Neighborhood street under a cloud of toxic smoke from a petrochemical facility on fire.

Resources
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We are committed to funding essential research on the threat of petrochemicals to our health, our safety, and our climate.

Climate

Oil and Gas Watch

Environmental Integrity Project

This is a resource detailing the locations of proposed new and expanding oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure projects that have been approved or announced since 2012. About 402 of these projects have been built out over the last decade. An additional 434 projects have not yet been constructed.

Oil and Gas Watch

Environmental Integrity Project

This is a resource detailing the locations of proposed new and expanding oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure projects that have been approved or announced since 2012. About 402 of these projects have been built out over the last decade. An additional 434 projects have not yet been constructed.

Emissions Out the Gate: State of the Refining and Petrochemical Industries

RMI

RMI’s report, Emissions Out the Gate: State of the Refining and Petrochemical Industries, provides an overview of the U.S. and global refining and petrochemical industries, their current emissions and forecasted growth, and projected emissions out to 2050.

Emissions Out the Gate: State of the Refining and Petrochemical Industries

RMI

RMI’s report, Emissions Out the Gate: State of the Refining and Petrochemical Industries, provides an overview of the U.S. and global refining and petrochemical industries, their current emissions and forecasted growth, and projected emissions out to 2050.

Climate Impact of Primary Plastic Production

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published a report detailing the current scale and future growth of global carbon pollution from plastic production. Estimates show that plastic production emits as much carbon pollution as 600 coal-fired power plants annually.

Climate Impact of Primary Plastic Production

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories

Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published a report detailing the current scale and future growth of global carbon pollution from plastic production. Estimates show that plastic production emits as much carbon pollution as 600 coal-fired power plants annually.

U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index

Environmental Defense Fund

Pulling in 184 sets of data to rank more than 70,000 U.S. Census tracts, the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index helps you see which communities face the greatest challenges from the impacts of a changing climate. This tool shows what is driving the challenges, so policymakers and communities themselves can take action to build climate resilience where it is needed most.

U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index

Environmental Defense Fund

Pulling in 184 sets of data to rank more than 70,000 U.S. Census tracts, the U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index helps you see which communities face the greatest challenges from the impacts of a changing climate. This tool shows what is driving the challenges, so policymakers and communities themselves can take action to build climate resilience where it is needed most.

Addressing Plastics’ Climate Risk: We Can Cut Petrochemical Use Today

RMI

RMI conducted a first-of-its-kind analysis of the detailed emissions and climate risk posed by plastics and other petrochemicals.

Addressing Plastics’ Climate Risk: We Can Cut Petrochemical Use Today

RMI

RMI conducted a first-of-its-kind analysis of the detailed emissions and climate risk posed by plastics and other petrochemicals.

Health and Safety

Chester Hazardous Air Pollutant Monitoring and Assessment Project

Johns Hopkins University

This study was designed and conducted by Johns Hopkins University to combine the strengths of different measurement platforms to better characterize the acute and chronic multipollutant neighborhood level risk to fenceline communities.

Chester Hazardous Air Pollutant Monitoring and Assessment Project

Johns Hopkins University

This study was designed and conducted by Johns Hopkins University to combine the strengths of different measurement platforms to better characterize the acute and chronic multipollutant neighborhood level risk to fenceline communities.

Spill Tracker

Beyond Petrochemicals

Spill Tracker is a database of fires, flares, spills, and other petrochemical incidents, which occur on average every four days. Researchers from Beyond Petrochemicals track media and government reports of incidents involving carcinogenic petrochemicals like vinyl chloride, ammonia, benzene, and butadiene. Updates are published on the site weekly, demonstrating the danger these toxic chemicals pose.

Spill Tracker

Beyond Petrochemicals

Spill Tracker is a database of fires, flares, spills, and other petrochemical incidents, which occur on average every four days. Researchers from Beyond Petrochemicals track media and government reports of incidents involving carcinogenic petrochemicals like vinyl chloride, ammonia, benzene, and butadiene. Updates are published on the site weekly, demonstrating the danger these toxic chemicals pose.

