asthma are more likely to be hospitalized, World Health Organization classifies outdoor air pollution, linked to as many as 52,100 deaths in the U.S. each year. Although SO2 hasnt been definitively linked to cancer, the World Health Organization classifies outdoor air pollution in general as a carcinogen. Long-term exposure to these fine particles has been linked to as many as 52,100 deaths in the U.S. each year. They dont know the danger theyre moving into but they call it cheap housing, said Beard, whose organization, PACAN, joined the EPA complaint. Found inside Page 210The Politics of Job Creation in a Small State William W. Boyer, Edward C. Ratledge. 210 Selected References Dolan, Paul. Delaware's Port of Wilmington, 75 Years of Personal Service. Peterson, Russell, and Arthur Trabant Ships carry raw coke from oil refineries around the world to the Oxbow facility on the banks of Taylor Bayou in Port Arthur. But Kochs Oxbow facility towers over its neighbors in one respect. by Marcus Stern, Savanna Strott and David Leffler. Today Oxbow releases as much SO2 22 million pounds a year into Jefferson County as it did before the Clean Air Act was passed 51 years ago. asked Hilton Kelley, a west-side resident who leads a local organization, Community In-Power and Development Association Inc. "We don't need jobs so bad to where we're willing to give up the lives of our children and our grandchildren, our mothers and fathers, and our grandparents and ourselves.". A hazy, brown plume frequently trails over the neighborhood, bringing with it a foul smell. Despite environmental and health concerns, petcoke's multibillion-dollar global market continues to grow, because ever-more oil is being refined, creating ever-more petcoke as residue. It would cost Oxbow an estimated $56 million to install scrubbers and $10 million a year to operate them, according to information the company provided in a 2018 lawsuit involving a former business partner. Phelan didn't respond to questions about why he didn't support Zwiener's bill. Related: Port Arthur prepares for Jimmy Johnson Boulevard extension. Michael Holtham, Oxbows plant manager at the time, defended the company at the meeting.Were proud of our operations in Port Arthur, and the positive economic impact that we have in our community, Holtham said. Her 82-year-old grandmother is on two separate oxygen machines, three inhalers and a CPAP machine. This story was jointly produced by Public Health Watch, the Investigative Reporting Workshop, and the Texas Observer. His goal isn't to shut down Oxbow or any of the other industrial facilities that fuel the local economy he says he just wants them to reduce their pollution wherever they can, within reason. He spent millions of dollars opposing the clean-energy project, asking, "Why would you want to sail in a forest of windmills?". We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. Found inside sagte er, als wir am Tor der Motiva-Anlage vorbeikamen. Alle Autos fuhren jetzt, am Schichtende, aus der Stadt heraus. Diese Leute arbeiten hier, aber sie leben nicht hier. Kelley verlangte Jobs fr West Port Arthur. Koch is renowned for his sailing exploits and for his art and wine collections. Congress didn't want older plants to be crippled by the potentially devastating cost of immediately upgrading their pollution controls. Doing so, he replied, "has no payback potential except environmental compliance. Kochs company, West Palm Beach, Florida-based Oxbow Carbon LLC, is a leader in the growing petcoke market. The primary rematch for Congressional District 28 is a litmus test for Democrats in South Texas. Expectations and Aspirations: A New Framework for Education in the Middle East and North Africa identifies four key sets of tensions that are holding back education in the region: credentials and skills, discipline and inquiry, control and Everybody has a right to clean air. All three of us were taking our breathing treatments at the same time, she said.
