(VCCEP) Tier 1 Pilot Submission for BENZENE - Tera

Table 7.4: Top Five 2003 TRI Sources of Benzene in Rural and Urban Settings
Urban Total Air Releases Rural Total Air Releases
(pounds)
(pounds)
1. U.S. Sugar Corp.
296,864 1. Georgia-Pacific
154,000
Bryant Mill, Palm
Big Island Mill,
Beach County, FL
Bedford County,
VA
2. Holcim (US) Inc.
272,854 2. Holcim (US) Inc.
150,000
Dundee Plant,
Clarksville Plant,
Monroe County, MI
Pike County, MO
3. ExxonMobil
121,052 3. U.S. Sugar Corp.
101,272
Baytown Chemical
Clewiston Mill,
Plant, Harris
Hendry County,
County, TX
FL
4. Equistar Chemicals 112,000 4. Wheeling-
90,000
LP, Harris County,
Pittsburgh Steel
TX
Corp. Follansbee
Plant, Brooke
County, WV
5. Chalmette Refining 110,430 5. Valero Three
59,403
LLC, St. Bernard
Rivers Refinery,
Parish, LA
Live Oak County,
TX
As shown on Table 7.4, two of the top five urban emitters (i.e., ExxonMobil and Equistar
Chemicals) are located in the same county, Harris County. Together these two facilities emit
approximately 80% of the benzene to the ambient air that the largest emitter nationwide, – U.S.
Sugar Corp does. Ten of the top 100 facilities that report benzene air releases on the TRI are in
Harris County, TX. As such, Harris County is an example of an industrial area with significant
point source releases of benzene to the ambient air.
The NATA database was queried to obtain predicted concentrations for the counties in which
the Top 5 TRI reporting facilities are located. Additionally, EPA’s AIRS Database was queried
to obtain measured ambient air benzene concentrations. The data in the AIRS database come
from fixed monitoring stations around the country, where samples are collected approximately
weekly (every 6 to 10 days). For the most part, these monitoring stations are located in urban
or suburban environments, with very few in rural settings. A summary of the NATA and AIRS
data is presented on Table 7.5.
Benzene VCCEP Submission
March 2006
103