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Moms Clean Air Force: New EPA Protections Will Curb Chemical Pollution, Clean Up Air In Impacted Communities

On April 9, the Moms Clean Air Force said EPA announced the final version of the New Source Performance Standards for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and Group I & II Polymers and Resins Industry.

This rule will address dangerous pollution from chemical manufacturing facilities, limiting exposure to cancer-causing air toxics for people who live near more than 200 covered facilities across the country.

Some of these facilities are as large as hundreds of football fields. They produce hazardous chemicals used to make plastics, paints, synthetic fabrics, pesticides, vinyl flooring, and other petrochemical products.

In response, Moms Clean Air Force Senior Analyst for Petrochemicals Cynthia Palmer released the following statement:

“Communities living near chemical manufacturing plants know all too well that toxic air pollution from these facilities can cause cancer and other devastating health harms.

“Today’s rulemaking will reduce the pollution burden for communities living near some of the most dangerous petrochemical facilities in the nation. It is an important step forward for environmental justice.”

“This rule is also deeply personal for me. My best friend grew up near nine of the chemical manufacturing facilities in Texas that will be covered in this new rulemaking.

“She died of cancer when her children were in preschool.

“Far too many people in impacted communities have died from their exposures to toxic pollution. Moms Clean Air Force thanks EPA for taking meaningful action to protect communities from petrochemical pollution, and we will continue to advocate for every community’s right to breathe clean air.”

AdvanSix Facility - Southeast PA

Today’s rulemaking is an important step forward for Pennsylvania communities living in the shadows of chemical and petrochemical manufacturing plants, including the AdvanSix facility in Philadelphia and Montgomery Chemicals in Conshohocken, both of which will be covered by the rule finalized today, according to Moms Clean Air Force Pennsylvania Field Organizer Brooke Petry

“My home in Philadelphia is just 7 miles away from the chemical manufacturing facility, AdvanSix. Like others of its kind, this plastic-producing facility creates health-harming, planet-warming toxic air pollution.

“As a mother to a child living with asthma in a city already burdened by poor air quality, this additional chemical manufacturing exposure is especially worrisome.

“There are many in my community living closer to the AdvanSix facility who bear an even greater burden of its pollution: it’s located near predominantly Black and Brown and low-income neighborhoods, and within just a mile, you’ll find a rec center, two playgrounds, and four schools.

“I am hopeful that today’s announcement puts plants like AdvanSix– which also has a history of violations–on notice.

“Today’s decision signals to families like mine and countless others that our kids and communities deserve a fighting chance at a healthier life.”

Shell Petrochemical Plant - Beaver County

Petrochemical manufacturing is one of the heaviest polluting industrial sectors in the country—and stronger emissions controls for the facilities covered by today’s rulemaking means healthier, safer, and more vibrant Pennsylvania communities. Moms Clean Air Force Ohio River Valley Field Organizer Rachel Meyer says:

“I know all too well what it is like to live in the shadows of petrochemical pollution: my own home is located near a Shell ethane cracker plant in Independence Township [Beaver County, PA], and we have experienced multiple high pollution events during times of start up, shut down, and malfunctions.

“I worry how all of this pollution is impacting my four year-old daughter, and fear that it is affecting her developing lungs and putting her at a higher risk for cancer. No family should have to worry about whether the air they breathe at home puts their children at risk for illness.”

Resource Link:

-- EPA Finalizes Stronger Clean Air Standards For Chemical Plants, Lowering Cancer Risk, Advancing Environmental Justice

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 6 to 12 - Rain Causes Multiple Landslides; Ignored Request To Clean Up Spill; Venting Gas [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - April 13 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed CNX Midstream Double 24-Inch, 14 Mile Long Gas Pipelines In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 63 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 13 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week - Gas:

-- DEP Issues $1.1 Million Civil Penalty To Equitrans For Violations Related To The Uncontrolled Venting Of 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Gas From The Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area In Cambria County [PaEN]

-- New Penn State Study Shows Continuous Radioactive Radium Exposure From Oil & Gas Wastewater Poses A Threat To Aquatic, Human Health As It Accumulates In Aquatic Species [PaEN]

-- Westmoreland County-Based Protect PT Calls For Ban On Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater; CAC Member Asks For DEP Response [PaEN]

-- Environmental Hearing Board Allows 2nd Appeal Of Tri-County Landfill Permit To Move Forward Over Threats Posed By Birds, Radioactive Oil & Gas Waste [PaEN]