Monitoring for invisible, toxic pollutants like benzene along the fencelines of industrial sites can help reduce pollution and protect workers and nearby communities. Benzene is a carcinogen and prolonged exposure can also lead to blood disorders, threaten the immune system, and increase the risk of leukemia.
Following a lawsuit by community groups, the Environmental Integrity Project and allies, U.S. oil refineries since 2018 have been required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor benzene levels at their fencelines and take steps to reduce emissions if calculated values exceed an “action level.”
This dashboard is a database that EIP assembled using air pollution monitoring data that companies have reported to EPA or on their own websites since 2018. The dashboard identifies plants that must take action to reduce benzene concentrations. It also identifies gaps in current regulations. For example, while levels at some plants have decreased over the past several years, levels at other plants have remained high. Despite the need for enforcement in these cases, action level exceedances are not violations under current regulations. These gaps need to be closed in order to better protect downwind communities exposed to dangerous levels of toxic air pollution.
Beyond the EPA monitoring and public reporting rules that went into effect in 2018, the EPA has also required several chemical plants and other facilities to begin fenceline benzene monitoring programs through enforcement actions. The agency in April 2024 issued a rule that will require approximately 218 chemical plants to monitor for up to six pollutants—benzene, 1,3-butadiene, ethylene oxide, vinyl chloride, chloroprene, and ethylene dichloride. Under the 2024 rule, companies are required to begin monitoring in June 2026. However, EPA has indicated that EPA intends to weaken or repeal these requirements through new rules.
In 2024, EPA finalized a rule requiring fenceline monitoring at a subset of coke oven facilities (specifically, facilities with byproduct recovery coke ovens). Coke ovens turn metallurgical coal into coke, which is then used in the steelmaking process. These facilities release a number of hazardous air pollutants into surrounding communities, so the new rule requires these facilities to clean up their air pollution. This rule requires facilities with byproduct recovery coke ovens to conduct fenceline monitoring for benzene, which is compared to an action level of 7 micrograms per cubic meter. The action level exceedance is calculated the same way as the refinery rule, except the action level is lower. However, EPA has indicated that EPA intends to weaken or repeal these requirements through new rules.
As a part of the 2024 rulemaking process, EPA requested five coke oven facilities to conduct two to six months of fenceline monitoring. These five facilities conducted fenceline monitoring for 1,3-butadiene, benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene. EIP has added this data to the dashboard.
Prior Fenceline Reporting and Analysis
Cancer-Causing Benzene Pollution from U.S. Refineries Down Significantly (May 16, 2024)
Nearly Half of U.S. Refineries Releasing Benzene at Levels That Could Pose a Long-Term Health Threat (May 12, 2022)
13 Oil Refineries in U.S. Released Cancer-Causing Benzene Above EPA Action Levels in 2020 (April 28, 2021)
10 Oil Refineries Across U.S. Emitted Cancer-Causing Benzene in Amounts Above EPA Action Levels (February 6, 2020)
