Analysis: Harvey Triggered Release of Nearly a Million Pounds of Toxic Air Pollutants
byJessica Corbett, staff writer - Common Dreams, Sept 1, 2017
commondreams.org
..."Staggering amounts of benzene, 1,3-butadiene, hexane, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, toluene, and xylene—estimated at 951,000 pounds so far—were emitted" at "several dozen petroleum industry facilities," the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) said in a statement."...
..."At least 25 plants have either shut down or experienced production issues" because of Harvey, Grist reported, and not all the hazardous emissions are the result of storm damage. In fact, a notable amount of troubling emissions has come from several facilities closing ahead of the storm. As Grist explained:
Petrochemical plant shutdowns are a major cause of abnormal emission events. The short-term impacts of these events can be "substantial," according to a 2012 report from the Environmental Integrity Project, because "upsets or sudden shutdowns can release large plumes of sulfur dioxide or toxic chemicals in just a few hours, exposing downwind communities to peak levels of pollution that are much more likely to trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory systems."... |
