DuPont Specialty Plant Releases Carcinogens, Facing $480,000 Fine and Equipment Upgrades

A chemical plant west of New Orleans has agreed to pay up to $480,000 in federal fines and will install new equipment to prevent a harmful cancer-causing chemical from escaping from storage tanks and pipes. The decision came after an unannounced inspection reported by The Advocate found that benzene release levels at several sites at the plant exceeded those allowed under federal regulations.

On September 25, a settlement agreement and final order between DuPont and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were reportedly filed. About two and a half years ago, inspectors found excessive levels of benzene released from the plant. The plant is located about half a mile (0.8 km) from an elementary school in Reserve, Louisiana, within the state's 85-mile (137-km) Mississippi River chemical Corridor. This area is often referred to as "Cancer Alley" because of its high density of chemical plants and potential health risks.

Daniel Turner, a spokesman for DuPont Specialty Products, said that while the chemical release had "no impact on site workers or the community," they were still concerned about the issue. "We are pleased to resolve this matter with the EPA," Turner said. "From the beginning of the on-site inspection, we disputed the instrument readings EPA obtained from the contractor. However, we have taken immediate corrective action to address the issues identified during the inspection."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that benzene has been found to cause an increase in cases of leukemia among occupational exposures. Women who inhale high levels of benzene have been reported to have reproductive effects, and long-term exposure to benzene can also cause blood disorders. Short-term exposure to benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, headache, eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, and at high levels can even cause loss of consciousness.

Epa officials monitored 77 valves and two pumps on the first day of the inspection, when they discovered the violations. They measured 20,100 parts per million of benzene coming out of the vent hole of a benzene waste tank and 1,933 parts per million of benzene leaking from a second pressure/vacuum valve. Inspectors also found that an open pipe with one valve and another valve in different locations leaked about 542 ppm of benzene, slightly above the EPA limit.

Dupont said its own measurements showed benzene levels were much lower, but still higher than the EPA limit. Federal law requires major industries to ensure that containers storing benzene have no detectable emissions, as indicated by readings below 500 ppm and a visual inspection. The same standard applies to pipes or valves used to transport benzene, but open valves or pipes must be capped or blocked.

Notably, DuPont's plant is located in the same location as Denka High Performance Elastomers. The federal government accused Denka High Performance Elastomers in 2023 of posing an unacceptable cancer risk to the nearby black community. The DuPont plant makes p-phenylenediamine, or PPDA, and the plant ships that chemical to another DuPont plant to make Kevlar, which is used to make bulletproof vests. The plant has about 280 employees and contractor staff.