Dow to spend millions to clean up air pollution

Abstract

Dow Chemical and two of its subsidiaries will spend $294 million to curb air pollution from four petrochemical plants in Louisiana and Texas, under a proposed settlement with environmental regulators. The US Environmental Protection Agency alleges that the facilities failed to properly operate and monitor flares when burning off waste gases, thus violating the Clean Air Act. This led to release of volatile organic compounds and toxic air pollutants including benzene, a human carcinogen, the EPA says. Under the proposed settlement, released Jan. 27, Dow and subsidiaries Performance Materials and Union Carbide will reduce flaring and improve combustion of waste gases from the four plants, which manufacture olefins or polymers. The settlement covers facilities in Hahnville and Plaquemine, Louisiana, as well as Freeport and Orange, Texas. “Those controls, plus a requirement for fence line monitoring of benzene emissions, will result in significant benefits” for nearby communities of color, Larry Starfield,