The powdery black coke is transferred into kilns a few feet away, where it is calcined or baked at super-high temperatures to remove impurities. His goal isnt to shut down Oxbow or any of the other industrial facilities that fuel the local economy he says he just wants them to reduce their pollution wherever they can, within reason. Found inside Page 79But the industry had brought few jobs to West Port Arthur, where unemployment was over 15 percent. I knew about his accomplishments with CIDAamong other things, how they'd successfully pressured both Motiva and Valero, The Waterways Journal - Volume 123, Issues 1-26 - Page 3 Lawsuits Database - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre But enforcing them to that extent would probably trigger a lawsuit from Oxbow, Carman said, something the TCEQ would prefer to avoid. Of the 2,600 people who live within three miles of the Oxbow plant, 98 percent are people of color and 62 percent have incomes of $53,000 or less for a family of four, according to an analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project. Beard grew up on Port Arthur's west side and served nine years on the city council. She lost her brother, her best friend, her mother and her first husband to the disease. According to Forbes, Oxbows annual revenue is about $2 billion. This book focuses on the context for training and development. It includes coverage related to the fundamentals of designing training programs. 2021 The Texas Observer. Her husband and 2-year-old great-granddaughter also have trouble breathing. In December 2020, we launched our Lawsuits Database which includes all lawsuits we have profiled to date. Those most affected by Oxbow's emissions live on the city's west side, where Black residents were segregated in the early 20th century and built a thriving community. Koch and Oxbow declined, through a representative, to comment for this story. Children, older adults and those with asthma are more likely to be hospitalized if they breathe large amounts of SO2. Found inside Page 189 human cardiovascular and respiratory systems from Shell's joint venture Motiva refinery in Port Arthur in South Africa . ( PC ) : I wish to say at the outset that we in Plaid Cymru subscribe to the [ Hywel Williams ) their jobs . Port Arthur He urged the legislature "to ensure all plants and refineries are following the necessary procedures to ensure the safety of their workers and the citizens that live in the surrounding communities.". Their emissions dropped by 90 percent or more. Because of the global rise in the cost of materials, attributed largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a chance that construction could be delayed. The TCEQ has a history statewide of bending over backward for these older plants, letting them pollute the communities and not taking enforcement action, Carman said. Electrical Engineering Internships He hails from Port Arthur and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. In September 2020, the TCEQ and the EPA renewed Oxbows permit until 2025. The powdery black coke is transferred into kilns a few feet away, where it is calcined or baked at super-high temperatures to remove impurities. asthma are more likely to be hospitalized, World Health Organization classifies outdoor air pollution, linked to as many as 52,100 deaths in the U.S. each year. Found inside Page 3-145In terms of competition for workers , the port - related , manufacturing , and industrial - related employers of the study area do not have to compete much Collectively , these top 10 employers provide over 17,000 jobs to the area . He was born July 31, 1953, to Ruby Lormand Roche and E.P. Rasp, the TCEQ spokesman, said the agency considered the fire's "impact to human health or the environment" when determining the fine. To maintain this extreme heat, the plant burns some of its petcoke, whose combustion creates SO2. These case profiles are but a small sample of the numerous lawsuits brought against companies in an effort to hold them legally accountable for human rights abuses. Everybody has a right to clean air. The loophole that allows some industrial relics like Oxbow to avoid adopting modern pollution controls seemed logical when the Clean Air Act was enacted a half-century ago. However, all things equal, the plan should move forward as originally conceived. 600 people are seeking up to $25 million in damages, by allowing dangerous amounts of air pollution to pour from an industrial plant for years, without any modern pollution controls. Please notify us by email that the article will be republished at, an analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project. Although SO2 hasn't been definitively linked to cancer, the World Health Organization classifies outdoor air pollution in general as a carcinogen. 49 Likes, 1 Comments - University of Central Arkansas (@ucabears) on Instagram: Your gift provides UCA students with scholarships, programs, invaluable learning opportunities and PORT ARTHUR The Port Arthur Public Health Department is getting a new home. Two of them took over their late father's company, Koch Industries Inc., and became famous for supporting conservative political causes. You're not thinking. Theyre still waiting for a response more than a year later, even though the agency was legally obligated to respond within 60 days. Operator of a petroleum refinery. 600 people are seeking up to $25 million in damages, by allowing dangerous amounts of air pollution to pour from an industrial plant for years, without any modern pollution controls., Benjamin Senz Knows Success Can Be As Fleeting As a Rainstorm in the Desert. Its a matter of choice, of dollars and cents. It's far from the case. The new facility also will open the health department to treating more people. Phillips 66 to shutter Alliance Refinery, convert it to Found inside 50 percent of jobs related to export of goods and services outside the region . The Motiva Port Arthur Refinery completed its multi - year expansions in 2012 making it the largest oil refinery in the U.S. , capable of processing at Their emissions dropped by 90 percent or more. Found inside Page 10781nature will spread like wildfire to provide scionable war mongering to escalate an Joyed by the port or other place But a more important motiva- by this U.N. trap . tor is the assurance of a specific job upon H.R. 11465 , a bill to The building has been sold to Motiva. The national average is 8 percent. From the sky, the largely open-air facility looks like a black pockmark on the landscape, a jumble of rusting silos, boilers, pipes, kilns and towers cobbled together over time as intricately as a Jenga puzzle. Found inside Page 3381 on minerals used to produce alternative energy and certify that modification of requirements applicable to locatable minerals will not result in loss of U.S. jobs , 29037 [ 1NO ] Motiva Enterprises , LLC : expansion of Port Arthur Pipelines connecting to nearby petrochemicals is a hop skip and a jump from Convent. Floyd was a truck driver for many years. In addition to coping with breathing problems, Hebert is surrounded by cancer. She lost her brother, her best friend, her mother and her first husband to the disease.
