A Pennsylvania bill that would limit fracking near homes and schools was shelved this summer right before a scheduled committee vote. In a small town in shale country, accounts of misery and discord show the stakes.
One burner could raise indoor concentrations of benzene, which is linked to cancer risk, above levels that have prompted investigations when detected outdoors.
Benzene is a known human carcinogen, according to the EPA. The Texas refineries were among a dozen industrial plants in the U.S. that emitted the highest levels of the chemical in 2021.
A Houston railyard, now owned by Union Pacific, is contaminated with creosote, a likely human carcinogen. Creosote was used decades prior by the previous owner to treat wooden railroad ties and has since seeped into the soil and groundwater.
