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That's the oldest and most busted line of BS ever.
Hundreds of applications to expand existing refineries have been applied for, and granted, over the past 30 years. Only one, yes ONE, application for a new refinery was even submitted during that time...and it was granted.
The reason no new refineries are being built isn't because the EPA is blocking them, it's because no one is submitting them. The US has an over abundance of refining capacity. We are EXPORTING gas at this time, not because it's profitable (it is, but it's less profitable than producing for domestic consumption), but because we already produce more gasoline than people in the country can use.
US refining capacity used to be fairly spread out and there were dozens of different companies doing it. These days, due to monopolistic attempts by the biggest oil companies, just 5 refineries produce more than 60% of all gasoline, with the remaining amount produced by 12 (soon to be 11) smaller regional ones.
Refining oil into gas is extremely profitable. Refineries in the US made more than 200 billion in profits last year. Nothing would stop a company from getting in on that action.....if there was any action left to get into.
Thinking the EPA is somehow stopping refineries from being built is insane. The EPA is a toothless agency and wholly under the power of whatever corporate interest currently has it's sights set on it.
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