Oil Refineries and Pollution O il refineries not only harm our environment but also our health. They are one of the largest sources of air pollution in the United States and the effect of oil refineries on air, water, and land is clearly visible. O il refineries convert crude oil to everyday products like gasoline, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas and more. The refining process releases a number of chemicals such as benzene, chromium, and sulfuric acid into the atmosphere polluting it. Oil refineries are the biggest source of Volatile Organic Compounds that cause urban smog. Apart from this, they are also the single largest industrial source of benzene emissions. When it comes to toxic emissions from industrial sources, they are the fourth largest source. The effect of oil refineries is clearly visible on our land as well. Harmful waste from oil refineries, when dumped on the land, can prove to be very harmful. Discharge of chemical pollutants into waterways and oil pollution due to accidental oil spills contaminate the ground water as well open waterways. Oil refineries store huge quantities of hazardous chemicals that will release dangerous toxins if there is an accident or an attack. These emissions can cost the lives of those living near these refineries. In 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had even issued a warning that these refineries and other industrial facilities, which number more than 120, can