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TAKE ACTION – Comments due at midnight May 27

Pasadena Refining Systems Inc. (PRSI) is a Chevron facility that is seeking amendments to Air Quality Permit Numbers 20246, 56389, and 80804 with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

After learning about these permit amendment applications, Harris County Pollution Control Services Department (HCPCSD) and the Office of the Harris County Attorney (HCAO) worked with PRSI to improve some conditions at the refinery in exchange for dropping their initial opposition to the applications. 

One of the conditions of the agreement was that PRSI would hold a public meeting to ensure that residents are informed about changes happening in their backyard. 

While a public meeting was held this Monday, the public was not truly invited. In a room of about 60 – most in attendance wore Chevron logos, only a handful were community members. There was no virtual option, and the meeting was not recorded or transcribed for those who could not attend. 

At this meeting PRSI and their supporters, including Jeff Wagner, Mayor of Pasadena exalted them as ‘good neighbors’ for donating to toy drives and employees volunteering at local events while Commissioner Garcia patted himself on the back for making this public meeting possible. There was no mention of their years of clean air violations or the millions of dollars in fines they have received from TCEQ.

Join us in telling TCEQ that PRSI should be required to re-organize this public meeting and actually make it accessible to the community. Additionally, TCEQ should not grant these air quality permits for PRSI to further pollute the air, harm the health of nearby residents, and then apologize with a toy drive.

HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS? – Sample comments and a graphic on submitting your comments can be found at the end of this page (after the Spanish-language section). You may use these and/or add your own personal story.

You must submit your comments via the TCEQ website. Please use the permit No. 20246 and, in this case, pick any of the permits that come up as they are a joint permit.

TOMA ACCIÓN – Plazo de entregar comentarios á medianoche el 27 de Mayo

La facilidad de Chevron Pasadena Refining Systems Inc. (PRSI) están intentando pasar  correcciones a sus permisos de calidad del aire del Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) números 20246, 56389, and 80804.

Harris County Pollution Control Services Department (HCPCSD) y la oficina del abogado de condado Harris (HCAO) han conseguido acuerdos con PRSI que protejen los intereses comunitarios a cambio de redactar sus disputas a los permisos de calidad del aire.

Una de las condiciónes fue que PRSI debe alojar una reunión pública para que la comunidad que puede ser afectada sea informada con sus planes.

Si alojaron la reunión pero no invitaron a la comunidad. Entre los 60 asistentes a la reunión, la mayoría eran empleados de Chevron,  y pocos miembros de la comunidad. Además, no había opción virtual, ni video ni grabación escrita.

Durante la reunión, PRSI y sus patrocinadores, entre ellos Jeff Wagner, alcalde de Pasadena, los exaltaron como ‘vecinos buenos’ por donar la recolecta de juguetes y a sus empleados como voluntarios en Pasadena. También el comisario Adrian Garcia se puso orgulloso por hacer posible esa reunión pública sin público. Todo sin mencionar los años de violar sus permisos del calidad del aire ni las multas de milliones de dolares que PRSI han recibido del TCEQ.

Únase a nosotros en decirles al TCEQ que PRSI no merece estos permisos para contaminar el aire, dañar nuestra salud, y después disculparse con un juguete.

¿CÓMO PRESENTAR SUS COMENTARIOS? – Se encontrara un ejemplo y una gráfica útil por abajo. Usted puede enviar estas comentarios o puede agregar sus experiencias.

Debe presentar su comentarios por el sitio web del TCEQ. Favor de usar el número de permiso 20246 y elegir cualquier permiso que vea, porque todos los permisos serán considerados en un solo paquete.

Desafortunadamente, la agencia TCEQ no acepta comentarios en Español. (También se puede comentar en la falta de acceso lingüístico.)

SAMPLE COMMENTS // COMENTARIOS DE EJEMPLO

Dear Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,

On June 15, 2021, Pasadena Refining System Inc. (PRSI) (RN100716661, CN603137605) submitted its application to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for amendments to Air Quality Permit Numbers 20246, 56389, and 80804, which would authorize modification to the PRSI facility located at 111 Red Bluff Road, Pasadena, Harris County, Texas 77506.

I do not believe that this facility should be granted these permits not only on the grounds that they refuse to inform my community about their plans to pollute our already unfairly polluted environment, but also because they have a history of violating the permits that they have already been granted.

PRSI has a notorious history of non-compliance with fourteen (14) Texas Administrative Code and twenty-two (22) Clean Air Act enforcement orders since 2017 (thirty six cumulative enforcement actions from regulatory agencies over the last five years alone), nineteen (19) emergency responses since 2015, and one hundred and fourteen (114) air quality emissions events since 2015. Furthermore the facility has been a “high priority violator” of the Clean Air Act for at least the last three years. The TCEQ has now levied over $1.5 million in fines against PRSI due to these violations.

The TCEQ should deny these permit amendments and PRSI should be required to hold public meetings in a transparent manner and actually invite the community.

In short, this violator should not be allowed to continue polluting in my community.