In September 2020, the TCEQ and the EPA renewed Oxbow's permit until 2025. Its not necessary for them to pollute to the extent that they do, he said. This volume provides in-depth examinations of a variety of individual, social, and environmental factors that contribute to the success of expatriate employees. The company's executive vice president, Roy Schorsch, was asked in court why Oxbow hadn't made that investment. Like his plant in Port Arthur, neither has been fitted with scrubbers. Breaking the Gas Ceiling: Women in the Offshore Oil and Gas She and her mother and grandmother were taken to the hospital, overcome by smoke. Public Health Watch and the Investigative Reporting Workshop asked the TCEQ whether it had considered civil rights when issuing Oxbow's latest permit. Right now, the department treats over 3,000 people per month, according to Smith. Found inside Page 234 Port Arthur Refinery in Texas is located in a foreign trade zone, where it joins corporate neighbours Motiva (a In short, the Keystone XL pipeline means a few jobs, higher gas prices, and a pretty good chance of contaminating
I was on a breathing machine. As of right now, we think we seem to be on schedule, Langford said. "All three of us were taking our breathing treatments at the same time," she said. Motiva Enterprises, a fully owned affiliate of Saudi Aramco, operates the Port Arthur Refinery, the largest refinery in the U.S. at 635,000 bpd in Port Arthur, Texas. When asked about the petition, the EPA told Public Health Watch and the Investigative Reporting Workshop that it's "currently in the process of responding to multiple petitions in Texas. In 2019, an explosion at a petrochemical plant in Port Neches, just outside Beaumont, forced 50,000 residents from their homes. Beard pointed to a 2017 industrial fire in Port Arthur as proof that enforcement is too lax and fines too paltry to protect the community. Edenborough has written a comprehensive guide that examines the formal assessment methods used in both recruitment and performance management. In August, west-siders tried a new tactic to force Oxbow to reduce its pollution. Shes on her second bout of cancer and her daughter is in remission. Despite environmental and health concerns, petcokes multibillion-dollar global market continues to grow, because ever-more oil is being refined, creating ever-more petcoke as residue. The current building, which was sold to Motiva, had a few leaks and issues with the air conditioning over the years, but no hurricane flooding. So far, he hasnt had any takers. OPINION: Inflation, supply chain starting to annoy consumers, Playoff teams embrace Thanksgiving practice in SE Texas, Beaumont could be headed toward creating EDC. The fire broke out at a storage facility owned by German Pellets, which makes wood pellets used for fuel. It makes sense to me that they invest their dollars in their facilities to make sure they minimize pollution impacts on the communities that surround them. But west side residents wanted to know why the billionaire-owned company wont install scrubbers for the sake of the community. "Ultimately it kind of decreases the defenses against viral or bacterial infections as well, so that can lead to more recurrent infections," he said. This would be a critical facility for the city of Port Arthur.. To maintain this extreme heat, the plant burns some of its petcoke, whose combustion creates SO2. Public Health Watch and the Investigative Reporting Workshop asked the TCEQ whether it had considered civil rights when issuing Oxbows latest permit. Texas could set its own, tighter standards and require the plant to install scrubbers. Thats more than 80 percent of all the industrial SO2 emitted in a county that has one of the nations largest concentrations of petrochemical plants. Found inside Page 83We passed by a storage yard full of components for the Motiva expansion. Motiva refinery, and beyond them the refinery itself, a jungle of pipes and towers, steam plumes and winking Kelley wanted jobs for \Vest Port Arthur. Proving Oxbow is the primary culprit in the illnesses that plague the west side isnt easy because its almost impossible to link one persons health problem to a specific smokestack. As the refineries upgraded over the years, they installed sulfur scrubbers large tanks that vacuum up most of the SO2. Found inside Page 140A Focus on Texas' Economy, Energy Prices, and Jobs : Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Energy and Power of the Committee on Energy Jenkins Envtronmental Manager - Refinery Expansion Motiva Enterprises LLC P.O. Box 712 Port Arthur Her current husband, who seemed to have overcome cancer, has been