DuPont to pay nearly half a million dollars over harmful chemical release from facility: 'We are pleased to resolve this matter'

Chemical manufacturing company DuPont has been fined $480,000 for releasing known carcinogens into the atmosphere, per The New Orleans Advocate. The fine comes after a two-and-a-half-year battle with the Environmental Protection Agency.

What's happening?

DuPont's LaPlace chemical facility has been releasing a known carcinogen into the air at levels greater than what federal rules allow. In an unannounced inspection of the plant, the EPA found numerous releases of benzene from a storage tank and pipe.

During the first day of inspection, EPA officials examined 77 valves and two pumps. On a benzene waste tank, the EPA measured 20,100 parts per million of benzene coming from a vent, compared to the lower 1,650 ppm figure DuPont had reported from its own measurements. The officials also found 1,933 ppm and 542 ppm of benzene leaking out of two separate valves; both figures are above the EPA limit.

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Benzene is a chemical that can cause chromosome changes in bone marrow cells. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, long-term exposure to benzene is not only linked to cancer but also to neurological complications, reproductive issues, and gastrointestinal problems.

Short-term exposure to benzene can also cause health problems. The EPA lists drowsiness, dizziness, and headaches as common side effects. Short-term exposure can also result in skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation. In severe cases, benzene can also cause unconsciousness.

Why is the DuPont settlement important?

Benzene is a known carcinogen that has detrimental conseque n ces for public health. By violating federal rules, DuPont knowingly released toxic levels of benzene into the atmosphere. As a result, the company not only threatened the health and safety of its employees but also that of surrounding communities.

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From an environmental perspective, emitting harmful pollutants such as benzene into the atmosphere worsens the rising global temperature. As more pollutants enter the atmosphere and temperatures continue to rise, air quality decreases and powerful storms become more frequent.

What's being done about benzene pollution?

The EPA fined DuPont for emitting high levels of benzene into the atmosphere.

"We are pleased to resolve this matter with the U.S. EPA," Daniel Turner, a spokesperson for DuPont Specialty Products, told The Advocate. "We have taken immediate corrective actions to resolve the issues identified in the inspection process."