For this research paper, I chose to discuss the Louisiana air quality and its effects on the community. I was raised here in Baker, Louisiana which is north of Baton Rouge. Growing up I noticed something very striking and odd. We are overly exposed to chemical plants and their outputs. Driving around Baton Rouge at night and seeing a distant flame I often wonder what it really was. I wonder how this was affecting the community. How was this affecting our health? Upon doing research, I discovered it is called upset emissions. Upset emissions are unplanned events which release VOCs into the air. The Bucket Brigade which is an anti-energy group refers to emissions as accidents. Every year they release an annual report which gives …show more content…
They also claimed that upset emission are getting worse. They suggest that refineries should upgrade their equipment and hire more workers to prevent accidents. The Bucket Brigade highlighted the Exxon Mobil Complex in Baton Rouge. It was caused by leaking bleeder valve Tank 801. There was about ten pounds of benzene released at 5am on June 14, 2012. There were iWitness pollution may detailing strong odors of burnt tar. The benzene is known to cause cancer in humans. In rebuttal the group Energize LA offers more accurate information. Louisiana has been a part of this industry since 1909 when Standard oil of New Jersey choose Baton Rouge for a refinery. It was envision that it would strengthen the company’s domestic market capabilities. Energize LA is Louisiana’s fuel and chemicals manufacturing sector served as economic growth for Louisiana. It has been a steady flow of much needed income for the state. The industry alone brings in over one billion dollars of revenue. From this industry over 150,000 jobs have been created it one of the sates main sources of revenue besides tourism. Now there is a big push for cleaner air, safer communities, and jobs revenue and oppountiny. The Energize LA serves as a clearinghouse for fact based research and information about issues regarding fuel and chemical manufacturing. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Environmental protection agency says that Louisiana’s air has been at its best since the signing of the
Pollution continues to pose an enormous threat to residents of urban cities worldwide. In the August 2008 Monthly Update, it is stated that approximately 800,000 deaths each year can be attributed to outdoor air pollution, making pollution the single most harmful environmental hazard to human health in urban areas (Kallman). The fact that pollution kills hundreds of thousands of people each year alone portrays just how dangerous living in these conditions can be. Kallman writes about a study which proves an increase in upper respiratory diseases, cardiovascular mortality, respiratory mortality, and low birth weights when exposed to air pollutants (August 2008: Monthly Update). These can be very serious diseases and complications which, when contracted, can lead to death or very serious illnesses. There
Oil suppliers dig deep down to the roots to analyze and derive concrete solutions to carry on the rising market. The force of fracking in the United States is lifting the economy; the system has been a political game changer for the nation, creating job opportunities and investing money into the community. The United States is currently capable of competing with the global marketplaces at a high rate. This coordination leads to knowledge for on-shoring manufacturing, which eliminates the dependency on foreign oil. This significant groundwork is driving opportunities for innovators. The abundant supply of oil and the inexpensive cost leads to cheaper energy for consumers (Dews, 2015). Along with the low price for refineries,
“During the early 1900’s the discovery of oil and natural gas in areas around Baton Rouge attracted chemical companies to the city” (Reilly). Since the beginning of the 1900’s Louisiana has been a large refining state, one may say one of the best, but also one of the most damaging. It can be safely said that since the start of refining in Louisiana well over a billion pounds of pollution has been released. In 2011 alone over a million pounds of chemicals were released into the air and a separate 1.3 million had been released into the water. All of Louisiana’s 17 refineries reported accidents contributing to these chemical spills (Sturgis). The numbers that have been presented so far may not seem out of the ordinary
The city of Pekin has a history of very dangerous and unhealthy levels of air pollution caused by power plants and ethanol manufactures. “The Pekin area has the highest level of sulfur dioxide air pollution in the state, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), a level that now exceeds tightened federal standards” (Pekin has worst sulfur dioxide air pollution in state, 2011). This environmental issue has had great health effects on the Pekin community because of the mass quantity of sulfur dioxide pollutants in the air. “Exposure to sulfur dioxide, which is released when fossil fuels like coal and oil are burned, causes respiratory problems for children, the elderly and those with asthma or other respiratory illnesses, according to the IEPA. It narrows airways, leading to difficulty breathing” (Pekin has worst sulfur dioxide air pollution in state, 2011). The health problems that sulfur dioxide cause is detrimental to the health of the citizens in the city of
Improved air quality wasn’t a subject of national concern until the mid 1900s. After decades of coal burning, unregulated gas emissions from cars and the excessive burning of fossil fuels, people started noticing bad air quality as a hazard to their lives. Over several decades, after seeing the costly effects air pollution was having on the environment and people’s health, interest groups like the Friends of The Earth club and the influences of Theodore Roosevelt and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring finally came together to persuade the government to enforce legislation that would reduce air pollution. Because of these efforts, the policies of the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Act of 1965, that aimed to control air pollution and raise air quality standards, helped create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 2, 1970. Since then, the EPA has passed more air quality improvement acts, and amendments to previous acts passed, to increase restrictions on air pollutants, with their main policy concern being the Clean Air Act. Improved air quality acts imposed by the EPA have been successful in cleaning the United States’ air quality by reducing ground-level ozone pollution and reducing emissions, allowing for a decrease in pollution related deaths/illnesses and a better standard of living. The EPA, through regulations and the Clean Air Act, has delivered it’s promise to improve air quality in the United States.
