Last week, the oil & gas industry was stunned by the ouster of two of Exxon’s board members, a forced change that took place after investors agreed the company wasn’t doing enough to address climate change.
Unfortunately for Exxon, its approach to mitigating climate change has since gotten another black mark.
Reuters has unveiled its list of the top polluters in the U.S., and the three facilities deemed most harmful for the environment are all Exxon refineries.
The analysis claims the three refineries – one in Louisiana and two in Texas – average emissions of 80 pounds of small particulate matter per hour.
According to Reuters, this amounts to “eight times the average rate of the seven other refineries on the top-ten list."
Exxon’s Baton Rouge plant is protected by the so-called “Cat Cracker” exemption instituted by the EPA, which allows plants built before 1976 to remain unmodified.
State regulators also allow more pollution from the plant than they do for other state refineries, says Reuters.
According to Wilma Subra, a scientist and climate expert interviewed by Reuters, "Exxon has all the resources in the world to lower its pollution rates dramatically."
