Refiners try to make every last drop of crude oil into products, but that's technically infeasible. Some of the crude oil is turned into fuels that are burned to run the refining process, and burning fuel puts chemicals into the air. Also, some vapors leak from pipes, tanks, and other equipment, and cause chemical releases into the air. Chemicals that result from burning fuel or leaking equipment are called emissions. Click on the Pollution Prevention icon to see what Koch does to prevent emissions.
Emissions interact in the environment - with the air, sunlight, and other chemicals.
Some emissions last for only a few hours before they break down or form other chemicals. Some emissions last for days, weeks, or many decades. The amount and toxicity of a chemical in the environment determines the impact that chemical has on the environment. The impacts, measured by MPCA monitoring stations located around the refinery, measure the chemicals that reach the station, whether they come from the refinery or from the exhaust of cars passing by, or are even blown in from another city. Koch has promised to reduce refinery emissions by 50 percent over five years.