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Report: Plastic manufacturing companies in Texas, Harris County, receive over $1.6 billion in tax breaks since 2013

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Thursday, March 14, 2024

Loren Elliott/REUTERSThe LyondellBasell refinery, located near the Houston Ship Channel, is seen in Houston, Texas, U.S., May 5, 2019.A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project shows various companies in Texas and Greater Houston have received over $1.6 billion total in subsidies since 2013 while violating air pollution control permits. The Environmental Integrity Project is a non-partisan, non-profit watchdog organization that advocates for effective enforcement of environmental laws. Their report shows compliance and enforcement information from 2020 to 2023. Many plastic manufacturing plants have been cited for releasing known carcinogens, or cancer-causing substances, particularly in Latino and Black communities. Alexandra Shaykevich is a co-author of the report and a research manager at the Environmental Integrity Project. She said plastics plants pay relatively small amounts of money in penalties for violating air pollution regulation laws. “What we’re advocating for is that in the future, taxpayer subsidies be tied to environmental compliance,” Shaykevich said. “If companies cannot obey the law, they should not be rewarded with taxpayer subsidies. And if companies can’t comply, they should be forced to reimburse taxpayers.” Brandy Deason is a Climate Justice Coordinator for Air Alliance Houston. She said one plant in Channelview alone has had to pay over $500,000 in penalties but has received over $11 million in subsidies since 2016. “This plastic production plant had six Clean Air Act enforcement actions taken against them, and paid what would amount to pocket change relative to their earnings,” Deason said. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Clean Air Act authorizes them to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. The report shows the plant in Channelview has been non-compliant for three fiscal quarters, while other plants in the area have been non-compliant for up to 12 fiscal quarters. The report researched 50 plastic manufacturing plants across six states. Some of the parent companies the report compiled information from include Chevron Phillips, ExxonMobil, and LyondellBasell. Other Houston-area counties in the report include Brazoria, Jefferson, and Chambers counties. In the past, microplastics have been found in the air, in water, and in human bodies. University of New Mexico researchers have even found microplastics in human placentas. Judith Enck is the President of Beyond Plastics, a Vermont-based project trying to end plastic pollution. She is also a former EPA regional administrator during the Obama administration. “Plastic is in all of our food and beverage packaging. But there’s a lot that policymakers can do,” Enck said. “… the solutions are there. This report injects a sense of urgency. Let’s not subsidize poisoning hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in these communities where these facilities exist.”

Advocates are calling for companies that release known carcinogens, or cancer-causing substances, to be more severely punished if they are not in compliance with air pollution regulation laws.

The LyondellBasell refinery, located near the Houston Ship Channel, is seen in Houston, Texas, U.S., May 5, 2019.

Loren Elliott/REUTERS

The LyondellBasell refinery, located near the Houston Ship Channel, is seen in Houston, Texas, U.S., May 5, 2019.

A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project shows various companies in Texas and Greater Houston have received over $1.6 billion total in subsidies since 2013 while violating air pollution control permits.

The Environmental Integrity Project is a non-partisan, non-profit watchdog organization that advocates for effective enforcement of environmental laws. Their report shows compliance and enforcement information from 2020 to 2023.

Many plastic manufacturing plants have been cited for releasing known carcinogens, or cancer-causing substances, particularly in Latino and Black communities. Alexandra Shaykevich is a co-author of the report and a research manager at the Environmental Integrity Project. She said plastics plants pay relatively small amounts of money in penalties for violating air pollution regulation laws.

“What we’re advocating for is that in the future, taxpayer subsidies be tied to environmental compliance,” Shaykevich said. “If companies cannot obey the law, they should not be rewarded with taxpayer subsidies. And if companies can’t comply, they should be forced to reimburse taxpayers.”

Brandy Deason is a Climate Justice Coordinator for Air Alliance Houston. She said one plant in Channelview alone has had to pay over $500,000 in penalties but has received over $11 million in subsidies since 2016.

“This plastic production plant had six Clean Air Act enforcement actions taken against them, and paid what would amount to pocket change relative to their earnings,” Deason said.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Clean Air Act authorizes them to regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants. The report shows the plant in Channelview has been non-compliant for three fiscal quarters, while other plants in the area have been non-compliant for up to 12 fiscal quarters.

The report researched 50 plastic manufacturing plants across six states. Some of the parent companies the report compiled information from include Chevron Phillips, ExxonMobil, and LyondellBasell. Other Houston-area counties in the report include Brazoria, Jefferson, and Chambers counties.

In the past, microplastics have been found in the air, in water, and in human bodies. University of New Mexico researchers have even found microplastics in human placentas.

Judith Enck is the President of Beyond Plastics, a Vermont-based project trying to end plastic pollution. She is also a former EPA regional administrator during the Obama administration.

“Plastic is in all of our food and beverage packaging. But there’s a lot that policymakers can do,” Enck said. “… the solutions are there. This report injects a sense of urgency. Let’s not subsidize poisoning hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in these communities where these facilities exist.”

