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When a mechanical failure caused toxic air pollutants to emit from the Delaware City Refinery for almost three weeks, nearby residents expressed their frustration. The refinery, located in New Castle County, has violated their permit on multiple occasions.
“I’d like to see somebody stand up to the oil company and say, ‘If you can’t operate this plant safely, move to Texas — but in Delaware, you must meet a standard,’” said Steven Michael, who lives three miles from the refinery.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is investigating the incident, which officials say will likely lead to a violation. The agency assured nearby residents there was no public health threat, and the failed equipment was repaired last week.
Still, residents say the latest incident was the last straw. They are now calling for tougher environmental laws, and want regulators to evaluate what could have been done differently.
“There’s a lot of things about Delaware that I love,” Michael said. “I don’t love living next to a refinery that is allowed to continue to pollute.”
A mechanical failure at the Delaware City Refinery compromised an emission control device, causing releases of sulfur dioxide above permitted levels for two and a half weeks.
The refinery, owned by PBF Energy, reported daily emissions of the toxic gas at rates as high as 1,450 pounds per hour since first reporting the incident May 25. Since repairing the equipment, the refinery’s scrubber has performed in compliance.
Concerned citizens had called on the refinery to shut down operations while the equipment was being fixed. However, DNREC officials said the complicated process of closing the refinery would run the risk of releasing more pollutants.
DNREC said air quality monitoring indicated the pollution did not impact air quality, and therefore did not pose a public health threat. Officials said monitoring stations downwind of the facility — between the refinery and nearby homes — accurately measured air quality.
However, several environmental experts interviewed by WHYY News’ Climate Desk said the reliability of the state’s monitoring stations depend heavily on wind direction and weather.
“Those tools can be compromised based on the wind direction. They can have some issues based on time of day, heat, as well as how often they’re maintained,” said Joseph Wilkins, professor of earth, environment and equity at Howard University. “If the plume from the stack doesn’t hit exactly where the monitor is placed, it’s not going to register anything.”
Angela Marconi, division director for air quality at DNREC, said though the monitoring station in Delaware City does not utilize meteorological equipment, the agency relied on other weather-related data.
“It’s meaningful no matter what the wind direction is because we have a mission to monitor the air quality and know what the air quality is,” Marconi said. “It is in the primary direction of the prevailing wind, so it does serve that purpose most of the time.”
Wilkins said there are a number of tools DNREC could use to get a better picture of the impacts. Lidar detection, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, can scan the air vertically from any location.
Residents also voiced concerns about the cumulative effects of the emissions, particularly for vulnerable populations like those with respiratory health problems. At high levels, sulfur dioxide can cause breathing difficulties.
More than 86,000 people live within a 5-mile radius of the refinery, more than half of whom are people of color, and 20% live in low-income households, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.
According to the state’s air quality monitoring data, sulfur dioxide was detected at levels far below EPA standards, indicating the air was safe even for people with asthma. However, toxicologist Dr. Marilyn Howarth, of the University of Pennsylvania, has concerns.
“Is that monitor modeling for the people who live immediately around it? Yes, I think it is. I think those people can feel comfortable,” she said. “But I don’t know about all of the other people, because of the way the air is moving, and it may be that there are other neighborhoods that this monitoring number is really underrepresented for.”