BP To Reduce Benzene Emissions at Texas Refinery
In a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency, BP Products North America has agreed to implement measures that will reduce benzene emissions at its Texas City refinery. The settlement will benefit those living in and around the area, who have suffered potentially harmful benzene exposure.
Exposure to benzene causes a variety of health problems including cancer (acute myelogenous leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in particular), immune system suppression, and reproductive damage, among other things.
According to a press release by the EPA, BP will spend more than $161 million to control pollution generated during its petroleum refining processes. The money will go toward equipment upgrades, as well as improved monitoring and maintenance.
The EPA estimates that these actions will reduce emissions of benzene and other toxic chemicals by as much as 6,000 pounds a year.
