Report blames petroleum industry for 25 pct of toxic pollutants

ENERGY TECH

Swiss police raid Libyan refinery Tamoil in environment probe
Swiss police on Tuesday said it raided the sites of Libyan oil refinery Tamoil as part of a probe into allegations that it violated environmental regulations. Police, magistrates and specialists who took samples entered Tamoil's refinery sites to see if there were "possible violations against legal standards on the environment," said police from two cantons in a statement. Investigators examined the refinery's installations as well as environmental protection measures and procedures it had put in place in case of emergencies, they said. "The specialists also took several samples for analysis and will report their findings to their respective penal authorities," they added. Tamoil last year said that the Libyan government halted oil deliveries to Switzerland, after one of the sons of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi was arrested by Geneva police. "It is a decision of Libya and not Tamoil," Tamoil CEO Issam Zanati said at the time. Libya supplies about 2.5 million tonnes of crude to Switzerland a year, about 20 percent of the country's total needs, but Switzerland's oil companies association has said a halt in Libyan deliveries would not affect supplies or prices here.

by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) June 10, 2009
The US petroleum industry accounted for a quarter of toxic pollutants recorded across North America in 2005 by a government-backed environmental watchdog, an annual report said on Wednesday.

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) -- created by Canada, the United States and Mexico -- said 90 percent of toxic pollutants came from just over a dozen industries.

Aside from oil and gas extraction, mining, wastewater treatment, electric utilities and chemical manufacturing are named as the principle offenders.

"Ninety percent of the 5.5 billion kilograms of toxic pollutant releases and transfers reported in North America in 2005 can be traced to just 30 substances from 15 industrial sectors across the United States, Canada and Mexico," it said.

The US petroleum industry reported 1.5 billion kilograms "of toxic pollutants reported by all sectors in 2005" the CEC said.

"Analysis of 2002-2005 reporting by Canadian and US petroleum refineries and bulk storage terminals discloses that, on average, about seven million kilograms of carcinogens and developmental or reproductive toxicants were released annually.

"Most of these pollutants were released to air and water."

Adrian Vazquez-Galvez, the body's executive director said the report "presents the clearest view ever of industrial pollution in North America."

But, he admitted, the picture was incomplete, with difference in reporting standards across industries and the three countries involved.

"(The report) reveals some major blind spots," Vazquez-Galvez said.

"This information is critical to government, industry, and communities, and highlights issues of comparability and areas for further action on pollution reduction to address potential environmental and human health issues," he said.

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