Posted on · Benzene is a known human carcinogen, according to the EPA. The Texas refineries were among a dozen industrial plants in the U.S. that emitted the highest levels of the chemical in 2021.
Posted on · These are some of the stories Houston Public Media is covering.
Posted on · Harris County, the state of Texas and residents who live near the facility have all filed lawsuits.
Posted on · On Tuesday's Houston Matters: An environmental group finds benzene in the ship channel, HISD is ordered to suspend its superintendent search, a national conference in Houston addresses cyber security issues facing the oil and gas industry, a local apartment locator shares some tricks of his trade, and a local police department plans to purchase gun-mounted cameras.
Posted on · The state is requesting a permanent injunction and civil penalties. Four La Porte residents have also sued Intercontinental Terminals Company.
Posted on · The City of Deer Park says water is safe to drink, but residents who use wells north of Texas State Highway 225 should have it tested. The Deer Park, La Porte and Pasadena school districts have canceled classes for Friday.
Posted on · On Thursday's Houston Matters: The latest on benzene levels detected around Deer Park, new ways to combat antibiotic resistance, the effect of immigration policy on the construction workforce, and writer Kathi Appelt.
Posted on · The firefighting crews have gone from defensive to offensive mode. An expert says he doesn’t think the fire will expand out of the section of the facility where the tanks are.
Posted on · Environmental groups hired a private firm after the flooding and found higher than normal levels of dangerous chemicals in the air around a refinery.
Posted on · Oil prices are down because of simple economics: more supply than demand, which means there's a lot of oil that can't be used. Instead, it must be stored. And as it turns out, an increasing amount of it is being held right here in Houston. Millions and millions of barrels of it. Dave Fehling, News […]
Posted on · Oil prices are down because of simple economics: more supply than demand, which means there’s a lot of oil that can’t be used. Instead, it must be stored. And as it turns out, an increasing amount of it is being held right here in Houston. Millions and millions of barrels of it.
Posted on · We talk a lot about master planned communities like The Woodlands — carefully codified, mapped out, zoned, restricted — all with the goal of creating the best possible quality of life for its residents. It's a century or more too late for the city of Houston to operate like that. We even, at times, celebrate […]
Posted on · Scientists say that they found worrisome levels of benzene in the air in some Houston-area neighborhoods. But it’s where it may have come from that surprised them.
Posted on · The Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday held a public hearing in Galena Park, where residents called for the federal agency to adopt stricter emissions standards for oil refineries, in order to reduce exposure to benzene, a cancer-causing chemical. The meeting was the second and final public hearing over the new rules, which would require oil refineries […]