‘Green’ renewable fuel plants are releasing MORE pollution than oil refineries, report claims

So-called ‘green’ fuel refineries have used loopholes in federal regulation to become massive polluters, according to a new report. 

The 275 Biofuel and ethanol manufacturers in the US released 12 million tons of toxic materials into the air in 2022 compared to 15 million emitted by oil refineries, the report detailed. 

Further, these plants released more of four kinds of toxic chemicals that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and shortness of breath in the short term, and have been linked to cancer in the long term. 

These green fuel companies use products like corn or vegetable oil to make fuel instead of petroleum. 

A majority of the biofuel facilities are located in the Midwest, with one in Illinois that generated the largest source of Hexane, a toxin that can cause nerve damage.

Courtney Bernhardt, Director of Research for the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), the group that released the report, said: ‘Despite its green image, the biofuels industry releases a surprising amount of hazardous air pollution that puts local communities at risk – and this problem is exacerbated by EPA’s lax regulation.’

The EIP is a nonprofit watchdog group focused on environmental law, and has been calling for increased federal regulation of the ‘green’ fuel industry. 

Their report reviewed 2022 data that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released from 191 ethanol plants, 71 biodiesel plants and 13 renewable diesel plants. 

Not only were the ‘green’ manufacturers emissions nearly on par with oil and gas, they also released more of particularly potent toxins than the petroleum manufacturers – including hexane, acetaldehyde, acrolein and formaldehyde than traditional oil and gas refineries. 

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