A plastic manufacturer in the north of England is facing potential legal action over emissions of benzene, a carcinogenic chemical with no safe level, the Guardian can reveal. In 2023, Huntsman decommissioned a process that was reducing its benzene air emissions and replaced it with an alternative method controlled by a third party. A Huntsman spokesperson said the benzene emissions were not illegal and were “fully compliant with our permit conditions”. In one scenario, the benzene emissions were predicted to exceed the 24-hour limit by 933%. Campaigners say the benzene emissions from this factory point to a broader problem with the global plastic industry.