{
  "id": 117667,
  "title": "UK plastic manufacturer could face legal action over toxic emissions",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/uk-plastic-manufacturer-could-face-legal-action-over-toxic-emissions",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-04T05:00:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/04/plastic-manufacturer-legal-action-emissions-toxic-carcinogenic-chemical-environment"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Environment Agency is contemplating legal action against Huntsman Polyurethanes, a plastic manufacturer in Teesside, England, due to its emissions of benzene, a highly toxic and carcinogenic chemical with no safe threshold of exposure. The Environment Agency (EA) is assessing whether Huntsman has breached its licence, which constitutes a criminal offence. This case has highlighted the hazardous nature of the plastics industry and the potential risks faced by workers and the local community.\n\nHuntsman Polyurethanes, a subsidiary of the Huntsman Corporation, is a globally operating petrochemical company with a revenue of $6 billion in 2025. In 2023, the company decommissioned a process that was reducing benzene air emissions and replaced it with a new method controlled by a third party. However, EA documents reveal that this new process \"periodically paused,\" leading to direct benzene emissions into the air.\n\nBetween 2022 and 2024, benzene emissions from the site increased from 13 tonnes to 17 tonnes, as per EA records. Despite being aware of the problem since 2023, the EA did not investigate the emissions until this year. During that period, benzene emissions rose significantly, raising concerns about potential health hazards.\n\nBenzene, used in the production of some plastics, is known to cause leukaemia in humans, and the World Health Organization declares there is no safe level of exposure. In a March inspection report, the EA recorded several permit breaches related to benzene emissions, warning that \"deficiencies in the management system may cause multiple emissions, potentially impacting the environment or human health.\"\n\nHuntsman Polyurethanes maintains that its benzene emissions are \"fully compliant with our permit conditions,\" while the EA stated that it is considering further enforcement action. An internal review of the modelling found that the impacts were \"not insignificant,\" but the EA claims that the environmental and human health impacts remain below the relevant standards.\n\nEnvironmental experts, such as David Santillo from Greenpeace Research Laboratories and Roel Vermeulen from Utrecht University, have criticized the EA's slow response, arguing that the company's failure to act proactively and the lack of timely intervention pose a significant risk to public health. The modelling report suggests that the benzene emissions could exceed air quality standards by up to 933% in certain scenarios.\n\nCampaigners, like Vermeulen, emphasize the need for immediate measurements of benzene levels in the surrounding community and the implementation of measures to reduce emissions. The broader issue of industrial pollution from the global plastics industry is also being raised, with recent reports showing that workers in plastic production facilities face increased risks of various cancers, including leukaemia.",
  "summary": "Exclusive: Environment Agency is considering whether to prosecute Huntsman Polyurethanes over emissions of carcinogenic benzene A plastic manufacturer in the north of England is facing potential legal action over emissions of benzene, a carcinogenic chemical with no safe level, the Guardian can reveal. The Environment Agency (EA) is considering taking legal action against Huntsman Polyurethanes…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}