Environment Agency Considers Legal Action Against Huntsman Polyurethanes

The Environment Agency is considering legal action against Huntsman Polyurethanes for permit breaches involving benzene emissions at its petrochemical plant in Redcar, North Yorkshire. The regulator's inspections and compliance reporting uncovered several breaches, with modeling from March 2026 indicating significant violations of legally binding air quality standards. In one scenario, a 24-hour limit exceedance reached 933%.

The emissions rose from 13 tonnes in 2022 to 17 tonnes in 2024. This increase followed the company's 2023 decision to replace a benzene-reducing process with a third-party method that periodically paused. While the regulator admitted it could have followed up sooner, it stated that recent interventions have improved the site's abatement system. The agency has informed the UK Health Security Agency and the Health and Safety Executive to assess potential public and occupational health risks.

Huntsman Polyurethanes denies any illegality. The company maintains that its emissions remain fully compliant with permit conditions and asserts that monitoring data shows concentrations beyond the site boundary are below applicable standards.