Exxon has announced that it will be updating one of its refineries located in Baton Rouge. The refinery currently does not comply with particulate matter pollution standards set by the EPA but due to a loophole allowing older refineries to continue operating, it was allowed to keep polluting. Now Exxon has decided to put $240 million into updating the refinery to pollute less and finally comply with environmental standards. The updates should also make the refinery more flexible so it can “respond to market demand and position the site to attract future investment” according to Exxon. This flexibility should allow it to better extract carbon solids from crude oil and increase energy efficiency.
