"AUSTIN — In 2007, Texas regulators quietly relaxed the state’s long-term air pollution guideline for benzene, one of the world’s most toxic and thoroughly studied chemicals. The number they came up with, still in effect, was 40 percent weaker, or less health-protective, than the old one.
The decision by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) was a boon for oil refineries, petrochemical plants and other benzene-emitting facilities, because it allowed them to release more benzene into the air without triggering regulatory scrutiny. But it defied the trend of scientific research, which shows that even small amounts of benzene can cause leukemia. The American Petroleum Institute, lobbyist for some of the nation’s largest benzene producers, privately acknowledged as early as 1948 that the only 'absolutely safe' dose was zero.
It’s 'the most irresponsible action I've heard of in my life,' said Jim Tarr, an air-quality consultant who worked for the TCEQ’s predecessor agency in the 1970s. 'I certainly can't find another regulatory agency in the U.S. that's done that.'"
Lisa Song and Rosalind Adams report for the Center for Public Integrity and InsideClimate News December 18, 2014.
SEE ALSO:
"One-Stop Science Shop Has Become a Favorite of Industry—and Texas" (InsideClimate News)
"Decades of Petrochemical Industry Documents on Hiding Toxicity in Online Archive" (SEJ WatchDog)
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