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Proliferation of New Crude Oil Terminals Health and Community impacts

Proliferation of New Crude Oil Terminals Health and Community impacts Bay Area Air Quality management District, December 4, 2013 Diane Bailey Natural Resources Defense Council * Note that most images here are taken from the internet with gratitude. Crude By Rail Projects: How many? How big?.

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Proliferation of New Crude Oil Terminals Health and Community impacts

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  1. Proliferation of New Crude Oil Terminals Health and Community impacts Bay Area Air Quality management District, December 4, 2013 Diane Bailey Natural Resources Defense Council * Note that most images here are taken from the internet with gratitude.

  2. Crude By Rail Projects: How many? How big? • 3 or more large projects. Potential to replace ¼ - ⅓ regional crude supply. • Experts conclude that the projects are likely to bring in tar sands. • Recent changes at some refineries to be tar sands ready. • Result: Impacts to air quality, health, quality of life, safety and the environment.

  3. Crude By Rail: What are the implications of Tar Sands Dilbit? • Increases in Air Pollution: Toxics like Benzene, Lead & Heavy Metals, and Smog and Soot • More Noxious Odors • Increased Toxic Coke Production • Higher Risk of Accidents • Spills That Can Damage the Environment A handful of Canadian oil sands. Source: Suncor / Inside climate news – A Primer on dilbit http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120626/dilbit-primer-diluted-bitumen-conventional-oil-tar-sands-Alberta-Kalamazoo-Keystone-XL-Enbridge?page=3

  4. Increased Air Pollution: The Dilbit problem • Called a Barbell crude, the light end including toxics like benzene quickly evaporates. • That leaves the heavy end, loaded with toxic metals like lead. Mayflower, Arkansas

  5. Average Crude Unit Emissions at U.S. Refineries 4 x 5 x all units in ppmw † EIA defines Heavy Crude as “all crudes with an API gravity of 22° or below.” http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/TblDefs/pet_pri_wco_tbldef2.asp data source: EPA Comprehensive Data Collected from the Petroleum Refining Sector http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/petref/petrefpg.html

  6. Increases in Air Pollution: Health Impacts

  7. More Noxious Odors • Dirty crudes have high levels of sulfur compounds with intense odors, like mercaptans. • Mercaptans not only have an unpleasant odor, they are toxic. • Mercaptans are also extremely flammable. Bitumen from Christina Lake, Canada Source: http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2012/02/15/cenovus-rolls-out-christina-dilbit-blend-product/

  8. More Pet Coke • Marathon Refinery and Coke Piles in Detroit, James Fassingerguardian.co.uk, 7 June 2013

  9. Higher Risk of Refinery & Rail Accidents Lac Megantic, Quebec, July 2013 Chevron, Richmond, August 2012 Alberta, Canada, October 2013

  10. Residential Proximity Puts Our Children at Risk • Dozens of homes, schools, playgrounds, churches and parks are within a stones through of these projects. • Historical industrial use of the site does not make it a good idea to re-use for high-risk oil terminal activities.

  11. The very communities that this Air District already identifies as “Impacted” by Air Pollution & Vulnerability…

  12. …would be most impacted by the planned new oil terminals and refinery projects.

  13. Is This What We Want in The Bay Area? Mayflower, Arkansas, April 2013

  14. We Need the Air District to Protect the Public • Put projects on hold until a thorough study of impacts is done • Investigate the potential for increases in dirtier, lower quality crude oil • Consider local context of projects – residential proximity, vulnerability, etc. • Disclose information to the public Mayflower, Arkansas

  15. Priorities: Community Health Allowing Bay Area sacrifice zones around oil terminals and refineries is not the price we should pay for oil independence. Instead, we should declare fossil fuel independence.

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