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

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Pollution exposure linked to mental health hospital admissions, says study

Researchers from St Andrews found rise in nitrogen dioxide exposure associated with higher admissionsExposure to air pollution is linked to an increased risk of hospital admission for mental illness, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind.The research, involving more than 200,000 people in Scotland, found an increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide in particular was associated with a higher number of people being admitted to hospital for behaviour disorders and mental illnesses. Continue reading...

Exposure to air pollution is linked to an increased risk of hospital admission for mental illness, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind.The research, involving more than 200,000 people in Scotland, found an increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide in particular was associated with a higher number of people being admitted to hospital for behaviour disorders and mental illnesses.Previously published research on the health effects of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution has tended to emphasise deaths rather than hospital admissions, and physical, rather than mental, ill health, the researchers said.The study found that air pollution was linked to increased risks of hospital admission for mental health, as well as physical illness.Stricter environmental restrictions would benefit millions of people and curb the impact on secondary care, the researchers said.Dr Mary Abed Al Ahad of the University of St Andrews, who led the study, said policies to tackle air pollution and a shift to renewable energy could help ease the burden on hospitals of people with both physical and mental illnesses in the long term.“Policies and interventions targeting air pollution emissions such as zero-emission zones or incentives for renewable energy in transportation and energy production sectors could help ease the hospital-care burden in the long term both locally and globally.”The analysis of data tracked from Public Health Scotland examined four key pollutants between 2002 and 2017 and the impact of ambient air pollution.Researchers drew on individual level data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study, which represents 5% of the Scottish population and includes demographic information from linked censuses.In all, 202,237 people aged 17 and above were included in the research, which was published in the open access journal BMJ Open.Their health and hospital admissions for cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious diseases, mental illnesses or behaviour disorders were tracked from Public Health Scotland data.They were linked to levels of four pollutants from road traffic and industry: nitrogen dioxide (NO2); sulphur dioxide (SO2); particulate matter diameter of at least 10μm (PM10); and small particulate matter of 2.5μm or less (PM2.5) per 1km2 in each person’s residential postcode.skip past newsletter promotionOur morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersPrivacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionAverage cumulative exposure to air pollution was strongly associated with higher rates of hospital admissions, both for mental and physical illnesses. Higher cumulative exposure to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 was associated with a higher incidence of hospital admissions for all causes.Ioannis Bakolis, a professor of public mental health and statistics at King’s College London who was not involved with the study, said the “large-scale” data was “appropriately analysed” and provided further evidence on the link between air pollution and mental health.Research has previously shown how people who spend their childhood in areas with high levels of air pollution may be more likely to later develop mental disorders.But a study by researchers in the US and Denmark has suggested a link between air pollution and an increased risk of mental health problems, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and personality disorders.Between 1% and 2% of the UK population have bipolar disorder in their lifetime, with similar figures for schizophrenia. It is estimated that about 5% of people in the UK have a personality disorder at any one time.

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Supreme Court dismisses constitutional claim in California air pollution case

Supreme Court dismisses a red-state constitutional claim that targeted California's power to fight air pollution.

WASHINGTON —  The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a red-state constitutional challenge to California’s special authority to fight air pollution. Over a dissent by Justice Clarence Thomas, the justices turned away an appeal from Ohio and 16 other conservative states, which asked the court to rule “the Golden State is not a golden child.”While Monday’s brief order closes the door on a constitutional challenge to California’s anti-pollution standards, the court on Friday cleared the way for a different, more targeted legal challenge.The oil and gas industry is suing over the state’s “zero emissions” goals for new vehicles, arguing California’s special authority to fight air pollution does not extend to greenhouse gases and global warming. A lower court had dismissed that suit on the grounds the oil producers had no standing to sue. Their complaint was they would sell less fuel in the future. On Friday, the justices agreed to reconsider that ruling early next year. They could clear the way for the suit to proceed.Monday’s related order narrows the legal grounds that the industry can use to challenge California’s rule, assuming it eventually wins standing.The incoming Trump administration is likely to intervene on the side of the challengers. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar had urged the court to turn down both appeals. They said California’s strict emissions standards are designed to fight smog and other air pollution as well as greenhouse gases. They argued that Congress had ample authority under the Constitution to set special rules for problems in different states. Since early in American history, they said Congress approved special customs duties for some states or rules involving tribes relations.In challenging California’s authority, Ohio’s Atty. Gen. David Yost pointed to the court’s 2013 decision that struck down part of the Voting Rights Act on the grounds it violated the principle of equal state sovereignty. When Congress adopted national air pollution standards in 1967, it said California could go further because it was already enforcing strict standards to combat the state’s worst-in-the-nation problem with smog.Ohio and red states say this special authority violates “core constitutional principles because no state is more equal than the others. And Congress does not have the general power to elevate one state above the others....Yet in the Clean Air Act, Congress elevated California above all the other states by giving to the Golden State alone the power to pass certain environmental laws.”Without commenting, the justices said they would not hear the constitutional claim.The Environmental Defense Fund hailed the court’s announcement.“California’s clean car standards have successfully helped reduce the dangerous soot, smog, and climate pollution that put all people at risk, while also turbocharging clean technologies and job creation,” said Alice Henderson, lead counsel for its clean-air policy group.

