Irving Oil Refinery
1 2017-12-06T07:02:09-08:00 Klara Beinhorn c060574480f918c78093f5a48ae976084fc06ec2 27049 1 Photo by Cusack. Taken 16 September 2012. Creative Commons Atribution-Share Alike 3.0. Available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oil_refinery_004.JPG. plain 2017-12-06T07:02:09-08:00 Klara Beinhorn c060574480f918c78093f5a48ae976084fc06ec2This page is referenced by:
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Environmental Impact
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By Klara Beinhorn
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2017-12-06T18:39:57-08:00
As Huber puts it, “To say the refineries have an environmental impact is an understatement” (68). Huber describes how the process of refining crude oil creates product wastes such as carcinogens that lead to severe burns, chronic lung disease, psychosis, and elevated risks of cancer for workers and nearby communities. The chemical industry coincides with the petroleum industry and has the third-highest level of chemical toxins released. Some suggest the refining process is the most energy intensive of all the industrial sector in the United States. Using data from the United Nations, Huber suggests that a single refinery consumes the same amount of energy as 30,633 households while also using roughly 1.53 gallons of water for every one gallon of crude processed (69). The environmental impact of refineries directly relates to the health implications posed from processing crude. This is concerning because even if a refinery doesn't exist in one's backyard personally, the environmental impact will catch up and affect everyone at some point.
Works Cited- Huber, Matthew T., Lifebloood: Oil, Freedom, and the Forces of Capital. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013.
