Some of the releases occurred in South Texas counties, including McMullen, Live Oak and DeWitt, which are significant sites of oil and gas exploration.
Industrial developers describe large facilities as “minor” polluters to avoid federal permitting requirements, and environmental lawyers say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lets it happen.
By Dylan Baddour and Martha Pskowski, Inside Climate News, and Alejandra Martinez, The Texas Tribune
The company has filed for a permit to eject up to 200,000 gallons of treated waste and sewage water into a bay that was designated Texas' first coastal preserve.
Thousands of 'emissions events' from chemical plants each year exceed permitted limits, but only a small fraction result in penalties from the state’s environmental agency.
Despite the high levels of smog, state officials are pushing back on ozone pollution controls proposed by the EPA, arguing such rules would compromise the electric grid.
Three out of four Bexar County residents agreed that 'global warming will harm future generations,' according to a Yale climate survey published earlier this year.
The study also identified eight other Valero refineries as having average benzene emission levels that could harm the health of those with long-term exposure.
A nearly 6,000-square-foot Monte Vista mansion that blends historic details with modern elegance underwent a steep, $200,000 price cut late last month.…