Manchester, HoustonValero Emissions Information Packet

Many dangerous chemicals are being emitted at the Houston Valero Re!nery in Manchester. Man of these chemicals any can cause cancer, asthma, chronic headaches, and infertility, as well as many other serious health problems. We want everyone that lives near this re!nery to know what it is that they are forced to breathe, and the potential risks of allowing these emissions to continue. If we lift up our voices they could never keep us silent!

e 1990 Clean Air Act amendment provided standards for roughly 160 hazardous air pollutants, all of which must be strictly regulated by industrial emitters. According to the EPA, the Manchester Valero re!nery emits 33 of these compounds.1 Research done by the Houston Press shows that Valero has exceeded emissions limits 397 times in a three year period. 2 Here are just a few examples of the toxic substances they're releasing into the neighborhood:

Benzene Amount emitted in 2005: 19,244 pounds

Benzene increases the risk of cancers, especially leukemia, and is a cause of bone marrow failure. Some women who inhaled high levels of benzene for many months experience irregular menstrual periods and a decrease in the size of their ovaries. Also, exposure to high levels of benzene is likely to impact fertility and fetal development.

PropyleneAmount emitted in 2003:56,669 poundsPropylene causes irritation of the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. It causes skin blisters, and burns, and is a potential occupational carcinogen.3

EthyleneAmount emitted in 2003: 55,050 poundsEthylene mainly affects the eyes, skin, respiratory system and central nervous system. It causes irritation to eyes, skin, nose, throat, as well as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, weakness,  and exhaustion. It also impairs the brain, causing dizziness, stupor, convulsions,  and depression.4  

NitrateCompoundsAmount emitted in 2004: 477,236 poundsInfants below six months who drink water containing high concentrations of nitrate could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome. Nitrate compounds enter the human body through the use of drinking water and causes a number of health disorders, namely, blood disorders, gastric cancer, goitre (a seriously swollen throat), birth malformations, hypertension.5

Sulfur DioxideSulfur Dioxide is a toxic, foul-smelling irritant. Long-term exposure to sulfur dioxide can cause permanent heart problems (pulmonary impairment) and chronic breathing problems (bronchitis). 6

Carbon MonoxideCauses headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, and a feeling of weakness. May cause significant damage to the heart and brain, and includes effects such as confusion, disorientation, visual disturbance, fainting, and seizures.7

The Houston Press reported in 2009, that over a three year period Valero’s Houston refinery violated the Clean Air and Water Act 397 times.2

Simple reports of how many pounds of each pollutant Valero over-emits each year are not made readily available to the public, and the magnitude of each over-emission is scattered throughout thousands of pages of cryptic bureaucracy. For example, on December 24, 2011, a broken valve caused almost a dozen EPA-regulated chemicals to be over-emitted in a period of just 36 hours.8 24,764lbs of sulfur dioxide leaked, reaching roughly 12% of their annual limit in just one event. 1000x the legal limit of particulate matter and 1,280x the legal limit of hydrogen sulfide.  

Another shocking accident occurred on May 31st, 2012 when a malfunction caused a leak of 3,300x the legal limit of Propylene and 1,300x the legal limit of propane.

These events are not as rare as you might think. They occur multiple times per year,  and are never reported to nearby residents. It is important to note that these are the accidents that Valero reports on themselves. These are just two incidents among hundreds of violations that occur in this refinery each year.

(1) http://www.rtknet.org/db/tri/tri.php?reptype=f&facility_id=77012HLLPT9701M&reporting_year=20 11&dbtype=C&detail=-1&datype=T&sum_expand=H

(2) http://media.houstonpress.com/4219085.0.pdf (3) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0538.html(4) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0272.html (5) http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/nitrate.cfm#three (6) http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/sulfurdi/health_sul.html#_1_1(7) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281520/ , http://books.google.com/books?

id=2y6zOSQcn14C&pg=PA325&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false(8) Texas Comission on Environmental Quality. Summary of Investigation Findings, Investigation 981650.

Comment date 03/22/2012. *Laura, how the shit do we cite these TCEQ documents!?*(9) http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1493877