The attack on Big TEXAS!

First Houston, next Dallas?

   The Clean Air Act is a law enacted by Congress, which is responsible for improving, and maintaining the sustainability of our current air quality. There has been major changes in the law to help improve it's efficiency and impact on our environment, personal health, along with the stratospheric ozone layer. The Clean Air Act Amendments intend to be responsible for helping prevent over 230,000 deaths which are caused by poor air quality, due to pollutants.



+Think Progress 

 

The Texas Clean Air Project, has constantly been an ongoing debate within Texas, concerning its current mandates. 

 

The largest Refinery Plant in the Nation

Recently ExxonMobile has violated the Clean Air Act more than a thousand times in the past five years alone. State agencies have lacked to make a significant stand against big business, but reluctantly Environment Texas is taking a stand against ExxonMobile by filing a lawsuit to the federal court.  

   The failure of Exxon to uphold the Texas Clean Air mandates, have contributed the extreme amounts of air pollution, endangering the thousands of residents near the Baytown refinery, outside of the Houston area. The same legal action which is being implemented against ExxonMobile currently was previously filed in 2009, against Shell oil who also was also a major contributor to pollutants, and rising CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

   Progressive steps towards advancing to a solution has surfaced due to a denied motion by ExxonMobile to dismiss a lawsuit, by Environment Texas, and the Sierra Club. Exxon is facing thousands of violations of the Federal Clean Air Act. District Judge David Hittner is over the case, and is responsible for denying the motion of the Baytown Refinery.

The Gruesome Truth

   Documented results of air pollution not authorized by the Federal Clean Air Act, has accounted for 57 tons of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere, along with other harmful pollutants. Many occurrences  documented as "accidents" or formally termed "tripped" which happens when a malfunction occurs with a compressor.

@brecorder.com/business

ExxonMobile has contributed:

• 1,246lbs of Hydrogen Sulfide
• Around 6,500lbs of nitrogen oxides
• 1 ton of Human Carcinogens Benzene
• Around 206,000lbs of Sulfur Dioxide
• 38,000lbs of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
• 206,000lbs of sulfur dioxide

Course of Action

   According to the EPA about 72,000 Houston area residents are affected by the pollution of ExxonMobile's Baytown refinery.

   As of today a petition is being signed (besides the current trial) asking for Texans suffering from this air pollution, to come together with the help of the Texas Commission on Environment Quality, and the Environmental Protection Agency, to help compel Texas to agree with their plea through the form of a Federal Implementation Plan.

   A safer cleaner environment is all the residents are asking for. This is a right all Americans have, and should always remember to exercise.

Remember live clean and think "green"

 

 

 

"Texas Clean Air Project | Environment Texas." Environment Texas. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://www.environmenttexas.org/programs/txe/texas-clean-air-project>.

Metzger, Luke. "Texas Clean Air Project | Environment Texas." Environment Texas. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://www.environmenttexas.org/programs/txe/texas-clean-air-project>.

"Environment | Texas Impact." Texas Impact | people of faith working for justice. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://texasimpact.org/environment>.