Houston-Area Refineries, Plants Emitted Thousands Of Pounds Of Additional Air Pollution During The Winter Freeze
State documents show facilities released some 700,000 pounds of excess air pollutants last week, as they faced electrical outages and equipment failures due to the severe winter weather.
February 24, 2021, 2:14 PM
More than 40 facilities in the Houston area emitted excess pollution during last week’s winter freeze.
Refineries and petrochemical plants in the Houston area released thousands of pounds of excess pollution into the air during the winter storm last week, according to state environmental records analyzed by Houston Public Media.
In numerous instances, facilities had to burn off excess gases, causing the Houston Ship Channel to light up with flaring from nearby industrial plants as the rest of the area went dark.