Posted on · Storage tanks have been the source of several chemical disasters, including the fire at ITC Deer Park and a major gasoline spill during Hurricane Harvey. Now, they’re the focus of two bills this Texas legislative session.
Posted on · State documents show dozens of requests from petrochemical companies to suspend routine monitoring for chemical leaks due to the pandemic. Companies say it’s necessary to keep staff members safe from COVID-19, but environmentalists warn it puts fenceline communities at risk.
Posted on · Even as Houston’s air quality shows signs of improvement, environmentalists are worried about pollution from industry, following recent EPA rollbacks. At the same time, emerging research suggests a link between pollution and COVID-19 death rates.
Posted on · Kirk McDaniel wanted to find out what kind of chemicals were being stored near his Deer Park home. What came next was a circuitous, month-long process that wielded few results.
Posted on · In a surprising vote, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rejected a staff-proposed penalty against TPC Group's Port Neches chemical plant — which was rocked by explosions last month — for a slew of 2018 pollution violations and asked that they be referred to the Texas Attorney General's Office.
Posted on · A House science committee is looking into why a NASA plane that could've tracked pollution after Harvey wasn't used.
Posted on · The Senate Committee on Water and Rural Affairs took public testimony on a bill that would strengthen state oversight of above-ground drums that hold hazardous hydrocarbons.
Posted on · A coalition of environmental and community groups are calling for change after the recent chemical fires in Deer Park and Crosby.
Posted on · They protested a state committee hearing that only included invited testimony from officials.
Posted on · On Wednesday's Houston Matters: In the wake of the deadly fire at a KMCO plant in Crosby we learn about the company's legal history. We get predictions for the upcoming hurricane season. Our experts discuss the latest political stories. Local food writers share their favorite places for Tex-Mex. And a Houston startup sends personalized stories through the mail.
Posted on · There's no timeline for when the clean-up will be completed, or when the Houston Ship Channel will fully reopen.
Posted on · The team has been collecting water and air quality samples in Galveston Bay on a quarterly basis since June 2017.
Posted on · ITC plans to enter the tank farm containment area to be more "aggressive" in the remediation process.
Posted on · The company has received 300 claims so far. Clean up efforts are ongoing and there are pockets of oil on regional bayous and the Houston Ship Channel.
Posted on · Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will instruct county departments to look for ways to improve future response to incidents of this kind.