By Syndicated Content By Laura Sanicola (Reuters) – Thirteen U.S. oil refineries released the cancer-causing chemical benzene in concentrations that exceeded federal limits last year, three more than in 2019, according to government data published by the green group Environmental Integrity Project on Wednesday. The study is based on the second full year of data reported by U.S. refineries since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began requiring continuous monitoring of air pollutants around plants to protect nearby communities, many of which are disproportionately poor, black and Hispanic. “If the Biden EPA wants to act on its environmental justice promises, these neighborhoods near refineries are a great place to start,” Benjamin Kunstman, staff engineer at the Environmental Integrity Project, told Reuters.