Petrochemical Expansion in Texas Disproportionately Affects Communities of Color

Researchers at Texas Southern University in Houston have unveiled alarming findings regarding the proposed expansion of petrochemical facilities across Texas. Their study, released by the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, reveals that approximately 90 percent of nearly 100 proposed industrial sites are situated in counties with higher concentrations of people of color and families in poverty compared to state averages.

Notably, almost half of these proposed sites are already above the 90th percentile for pollution exposure, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory. Robert Bullard, the center's director and a prominent figure in environmental justice, emphasized that the pattern of pollution siting has remained unchanged over 45 years.

The report, titled 'Green Light to Pollute in Texas,' highlights that existing facilities cluster primarily around refinery hubs on the Gulf Coast, including Port Arthur, the Houston Ship Channel, Freeport, and Corpus Christi.

These areas already experience some of the highest levels of toxic air pollution in the nation. The petrochemical sector in Texas has seen rapid growth, largely driven by the fracking boom, with the state's plastics industry generating $61.5 billion in sales last year and employing 54,000 people.

However, Bullard points out that the jobs created often benefit individuals who commute from distant areas, leaving adjacent communities to endure the adverse effects of toxic emissions without corresponding economic benefits.

Petrochemical production releases numerous harmful airborne emissions, including known carcinogens like benzene and vinyl chloride. The Bullard Center's analysis included 114 projects related to oil and gas across 89 locations, revealing that plastics projects dominate, with many expansions of existing complexes.

Specific companies, including Dow, Chevron Phillips Chemical, and Formosa Plastics, have proposed new facilities that further burden these already impacted communities. Despite a cooling in the petrochemical market and the cancellation of several projects, the demand for plastics continues to grow, albeit at a slower rate than previously anticipated.

The Bullard Center utilized demographic indexes and the EPA's EJScreen tool to assess the potential impacts of these projects. Notably, three locations near Port Arthur and Beaumont ranked in the 99th percentile for toxic emissions, highlighting the severe pollution risks faced by these communities.

The findings raise urgent questions about environmental justice and call for a reevaluation of how industrial facilities are sited in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Bullard stresses the urgent need for policy changes to address these inequities and protect vulnerable communities from further pollution.

The report serves as a critical reminder that the burden of industrial growth must not disproportionately fall on marginalized populations.