Battle lines forming between EPA, state environmental agency
Rift deepens after Obama appointment, air permitting review.
And here’s why an EPA intervention is appropriate in Texas:
Texas is the worst air polluter in the nation. (SOURCE: Congressional Quarterly’s State Fact Finder 2007)
Texas releases more volatile organic compounds into the air than any other state in the country. (SOURCE: ScoreCard.org )
Texas releases more toxic chemicals into water than any other state in the nation. (SOURCE: ScoreCard.org)
Texas ranks fifth in the nation in terms of toxic chemicals released into the air. (SOURCE: ScoreCard.org)
Texas releases more cancer-causing carcinogens into the air than any other state in the U.S. (SOURCE: ScoreCard.org)
Texas ranks seventh out of the fifty states in terms of the number of cancer-causing carcinogens released into water. (SOURCE: ScoreCard.org)
Texas ranks second among the fifty states in the amount of hazardous waste generated and first in carbon dioxide emissions. (SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [LINK])
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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Shut it down, EPA. Go to Austin and shut the TCEQ down. Then require the governor of Tx to call a special session of the state legislature to enact a new law which creates a proper agency! Give hair about 1 month to get the job done or he's out to pasture with the out of business TCEQ. They can go fishing together.
I'm with you!
Texas has more chemical and petrochemical industry than any other state. So yes, Texas will could lead in areas of 'pollution'.
-duh
The Baytown Refinery in the Houston area is the largest refinery in America
Unlike the rest of the nation, most of Texas is on its own alternating current power grid, the Texas Interconnection.
The state is a leader in renewable energy sources; it produces the most wind power in the nation.
This is terrible article, very biased.
Mr.'anonymous', get the facts first.
Are we learning yet?
State congressional leaders, please understand that Texas has more energy, more petrochem, more chemical, more production, more distribution and any other single state.
Take the spin off this agenda by the EPA.
It is design to kill jobs, run away business, and punish those remaining by the EPA pressuring the TCEQ to increase fines by many many thousand percent.
Rgds,
Dirk, you use the same old rhetoric! The technology is availabe for industry to stop all these toxic emissions. Industry uses this technology in other states so they should use it in Texas too!
Installing new technology and developing better technology will create lots of new jobs.
What technology are you referring ?
Which other states ?
Can you be more specific ?
Are you familiar with a title V air permit ?
http://www.epa.gov/air/oaqps/permits/
Zero emission pump seals?
http://www.chesterton.com/Product%20Documents/MSD/Product%20Brochures/sb4400_EN.pdf
Close emission systems. Thermal oxidizers. Primary and secondary containment. Leak detection. Fugitive emission testing.
Scrubbers.
http://www.vapor-tech.net/
I see that you have some stories about poisoned wells. That is terrible. This unlawful act will result the punishment of those persons and entity involved, as well as the burden of the cleanup.
I respectfully request that the entire energy sector be spared global condemnation for these isolated and unlawful acts.
Is the petrochemcial industry that adheres to the laws and governance set forth by the Title V Air Permit criminal ?
And I assure you, plants are not just meeting the minimums in environmental protection, but exceeding the requirements, as well as planning for the future as the regulations tighten.
Offenders will and are being delt with. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19910814&id=zAYVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FeQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6582,2207658
The article is from 1991, before Title V. There is no such thing as plausible denial for plant managers anymore, and for over a decade this loophole has been closed.
You cite that I am using 'the same old rhetoric'. Please clarify, am I wrong or just not original ?
I am just an individual alarmed at a 4000% increase in fines for even the smallest clerical mistake in record keeping. What was zero to $250 dollars is now $5000.
Regarding same old rhetoric: …TX will lead in pollution because we are top producer.
We don't have to accept that! We can be top producer and have clean air and water and respect pro ate property rights.
The rhetoric about operating cleaner killing jobs is completely false!
You can read the Drill-Right Texas document for the new technologies.
No action is being taken againt oil & gas producers. They are given free rein to pollute in Texas.