Oil Companies Must Reduce Benzene Emissions
Under a settlement agreement with the U.S. Justice Department, two oil companies have agreed to cut benzene emissions. Benzene has been identified as a cancer-causing agent and is linked in particular to two rare cancers: acute myelogenous leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
One of the companies, Wyoming Refining Co., agreed to spend $14 million to upgrade pollution controls at its refinery in Newcastle. This includes installing equipment to remove pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide.
The other company, Frontier Refining, which operates refineries in El Dorado, Kansas, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, will spend $127 million upgrading its refineries to bring them into compliance with the Clean Air Act.
Both companies must also pay civil penalties, which together will total close to $1.5 million.
