Fracking Wells Can Cut Their Toxic Chemical Use

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Millions of pounds of unpermitted hazardous chemicals spew into the state’s air each year, and Central Texas’s portion of that pollution may be increasing, according to a report released Wednesday by two Texas environmental groups.

Unpermitted pollution near Austin is relatively light compared to areas on the Gulf Coast, home to some of the world’s largest oil, gas and chemical plants. Still, “for the first time in many years, we are seeing significant oil and gas emissions being reported” in Central Texas, said Ilan Levin, Texas director of Environmental Integrity Project and an author of the report, Breakdowns in Air Quality.

Chemicals released at industrial sites include volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxide, particulates (soot), sulfur dioxide and benzene, which is carcinogenic, according to the report.

Levin noted a pollution incident at the Luling Gas Plant, a gas processing facility owned by Davis Gas Processing. That facility reported releasing 30,939 pounds of pollution Nov. 24, 2015 — the largest pollution incident last year near Austin caused by maintenance or malfunction, according to the report. Samsung Austin Semiconductor came in a distant second, releasing less than 500 pounds of pollutants due to malfunction or maintenance, the report states.

KXAN reached out to the Luling Gas Plant for a comment or explanation of the emission event. We will update this story with the company’s response, when it becomes available.

For comparison, two facilities near Houston reported emissions events in 2015 that were nearly 10 times larger than the event at Luling Gas Plant. A single ExxonMobil refinery near Beaumont had an emission incident releasing roughly 874,000 pounds of pollution last year.

“It’s a chronic and systematic violation of air pollution laws.” — Ilan Levin, attorney with Environmental Integrity Project.

“Companies routinely exceed those air pollution limits in their permits,” Levin said. “It’s a chronic and systematic violation of air pollution laws.”

Industrial sites are issued permits by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that allow a certain amount of air emissions. During maintenance or due to a malfunction, excessive air emissions can happen. Companies are required to self-report the estimated amount of chemicals released during these so-called events. TCEQ makes these emissions events publicly available to view. The environmental advocates behind the analysis examined thousands of air pollution incidents for the report.

Environmental advocacy projects The Environmental Integrity Project and Environment Texas authored the report.

The report says the EPA and TCEQ could both do more to see that Texas companies follow pollution rules.

“State environmental regulators have the tools they need to protect our health from dangerous air pollution, but enforcement is inconsistent,” according to the report.

TCEQ spokesperson Andrea Morrow said the agency is reviewing the document and would provide a statement as soon as possible. KXAN will update this story, when that statement becomes available