Washington, DC – Today, the Environmental Integrity Project, our community partners, and approximately 200 local residents sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requesting the agencies address illegal air pollution releases at Dow Chemical Company’s facility in Freeport, Texas, the largest chemical plant in the country. Community partners include Climate Conversations Brazoria County, Rise St. James, For a Better Bayou, Chispa Texas, Gulf Reach Institute, Better Brazoria Clean Air & Water, and Fenceline Watch.
EIP’s investigation of public records found that the chemical plant, located south of Houston, has been repeatedly violating its air pollution control permit over the last five years, threatening the health of people living downwind, despite the fact that Dow signed a consent decree with a $3 million penalty with EPA five years ago that should have stopped the illegal pollution.
The letter gives a conservative estimate that over the last five years, the amount of illegal air pollution being released from the flares at the chemical plant includes at least 139 tons of carbon monoxide, 119 tons of volatile organic compounds, 91 tons of ethylene, and 33 tons of nitrogen oxides. EPA’s own records show the facility has been in “high priority violation” and continuous noncompliance with the Clean Air Act for the last three years.
For a copy of the letter, click here.
Media contact:
Tom Pelton, Environmental Integrity Project, (443) 510-2574 or tpelton@environmentalintegrity.org
The Environmental Integrity Project is America’s environmental watchdog. We hold polluters and governments accountable to protect public health and the environment.
Image credit: flickr/Roy Luck
