Oil-Based Petroleum Coke or “Petcoke” is a Leading Source of Local Air Pollution, but Still Used by Many Industries
Washington, DC – The use of an oil refinery waste product, petroleum coke, as an ingredient in metals and other products releases large amounts of health-damaging air pollutants, often in disadvantaged communities. The facilities where petcoke is processed are leading sources of pollution wherever they are located, including in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Mississippi, and Washington.
Most of the petcoke processing plants in the U.S. were built between 1935 and 1983 and most operators have refused to install modern pollution controls, according to the Environmental Integrity Project’s new report, “The Long Shadow of Oil Refinery Waste: Petroleum Coke’s Polluting Role in U.S. Industry.” The advanced age of the plants and EPA’s failure to regulate the petcoke processing industry has helped them evade key provisions of the Clean Air and Clean Water acts and operate with weak pollution limits.
For example, almost three quarters (8 of 11) of the plants that process petcoke (called “calcining” plants) for metals manufacturing and other industries lack modern pollution control devices called “scrubbers” that have been used for decades to reduce harmful sulfur dioxide air pollution.
Three quarters of these uncontrolled petcoke pollution sources (6 of 8) are in disadvantaged communities, most in Louisiana and Texas. This means these plants are releasing large amounts of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, which cause respiratory, cardiovascular, and other health problems, into overburdened and disadvantaged areas.
“Petcoke processing is part of a dangerous industrial production chain that accelerates climate change and perpetuates continued drilling for oil,” said Nadia Steinzor, policy and research analyst with EIP and lead author of the report. “It’s imperative for EPA to strengthen its pollution control standards and make sure the petcoke industry cleans up its act and stops causing terrible harm in the most vulnerable communities.”
The aluminum, steel, cement, and other industries use millions of pounds of the carbon-dense, highly-polluting black substance – petcoke — the processing of which should be cleaned up, according to EIP’s report. But EPA has failed to crack down on the pollution or set requirements that would require the industry to modernize. Unless EPA acts, pollution from the industry could increase because the aluminum industry—which uses most of the processed petcoke—is expected to ramp up production to build solar panels and electric vehicles to help combat climate change.
Petcoke processing plants release large volumes of air pollution during the process of superheating petcoke to high temperatures in kilns. Petcoke processing facilities reported emitting at least 230,408 pounds of hydrocholoric acid, 56,588 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 1,048 tons of particulate matter (PM2.5) in the most recent available year, 2022. Most of the plants rank as the number one source of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter in the county or parish where they are located, according to EIP’s research.
When it comes to water pollution, petcoke processing plants are also getting a free pass to pollute. These plants discharge wastewater and stormwater, which contains pollutants such as lead, mercury, nickel, and vanadium. However, unlike many other industries, petcoke processors are not covered by EPA’s national standards for water pollution control equipment (called “effluent limitation guidelines”), which require operators to use the best available technologies to limit pollutants into waterways.
Examples of the pollution and harm caused by petcoke processing in the report include:
- OKLAHOMA: North of Oklahoma City, in the town of Kremlin, a 60-year-old petcoke processing plant owned by politically active billionaire William “Bill” Koch’s Oxbow Calcining releases enough sulfur dioxide to generate haze that reduces visibility in several downwind states—but the company refuses to install scrubbers that would slash pollution.
- TEXAS: Koch’s company also neglected to install scrubbers equipment at its petcoke plant in Port Arthur, Texas, despite causing exceedances of federal air quality standards for sulfur dioxide and health threats for a community that is about two thirds people of color.
- LOUISIANA: West of New Orleans in the town of Gramercy, a plant owned by Rain CII Carbon transfers and stores huge piles of petcoke containing heavy metals like nickel, which is blown by wind into nearby communities and the Mississippi River. About three hours west, three petcoke plants in Calcasieu Parish contribute to air and water pollution in a community plagued by some of the highest cancer rates in the state.
- ILLINOIS: Southeast of Springfield, a petcoke processing plant owned by Rain CII Carbon in Robinson discharged lead, a neurotoxin that can cause brain damage in people and kill aquatic life, into a nearby creek. But the water pollution control permit for this petcoke plant (as well as others) do not set any limits on this and other toxic pollutants.
Wilma Subra, a chemist and technical advisor with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, said: “At first look, [petcoke] calciners may not seem like a big deal because residents have to contend with so many refineries and petrochemical plants. But if you dig into the records of each facility, many pollution incidents occur and communities log odor complaints that signal health impacts. The sulfur and carbon issues are concerning, and Louisiana’s strong winds means a lot of petcoke dust in the air.”
At least eight of the petcoke processing plants EIP examined reported that they directly discharge toxic pollutants into waterways, including benzo(g,h,i)perylene, which has been found to be toxic for aquatic life. State regulators have not required these plants to sample wastewater for those same pollutants, much less limit this pollution.
The report recommends the following steps to reduce pollution from the industry:
- Strengthen air pollution rules: EPA should establish national emissions standards that reduce sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and hazardous air pollutants from petcoke calcining plants.
- Require the use of modern pollution controls: EPA should require petcoke calcining plants to install and operate modern-day air pollution control equipment like scrubbers to reduce sulfur dioxide and other dangerous pollutants.
- Establish water pollution rules: EPA should develop technology-based standards called “effluent limitation guidelines” to limit the pollution that petcoke calcining plants are allowed to dump into our waterways.
- Advance cleaner technologies: The aluminum industry, in particular, should expedite production of metal made without petcoke, by using an different type of electricity-conducting device (called “inert anodes”) as an alternative.
For a copy of the report, click here.
The Environmental Integrity Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting public health and our natural resources by holding polluters and government agencies accountable under the law, advocating for tough but fair environmental standards, and empowering communities fighting for clean air and clean water.
Media contact: Tom Pelton, Environmental Integrity Project, (443) 510-2574 or tpelton@environmentalintegrity.org