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Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution May Hurt Baby's Brain

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Dec. 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Air pollution could be harming the brain development of children...

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Dec. 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Air pollution could be harming the brain development of children before they are even born, a new study warns.A 10 parts-per-billion increase in ozone exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy was associated with a 55% increased risk of intellectual disability among children compared to their siblings, researchers found.“Ozone exposure during pregnancy is a clear risk factor for intellectual disability,” said lead researcher Sara Grineski, a professor of sociology with the University of Utah.“We were particularly struck by the consistency of the findings across all trimesters and the strength of the sibling-based analysis,” Grineski added in a university news release.For the study, researchers analyzed data drawn from the Utah Population Database, a long-term research project into genetics and health among Utah residents. The team linked data on children with intellectual disabilities born between 2003 and 2013 to county-level daily estimates of ozone exposure gathered from the U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyIn particular, the data allowed researchers to compare siblings born with different levels of exposure to ozone pollution, researchers said.“Sibling designs allow us to control for some of these population factors that just would be really challenging to do,” said researcher Amanda Bakian, a research associate professor of psychiatry with the University of Utah’s Huntsman Mental Health Institute. “It just gives another layer of robustness of rigor to this study.”Ozone is a harmful air pollutant caused when sunshine prompts a chemical reaction in airborne nitrogen and volatile organic compounds emitted from cars, power plants, refineries and other sources, researchers explained in background notes.Ozone pollution is an increasing summertime hazard, particularly in the face of global warming, researchers said.The second trimester showed the strongest associations between ozone exposure in the womb and a child’s future brain development.During the second trimester, the fetal brain undergoes rapid growth, with neurons developing at a rate of 250,000 per minute, researchers said.Federal health standards for ozone exposure is 70 parts per billion, researchers noted.A 10 parts-per-billion increase in average ozone levels was associated with a 23% increased risk of intellectual disability when kids were compared to the population at large, and 55% higher when compared to their siblings, results show.“When it comes to intellectual disability, we have a prevalence estimate of about 1.3% or so, and that has been pretty consistent over time,” Bakian said.“That’s 1.3% of the kids that are born in any one year, and we still don’t have a great understanding of all the risk factors that are involved,” Bakian added. “What are the underlying mechanisms that drive this risk? Having intellectual disability has lifelong implications.”Given these findings, places with lots of ozone pollution have a higher risk of kids with intellectual disabilities, researchers said.“Salt Lake City ranks 10th for the most polluted cities in the U.S. in terms of ozone, and 2023 ozone levels were higher than 2022 levels,” Grineski noted.Reducing ozone levels will be critical to protecting the brains of children, researchers said. Clean car standards, transitioning to electric vehicles and improving manufacturing and agricultural processes will help lower air pollution.“We don’t want to neglect these issues related to ozone and cognitive health moving forward," Grineski said. "Our findings here for Utah suggest a troubling association. This is just one study in a sea of papers documenting the harmful effects of air pollution on health.”SOURCE: University of Utah, news release, Dec. 11, 2024Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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White US neighborhoods have more EPA air quality monitors, study finds

Disproportionate placement of devices leaves communities of color less protected from dangerous pollutantsThe Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality monitors are disproportionately positioned in whiter neighborhoods in the US, leaving communities of color less protected from dangerous pollutants like particulate matter, ozone, nitrous dioxide and lead, among others, new research finds.Policy and actions the EPA takes to reduce pollution are developed from the monitors’ readings, and communities of color are broadly more likely to be near major polluters. The findings raise questions about whether the agency has enough monitors installed, is properly placing them, and whether conclusions about the safety of the air in some areas are sound. Continue reading...

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Supreme Court to consider reviving industry’s bid to axe California clean car standards

The Supreme Court indicated Friday that it will take up a case that could revive industry efforts to axe California’s stricter-than-federal vehicle emissions standards. The high court granted a petition from companies and groups representing oil refiners and biofuel producers that seeks to revive their lawsuit against the Biden administration’s reinstatement of California’s clean cars...

The Supreme Court indicated Friday that it will take up a case that could revive industry efforts to axe California’s stricter-than-federal vehicle emissions standards. The high court granted a petition from companies and groups representing oil refiners and biofuel producers that seeks to revive their lawsuit against the Biden administration’s reinstatement of California’s clean cars program.  In 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave California the OK to enforce rules that required car companies to sell new cars in the state that produced less pollution — including by requiring a share of the cars sold to be electric or hybrid. Several other states have also adopted California’s rule.  The industry and red states sued over this action. They have argued that the Biden administration was essentially allowing California to act as “a junior-varsity EPA.” The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out their challenge on a technicality — saying they could not bring the case forward because they did not sufficiently prove how it would harm them.    On Friday, the Supreme Court said in a brief order that it would hear their effort to revive the case. The court declined their request to hear the underlying argument, though, only saying it would address the circuit court’s reason for tossing it.  This story is developing and will be updated. 

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