EPA will withdraw approval of Chevron plastic-based fuels likely to cause cancer

The decision comes after a ProPublica and Guardian investigation revealed that the EPA had found that one of the fuels had a huge cancer risk

• This article is co-published with ProPublica, a non-profit newsroom that investigates abuses of power

The US Environmental Protection Agency is planning to withdraw and reconsider its approval for Chevron to produce 18 plastic-based fuels, including some that an internal agency assessment found are highly likely to cause cancer.

In a recent court filing, the federal agency said it has substantial concerns" that the approval order may have been made in error". The EPA gave a Chevron refinery in Mississippi the green light to make the chemicals in 2022 under a climate-friendly" initiative intended to boost alternatives to petroleum, as ProPublica and the Guardian reported last year.