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The huge US toxic fire shrouded in secrecy: ‘I taste oil in my mouth’

theguardian.com · 5,239 words · saved by 1 readers

Louisianans say a major accident at a sprawling Marathon refinery caused health issues. The company insists there were ‘no offsite impacts’ At 8.04am on 25 August last year, Darnell Alboudoor watched a plume of black smoke blanketing the sky and rolling in the direction of her family home. A stench like burning oil filled the air on that piping hot summer morning, as Alboudoor, 54, looked in the direction of the sprawling petroleum refinery, which sat a few hundred feet from her back yard. She called 911. “I’m just wondering what’s going on over there,” she told the operator. “Nobody tells us nothing.” “They’re handling it,” the operator responded. “Nothing to worry about.” There was no need to evacuate, Alboudoor was told, as she expressed her concerns over the fumes. “I just want to know why we weren’t aware of this,” Alboudoor said. “Why are we just finding out about it now?” Unbeknown to Alboudoor and the thousands of other south-east Louisiana residents who lived next door, the fa

In 2023, a huge fire broke out at a Louisiana refinery – right next to the cemetery where Andrew Sterling’s ancestors are buried. Composite: Forensic Architecture, Kathleen Flynn View image in fullscreen In 2023, a huge fire broke out at a Louisiana refinery – right next to the cemetery where Andrew Sterling’s ancestors are buried. Composite: Forensic Architecture, Kathleen Flynn America's dirty divide Oil and gas companies This article is more than 1 year old The huge US toxic fire shrouded in secrecy: ‘I taste oil in my mouth’ This article is more than 1 year old Louisianans say a major acci

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