Air Alliance Houston Reports
Who’s Counting? The Systematic Underreporting of Toxic Air Emissions
A joint study by the Environmental Integrity Project and GHASP.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases the results of the annual Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) each summer. The TRI has proved to be a powerful tool for raising consciousness about sources of toxic pollution and encouraging companies to act voluntarily to reduce their emissions. The official TRI, however, tells only part of the story because it dramatically underestimates the amount of toxic pollution from the petrochemical industry. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has conducted studies which demonstrate the extent to which emissions of toxic chemicals from petrochemical facilities in Texas are underreported. This report applies the TCEQ’s findings nationwide and reveals that emissions of toxic chemicals, including known carcinogens such as benzene and butadiene, are four to five times higher than is reflected in the TRI.
Reducing Air Pollution from Houston-area School Buses
Houston-Galveston area school districts operate approximately 7,500 school buses to offer the region’s nearly one million students a safe and reliable ride to and from school. Because the region’s school districts typically use buses for about twenty years, only about a third of the region’s school buses meet recent federal standards for pollution control. New school buses are much cleaner than those offered in years past because of technology improvements spurred by more stringent government standards. School districts can reduce children’s exposure to harmful air pollutants and help improve Houston’s overall air quality by replacing or retrofitting old school buses. This report seeks to improve the understanding of how school bus emissions affect Houston’s overall air quality and offer school districts assistance in their efforts to reduce their fleets’ emissions.
Smoke in the Water
Chemical plants and refineries in Texas release three times more pollution than they report to the state, far more than their permits are intended to allow. Yet because of grandfathered plants, weak permits and other problems with the state’s air quality regulations, there has not been a single enforcement action resulting from the discovery of 14 cooling tower leaks.
Where Does Houston’s Smog Come From?
The Sources of Houston’s Air Pollution and What’s Needed to Clear the Air
Most of Houston’s air pollution comes from industrial sources and diesel engines, although sources as diverse as school buses and meat cooking also contribute to parts of the problem.
