‘Green’ renewable fuel plants cause MORE pollution than oil refineries, reports claim

So-called “green” fuel refineries have used loopholes in federal regulations to become massive polluters, a new report says.

The 275 U.S. biofuel and ethanol manufacturers released 12 million tons of toxic materials into the air in 2022, compared to 15 million tons emitted by oil refineries, the report said.

In addition, these plants emit more of four types of toxic chemicals that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and shortness of breath in the short term, and are linked to cancer in the long term.

These green fuel companies use products such as corn or vegetable oil to make fuel instead of petroleum.

The majority of biofuel facilities are in the Midwest, with one in Illinois generating the largest source of hexane, a toxin that can cause nerve damage.

Courtney Bernhardt, research director of the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), the group that released the report, said: ‘Despite its green image, the biofuel industry emits a surprising amount of dangerous air pollution that endangers local communities – and this is exacerbating the problem due to the EPA’s lax regulations.”

The EIP is a nonprofit watchdog group that focuses on environmental regulations and advocates for greater federal regulation of the “green” fuel industry.

Their report reviewed 2022 data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 191 ethanol plants, 71 biodiesel plants and 13 renewable diesel plants.

Not only were the emissions from the ‘green’ manufacturers virtually equal to those of oil and gas, they also emitted more extremely potent toxins than the petroleum producers – including hexane, acetaldehyde, acrolein and formaldehyde than traditional oil and gas refineries.

Formaldehyde fumes can cause cancer, and acetaldehyde is also said to be carcinogenic. When hexane gas is inhaled, it causes dizziness, nausea and headaches, according to the EIP.

Acrolein, which is also found in cigarettes and building materials, can cause vomiting and shortness of breath and has been linked to asthma.

Moreover, the process of growing the raw materials and converting them into biofuels is no better for the environment than traditional oil and gas, the report found.

U.S. biofuel plants emitted 33 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2022. That corresponds to the amount of greenhouse gases from 27.5 oil refineries.

Even as reports like this increase, the “green fuel” industry is booming.

This is partly due to increased funding from the Biden administration, which has allocated billions in resources to develop a green jet fuel. This is reported by Inside Climate News.

It is difficult to estimate how much money the government has channeled into this sector through the various agencies of the executive branch.

But only President Biden’s most recent announcement including $238 million for the expansion of biofuel production.

Since 2005, the US government has required oil producers to blend their products with biofuels such as ethanol.

This has likely played a role in the rapid expansion of these manufacturers, with the number of factories increasing eightfold since 2000.

Ethanol is a type of fuel made from corn. About 40 percent of all corn grown in America goes toward making fuel.

In response, corn production has also expanded, adding approximately 7 million acres of new corn farms annually following the new federal regulations.

These plants are located mainly in rural areas, near the farms that provide the raw materials for their fuel – in states such as Illinois and Iowa.

This has led to the cultivation of land that would have been preserved for natural plant and animal life, Reuters reported.

One of these biofuel plants, Archer Daniels Midland, located in Illinois, was found to be the nation’s largest source of hexane, a poison that can cause nerve damage.

This has caused local residents to develop dizziness and nausea, said Robert Hirschfeld, director of water policy at the Prairie Rivers Network.

In addition to the problems that production itself has caused, the report notes, increased demand for corn has made farmers aware and allocate more farmland for the harvest.

This has contributed to deforestation and habitat loss, which is worsening global warming and potentially endangering species, according to research by University of Minnesota.

In addition to providing funding for biofuel initiatives, federal regulators have also allowed these companies to avoid oversight, says David Van Gilder, senior policy and legal director for the Hoosier Environmental Council, who was not involved in the study.

He added that the report “reveals the need to promote energy conservation efforts rather than subsidizing industries that contribute significantly to hazardous air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”

Although using corn to make fuel is theoretically sustainable, in practice problems have arisen.

“Corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel,” said Professor Tyler Lark, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, who was not involved in the EIP report. told Reuters in 2022.

From farm to pump, ethanol production released 24 percent more carbon than traditional fuel sources, according to a 2022 report by Professor Lark. CO2 emissions are believed to be one of the biggest causes of climate change.

In addition, the farms growing corn have so thoroughly polluted some agricultural areas that locals are advised not to swim in local freshwater sources, eat fish, or drink.

This is the case in Decatur, Illinois, thanks to both corn farms and the Archer Daniels Midland plant, Hirschfeld said.

Groups representing biofuel companies have pushed back against the EIP’s report, calling it flawed, Inside Climate News reported.