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Texas refinery pollution data is wrong

HOUSTON, May 7 (UPI) -- A British Petroleum refinery in Texas is reviewing its pollution numbers after reporting different data to federal and state officials.

Experts say this highlights the need for more oversight, the Houston Chronicle said.

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The Texas City refinery isn't new to regulatory trouble. In 2005 it was fined $31.3 million for 300 violations found by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration after 15 workers died in an explosion.

The Chronicle reports the refinery is now recalculating numbers and retesting its air pollutant levels.

It reported to U.S. the Environmental Protection Agency that it released 10.25 million pounds of pollutants into the air in 2004, up from 3.3 million in 2003.

However, according to state data for the same years, pollution went down.

BP spokesman Neil Geary blamed the number dispute on a change in calculations methods he said were never actually tested at the pollution sources.

If BP's numbers to the EPA are wrong, it could face serious fines.

If Texas regulators received the wrong data, the refinery will have to drastically rework its plans to meet legal mandates on curbing and reducing air pollution, the newspaper said.

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