In El Paso, Texas, residents are challenging Marathon Petroleum's permit renewal for its local refinery, raising concerns about soil contamination and air quality.
Martha Pskowski reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- Residents of El Paso, led by neighborhood association president Fred Borrego, are questioning the environmental impact of Marathon Petroleum's 97-year-old refinery.
- El Paso County commissioners voted to seek a contested case hearing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality over the refinery's permit renewal.
- The refinery, located in a predominantly Hispanic and low-income neighborhood, is under scrutiny for its emissions, including benzene and hydrogen sulfide, which have been linked to health issues.
Key quote:
“We’d like to see what’s in our soil in our neighborhoods where we grew up. We’re worried about the effects of 90 years of the refinery being there.”
— Fred Borrego, president of the San Juan Neighborhood Association
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