admitted to hospice care. More than 600 people are seeking up to $25 million in damages from German Pellets for illnesses they said they suffered from inhaling the fire's smoke and chemicals, and for emotional distress and property damage. But the speaker of the Texas House, Dade Phelan, a Republican from Beaumont, allowed the bill to die, even though his district had suffered its own disaster just a few years earlier. "We're proud of our operations in Port Arthur, and the positive economic impact that we have in our community," Holtham said. Bidding is expected to occur in January 2022, with construction set to start the next month. And it does so legally because of a quirk in the 1970 Clean Air Act, which allowed older facilities to delay complying with the law until they expanded or modernized. He urged the legislature to ensure all plants and refineries are following the necessary procedures to ensure the safety of their workers and the citizens that live in the surrounding communities.. The trial is tentatively scheduled for December. Motiva Enterprises. "The TCEQ has a history statewide of bending over backward for these older plants, letting them pollute the communities and not taking enforcement action," Carman said. Oklahoma, like Texas, could create regulations that would override the loophole because states have the authority to exceed federal air standards. When asked about the petition, the EPA told Public Health Watch and the Investigative Reporting Workshop that its currently in the process of responding to multiple petitions in Texas. Michael Holtham, Oxbow's plant manager at the time, defended the company at the meeting. The fire broke out at a storage facility owned by German Pellets, which makes wood pellets used for fuel. Her 82-year-old grandmother is on two separate oxygen machines, three inhalers and a CPAP machine. Over the years, however, the EPA narrowed its definition of "major modification." First, the states environmental watchdog, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) vets the application. But enforcing them to that extent would probably trigger a lawsuit from Oxbow, Carman said, something the TCEQ would prefer to avoid. The theory was that no [industrial pollution] source can just keep operating forever without modifying or upgrading, because itll come to the end of its useful life, said Victor Flatt, a University of Houston law professor and an expert on the Clean Air Act. Phelan didnt respond to questions about why he didnt support Zwieners bill. Both benefit from the Clean Air Act loophole. Doing so, he replied, has no payback potential except environmental compliance. When the permit came up for renewal in 2019, about 40 people showed up at a TCEQ public hearing. It accused the TCEQ of violating the civil rights of the residents of the mostly Black community "by allowing dangerous amounts of air pollution to pour from an industrial plant for years, without any modern pollution controls.". 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Koch and Oxbow declined, through a representative, to comment for this story. He was a very hardworking man and worked many side jobs throughout the years. You're just on edge.". In response to the public's objections, the TCEQ said it acted "in accordance with the applicable law, policy, procedures and the Agency's mission to protect the state's public health and natural resources consistent with sustainable economic development.". "It just will not economically pencil out," he said later in his testimony. HB 1820 would have increased the maximum penalties for polluters. Several shared stories of relatives and friends who suffer from respiratory problems. It accused the TCEQ of violating the civil rights of the residents of the mostly Black community by allowing dangerous amounts of air pollution to pour from an industrial plant for years, without any modern pollution controls.. At the time, Phelan seemed eager for new regulations. "It's not necessary for them to pollute to the extent that they do," he said. Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share research papers. In Liquidated, Karen Ho punctures the aura of the abstract, all-powerful market to show how financial markets, and particularly booms and busts, are constructed. When the plant began operating in 1935, it was the first calcining plant in the United States to use rotary kilns. Hes lived in the area since 1962 and has memories of how bad pollution used to be. HB 1820 would have increased the maximum penalties for polluters. With the help of the nonprofit groups that have been representing them over the years, they filed a civil rights complaint with the EPA. Texas already has many regulatory tools that could force Oxbow to install scrubbers, said Neil Carman, a former air pollution investigator for the state who is now clean air program director for the Sierra Clubs Texas chapter. Koch is the youngest of four brothers. When seemingly minor irritations, such as coughing, become chronic, the inflammation makes the immune system work overtime, said Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association. Port Arthur's petrochemical plants spew many pollutants into the air, including benzene and 1,3-butadiene, which are both proven to cause cancer in humans. "It feels overwhelming, so you block a lot of things. Raw petcoke is also used by China, India and other rapidly industrializing countries to run power plants, even though its a dirtier fuel than even coal. Her great-granddaughter was on a breathing machine. It also would have allowed the TCEQ to tack on additional penalties for companies with a history of violations and would have eliminated loopholes that allow many violators to avoid paying fines. People who live near Koch's Port Arthur plant look out on a vista of chemical plants and refineries, not the ocean. 40 people showed up at a TCEQ public hearing. Terms and Conditions, Julie Dermansky for Public Health Watch and Investigative Reporting Workshop, Credit: Julie Dermansky for Public Health Watch and Investigative Reporting Workshop. Roche. Texas already has many regulatory tools that could force Oxbow to install scrubbers, said Neil Carman, a former air pollution investigator for the state who is now clean air program director for the Sierra Club's Texas chapter. The long, cylindrical kilns revolve like cement mixers as they dry-heat the raw coke at 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Advocates Want Bidens Methane Rules to Go Even Further, Jessica Cisneros Takes Her Second Shot at the King of Laredo. In October, the EPA announced it had accepted the complaint and was beginning an investigation. Partners must notify. Motiva Enterprises, a fully owned affiliate of Saudi Aramco, operates the Port Arthur Refinery, the largest refinery in the U.S. at 635,000 bpd in Port Arthur, Texas. The overall rate for Port Arthur is 10.5 percent. The TCEQ fined German Pellets $12,000 for failing to prevent nuisance odor conditions, a penalty so small that Beard saw it as disrespectful to his community. ", TCEQ spokesman Gary Rasp wrote in an email that the agency "performs investigations of regulated industrial facilities, regardless of the age of the facility, and enforces against facilities that are not in compliance with applicable rules and regulations.". I have to just sit there and watch, you know? The stacks also release particulate matter, which can irritate the lungs, cause shortness of breath, worsen conditions such as asthma and lead to heart disease. Theyve made billions of dollars all these years These cities ought to be flush with cash. Meanwhile, a new wave of people is moving to the west side people in search of homes they can afford. As of Oct. 31, the biggest capital investment to get enterprise fund money was Motivas $3.5 billion expansion of its refinery in Port Arthur, about 90 miles east of Houston. But west side residents wanted to know why the billionaire-owned company won't install scrubbers for the sake of the community. At night she stays awake, waiting for the reassuring sound of him snoring. William, now 81, built his own business empire. It burned for 102 days and created a noxious plume that blanketed nearby homes. In February, state Rep. Erin Zwiener, a Democrat from suburban Austin, introduced legislation she hoped would make life better for Texans living in industrial neighborhoods such as Port Arthur's west side. physical address: 140 w. mitchell arlington, tx 76010 phone: (817) 272-2581 toll free: 1-866-906-9190 fax: (817) 272-2556 email: [email protected] mailing address: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you support this mission, we need your help. From the sky, the largely open-air facility looks like a black pockmark on the landscape, a jumble of rusting silos, boilers, pipes, kilns and towers cobbled together over time as intricately as a Jenga puzzle. Our representatives owe it to them to hear their stories, Beard wrote. This handbook offers a comprehensive review on career guidance, with an emphasis on the applied aspects of guidance together with research methods and perspectives. As the refineries upgraded over the years, they installed sulfur scrubbers large tanks that vacuum up most of the SO2. Not being part of a complex had zip to do with it.
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