Richmond Residents Face Elevated Cancer Risk Near Chevron Refinery

The Bay Area Air District has released a preliminary health risk assessment that shows people living near Chevron's Richmond Refinery face an elevated risk of developing cancer over their lifetime.

The assessment found that residents have a 37-in-a-million increased lifetime risk of developing cancer due to exposure to toxic air contaminants, including benzo[a]pyrene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which seeped from pipe fittings and storage tanks throughout the refinery.

Additionally, emissions of diesel particulate matter and arsenic were found to be above the allowed limit. According to Dr. Rohan Radhakrishna, the Air District's health officer, 'There are multiple sources with multiple pollutants that are beyond the risk threshold.'

The air quality model analysis used by the Air District estimates that 37 more people in a million will develop cancer due to exposure to these pollutants.