday.