Posted on 05/15/2014 11:46:10 AM PDT by PoloSec
The Environmental Protection Agency moved Thursday to beef up air quality regulations for oil refineries, an action officials said would cut toxic emissions by 5,600 tons per year.
The agency maintained the updated standards would protect public health with negligible impacts on the cost of petroleum — a contention immediately disputed by the oil and gas industry.
Under the proposed changes, companies would for the first time be required to monitor concentrations of benzene, a chemical compound linked to an array of health problems, surrounding the refineries.
Results of the monitoring would be made available to the public.
The new proposal would also require upgraded emission controls for storage tanks, new “flare” restrictions to ensure waste gases are properly destroyed and emissions standards for delayed coking units, which are largely unregulated under current rules.
“The common-sense steps we are proposing will protect the health of families who live near refineries and will provide them with important information about the quality of the air they breathe,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said.
The agency maintains the regulations, to be finalized in April of next year, would have “no noticeable impact on the cost of petroleum products at the approximately 150 petroleum refineries around the country.”
The American Petroleum Institute refutes the assertion, arguing the new restrictions would be expensive — and possibly ineffective.
“With this proposal, EPA adds to the list of new regulations impacting refineries that come with enormous costs but questionable environmental benefits,” said Howard Feldman, API’s director of regulatory and scientific affairs.
“This rule is intended to evaluate what risk, if any, is posed to the public from refinery emissions,” Feldman said. “But EPA has already concluded the risks associated with refinery emissions are low and the public is protected with an ample margin of safety.”
The EPA announced a 60-day comment period to collect feedback on the proposal, and plans to hold public hearings near Houston and Los Angeles.
“The results would be made available to the public.”
Rile up the masses.
It’s a good thing, too, what with all the new oil refineries being constructed around the country...
/s
What a gigantic lie. This 'action' will not cut ANYTHING by ANY amount (apart from jobs and money from the economy).
Based on the EPA's track record, it is possible that the billions of dollars oil companies must now pi$$ away trying to comply with this 'action' might result a reduction in toxic emissions equally to some small fraction of the claimed amount.
“Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.”
The actual truth is that as a result these refineries will move to Mexico, run with NO emissions controls, and quadruple the amount of toxins being put into the atmosphere.
Thanks, EPA!
New oil refinery jobs in USA : 0
New oil refinery jobs in Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, and elsewhere : Lots and lots.
How does this benefit the USA?
The ONLY EPA “Regulation” America needs is to “Regulate” EPA employees access to the world outsided of their offices.
This includes cutting off all means of communication.
There is no point in closing the EPA, lest these thousands of liberals are let loose to inflict their Marxism through other venues.
And that is the subtext of just about EVERYTHING the Current Regime touches its hand to - sort of a reverse Midas Touch.
Only it is not merely changing things back from gold or other good and valuable substance, it is transmuting it into fecal matter or worse, toxic fecal matter.
Good, let’s close down those dirty oil refineries and make the unwashed masses walk everywhere. It will be good exercise for them. Of course, WE ELITES will still get government supplied gasoline imported from friendly Moslem countries. And for all those folks in New England this winter — get your heating oil from Joe Kennedy and the Venezuelan dictator.
(the above said in total and complete sarcasm)
Price increases in petroleum product used by the government will be extracted at gunpoint from the peasantry.
The peasants? They'll pay higher taxes, and they'll pay more for petroleum product for personal use. (Translation: the government steals more of your time)...
Also, make those that work for the EPA use non poluting ways of transportation. Make them preactice what they preach. Also they should not be allowed to breath because it is an polutant emmissions
Good point.
Why spend a bunch of money trying to hit a moving target when you can move a few hundred miles south and pretty much do whatever you want.
Same reason they keep coming back at us with carbon taxes while the ChiComs get to spew out whatever they want.
It’s all one atmosphere.
Does anyone in this country care about the price of gas anymore????? Does the scum media have any remote interest at all why gas prices continue to hurt the little people?
This from the same group that said when ULSD was required, cost will rise by 4 or 5 pennies a gallon.
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/cars/DieselFuel.html#Will_ULSD_cost_more
The EPA has got to go or we will be sitting in the dark soon and riding a solar powered bus.
If the govt would allow new refineries to be built the refineries would be able to meet these new requirements. Instead they prevent new installations which would be cleaner and more efficient, then blame the 30+ yr old facilities for not being modern enough!
Ben Zeen. Is that like Ben Ghazi?
-PJ
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