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Fact Sheet About the Proposed ExxonMobil Refinery ExpansionWhat Is It ExxonMobil is trying to get an air permit for their Tier 2/Low Sulfur Mogas project that will allow them to increase their air emissions by:
Proposed Change in tons per year
PM10 +30.83
SO2 +85.55
NOx +169.17
CO +279.36
VOC +85.01
The ExxonMobile refinery currently emits 560.75 tons per year (1,121,506 pounds/year) of toxic air emissions alone.The Issue The Tier 2/Low Sulfur project is part of an EPA nationwide project to reduce automobile emissions. The EPA's new Tier 2 automobile emissions standards regulate tailpipe emissions for all passenger vehicles, including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans, vans and pick-up trucks. This regulation marks the first time that SUVs and other light-duty trucks are subject to the same national pollution standards as cars. These regulations will be phased in over a six-year period (2004 - 2009). Reducing automobile emissions will require lower standards for sulfur in gasoline to allow effective operation of low emission-control technologies in vehicles. When the new tailpipe and sulfur standards are implemented they are expected to reduce the sulfur content of gasoline by up to 90 percent. Beginning in 2004, the nation's refiners and importers of gasoline will be required to manufacture gasoline with a range of sulfur levels as long as all of their production is capped at 300 parts per million (ppm) and their annual corporate average sulfur levels are 120 ppm. In 2005, the refinery average will be set at 30 ppm, with a corporate average of 90 ppm and a cap of 300 ppm. Both of the average standards can be met with use of credits generated by other refiners who reduce sulfur levels early. Finally, in 2006, refiners will meet a 30 ppm average sulfur level with a maximum cap of 80 ppm The Problem Setting regulations to force lower automobile emissions will make significant improvements in the air quality of America's largest cities and population cents. However, the people living near existing petroleum refineries will be penalized by exposure to increased levels of pollution. This is a real problem to communities near existing refineries that are already over burdened with pollution and toxic chemicals. The EPA and industry claim that once the regulations are in force reductions in automobile emissions will leave us with better air quality than before the expansion. This argument doesn't work because those living nearest the refineries will suffer the largest impact and even when cleaner automobiles cause less pollution we will still have the additional refinery pollution in our air. One Solution Since this is a federal regulation the EPA should require the refineries to reduce their emissions so there will be no increase in refinery emissions at all. Since this will greatly benefit cities around America, national resources should be made available so that we in Louisiana don't suffer while while the rest of America gets cleaner air. We already suffer enough.
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