El Paso challenges oil refinery permit

In El Paso, Texas, residents are challenging Marathon Petroleum's permit renewal for its local refinery, raising concerns about soil contamination and air quality.

Martha Pskowski reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

• Residents of El Paso, led by neighborhood association president Fred Borrego, are questioning the environmental impact of Marathon Petroleum's 97-year-old refinery.
• El Paso County commissioners voted to seek a contested case hearing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality over the refinery's permit renewal.
• The refinery, located in a predominantly Hispanic and low-income neighborhood, is under scrutiny for its emissions, including benzene and hydrogen sulfide, which have been linked to health issues.

Key quote:

“We’d like to see what’s in our soil in our neighborhoods where we grew up. We’re worried about the effects of 90 years of the refinery being there.”

— Fred Borrego, president of the San Juan Neighborhood Association

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