Hersher, R. (2023, January 26). Oil refineries release lots of water pollution near communities of color, Data Show. NPR. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.npr.org/2023/01/26/1151464514/oil-refineries-release-lots-of-water-pollution-near-communities-of-color-data-sh 

Studies and reports have proven that oil refineries are responsible for billions of pounds of pollution and how it is specifically impacting communities of color. In addition to harmful chemicals such as nitrogen, oil refineries are also dumping heavy metals into waterways. The compounds that are released into the water can kill aquatic organisms, feed harmful algae, and make waterways a hazard to even humans. The pollution has negatively impacted environments and communities all over the country, specifically around the Gulf Coast and Chicago. Groups and reporters such as the Environmental Integrity Project have observed and analyzed data on the issue that the EPA ( Environmental Protection Agency ) has collected. It was discovered that many oil refineries are dumping more pollution into waterways than what is allowed by the law. However, these refineries are usually allowed to get away with the amount of waste they are releasing because the EPA has not put enough effort into stopping them. History has shown that people who live in more impoverished areas are more likely to be subject to the negative effects of all types of pollution. Reports have proven this to be true, revealing that many high-polluting refineries are located closer to poverty-stricken areas than rich areas. Other studies have made discoveries that further back up this point. NPR discovered that a large portion of harmful substances from refineries was found at places that were near communities of color. More reports and studies are constantly being conducted and are constantly proving the fact that people of color face the worst of the pollution. The article closes by talking about how the rules that the EPA established for pollution regulations are outdated and need to be updated. Unfortunately, it seems like the EPA has not shown any interest in reducing pollution from oil refineries for no updates have been made yet.

 

This article shed light on the impacts that pollution from oil refineries has had on waterways and specifically the communities of color that live nearby these facilities. I wasn’t aware of the role that oil refineries played in water pollution and was sadly not too surprised to hear about the harm that they have on the environment/on people. Though the article briefly talked about the effects on aquatic life, I wonder how badly the pollution has impacted the surrounding aquatic environment and any other natural cycles. When reading through the section where the author focused on the effects on people of color, it reminded me of stories I would hear in my history classes. If you weren’t rich or caucasian, you usually had the short end of the stick and in this case, the short end is living near these polluted refineries. I feel grateful to live in an area where pollution doesn’t have an immediate impact on my life. Lastly, the article also talked about the EPA and its efforts to reduce pollution from refineries. Again, I was sadly not surprised when finding out that there have been little to no efforts in fixing this issue.