Problem Plastic: How Polyester and PET Plastic Can be Unsafe, Unjust, and Unsustainable Materials

Defend Our Health

Worldwide production of all petrochemical plastics exceeded 475 million metric tons in 2019. The petrochemical industry wants to double plastics production again by 2040. Read more in this report from Defend our Health.

Problem Plastic: How Polyester and PET Plastic Can be Unsafe, Unjust, and Unsustainable Materials

Defend Our Health

Worldwide production of all petrochemical plastics exceeded 475 million metric tons in 2019. The petrochemical industry wants to double plastics production again by 2040. Read more in this report from Defend our Health.

Toxic Footprints Dashboard

Planet Tracker

Toxic Footprints shows how investors are exposed to petrochemical facilities and their toxic releases in the Gulf of Mexico. The work shows the largest investors in the most toxic petrochemical companies and facilities in the region, and which chemicals post the largest risk to human health. Use this dashboard to identify the top polluting investors, corporates, and facilities in the report.

Toxic Footprints Dashboard

Planet Tracker

Toxic Footprints shows how investors are exposed to petrochemical facilities and their toxic releases in the Gulf of Mexico. The work shows the largest investors in the most toxic petrochemical companies and facilities in the region, and which chemicals post the largest risk to human health. Use this dashboard to identify the top polluting investors, corporates, and facilities in the report.

Economics

Giving Away the Future: How Louisiana's Industrial Tax Exemption Program Has Failed to Produce Prosperity

Ohio River Institute

Giving Away the Future assesses the impact of Louisiana's Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP), finding that tens of billions of dollars in tax exemptions have failed to benefit local communities.

Giving Away the Future: How Louisiana's Industrial Tax Exemption Program Has Failed to Produce Prosperity

Ohio River Institute

Giving Away the Future assesses the impact of Louisiana's Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP), finding that tens of billions of dollars in tax exemptions have failed to benefit local communities.

Pennsylvania's Bad Bet: Why Shell Didn't Save Appalachia with Plastics

Ohio River Valley Institute

The report evaluates the false promises and harmful impacts of a Shell ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. It specifically counters the flawed economic analysis used to justify building the plant.

Pennsylvania's Bad Bet: Why Shell Didn't Save Appalachia with Plastics

Ohio River Valley Institute

The report evaluates the false promises and harmful impacts of a Shell ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. It specifically counters the flawed economic analysis used to justify building the plant.

Feeding the Plastics Industrial Complex

Environmental Integrity Project

Billions of taxpayer dollars in the U.S. are helping to pay for dangerous, and often illegal, air pollution from a rapidly-growing plastics industry that threatens Black and Latino communities that live beside plastic manufacturing plants. This Environmental Integrity Project report examined 50 plants that were built or expanded in the U.S. since 2012, 32 of which received a total of almost $9 billion in state and local subsidies.

Feeding the Plastics Industrial Complex

Environmental Integrity Project

Billions of taxpayer dollars in the U.S. are helping to pay for dangerous, and often illegal, air pollution from a rapidly-growing plastics industry that threatens Black and Latino communities that live beside plastic manufacturing plants. This Environmental Integrity Project report examined 50 plants that were built or expanded in the U.S. since 2012, 32 of which received a total of almost $9 billion in state and local subsidies.

Justice

Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle

Defend Our Health and Beyond Petrochemicals

The report unveils how chemical manufacturers and beverage companies continue to perpetuate environmental racism to produce PET plastic bottles.

Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle

Defend Our Health and Beyond Petrochemicals

The report unveils how chemical manufacturers and beverage companies continue to perpetuate environmental racism to produce PET plastic bottles.

Pushing Back: A Guide for Frontline Communities Challenging Petrochemical Expansion

Center for International Environmental Law

The Center for International Environmental law pulled together this resource for communities facing the threat of petrochemical pollution and expansion. While this guide is primarily focused on petrochemical developments in the U.S., some of the information and tools may apply more broadly.

Pushing Back: A Guide for Frontline Communities Challenging Petrochemical Expansion

Center for International Environmental Law

The Center for International Environmental law pulled together this resource for communities facing the threat of petrochemical pollution and expansion. While this guide is primarily focused on petrochemical developments in the U.S., some of the information and tools may apply more broadly.