In November 2009, environmental groups alleged that the defendants violated the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Policy Act
Great post, I agree with you that air pollution is a major issue in Ironridge community. It is essential that the population have clean air to breathe. Many chronic diseases are related to air pollution which eventually leads to disability (Weuve et al., 2016). Did you know that a continuous exposure to air pollution appears to have multiples adverse health effects, such as an increased risks for cardiovascular and respiratory disease (Weuve et al., 2016)? I can’t imagine living in an environment where air pollution is causing sickness and not being able to do anything about it.
Clean Air Amendments: This alteration might have been acquainted in the arrangement over 1970. It altered those means and the paradigm obliged to the air purity in the United States. Done 1990, amendments were produced in the enactment and the norms were fortified will move forward the air nature measures and with control the surpassing air contamination.
First I will discuss the overall Clean Air Act regulations and permitting implications of both proposed Maumee projects. Then I will delve into the specifics related to each project separately.
Catalytic hydration produces a lot of direct and indirect pollution. The process requires tremendous amount of energy to heat up the mixture of ethene and steam up to the reaction temperatures. Ethene is obtained by a cracked fraction obtained from oil. Over the years there have been many environmental disasters from drilling and transporting oil. On the 20th of April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. This lead to 4.9 million barrels of oil being spilled into the Gulf of Mexico which resulted in the worst environmental disaster in recent times with millions of aquatic animals being affected (Kinver, 2011). Although the process of hydration has small impact of the environment due to the energy demands, its indirect pollution has had a
Air pollution is not a modern concept confined to the twentieth century or to the industrial
As such, the first article, Smoggy with a Chance of Altruism: The Effects of Ozone Alerts on Outdoor Recreation and Driving in Atlanta, by Noonan (2014) covers the effects of ozone alerts on outdoor recreation and driving in Atlanta. According to Noonan (2014) smog alerts are provided in metro areas to create awareness about the effect of air pollution as well as eliminate industrial and driving emissions (Noonan 130). The air quality alerts target household emission behaviors by monitoring the ambient concentration instead of relying on product and firm attributes. As such, Noonan (2014) explores household behaviors that produce high emissions such as driving as well as high exposure activities, mostly outdoor recreation.
Louisiana CNG was formed on two basic principles; bring affordable CNG conversions to everyday consumers and provide safe reliable service. Founded near Franklin, Louisiana by Wesley Verret in the spring of 2015, Louisiana CNG has consistently lived up to its standards; converting light, medium, and heavy automobiles to operate on compressed natural gas (CNG). “Compressed natural gas, or CNG, is natural gas under pressure, which remains clear, odorless, and non-corrosive” (Consumer Energy Center, 2015, p.1). Based on recent calculations concerning transportation fuel cost regarding gasoline and diesel fuel, Louisiana CNG has brought to the table an alternative, compressed natural gas (CNG).
The refining industry is a massive global industry that brings in billions of dollars every year. Millions of Americans use gasoline and petroleum products in their daily lives but rarely give much thought to how these fuels get refined, or which states or nations do the majority of the reining. Even fewer people give thought to the impact that the lack of refineries has on oil-producing states, and/or oil-rich nations. This research paper examines the current status of the refining industry, the domestic and global locations of oil refineries, the impact of the aging domestic refineries, as well as considering if/where the U.S. should build new refineries to keep up with the growing demand. An analytical look into the status of the refining industry reveals that this billion dollar industry is relying on aging refineries, why refineries are located where they are and the impact that not having a refinery has on both oil-producing states (in America) and on oil-rich nations around the globe.
Most people have felt or took in the air pollutants coming from a car but little did they know what the consequences that smell or the soot may present. Many times people breathe in the air pollutants that come from the cars we drive, but how many times do people actually stop and think of what it might be doing to ourselves and the world around us and perhaps how we could possibly fix it? The black smoke, and sometimes invisible pollutants, are causing harm all over the earth without people realizing it. Car pollution can cause disruption to human 's health, the environment, and the cities in just a matter of time and in many different ways.