
Monica Orozco
Houston Advocacy Intern
Hurricanes, extreme heat and cold, and other severe weather can lead unprepared industrial facilities to dump pollution into the air
Houston Advocacy Intern
Executive Director, Environment Texas Research & Policy Center
Hurricane Beryl took Houston by storm earlier this month, causing widespread flooding and building damage. Maybe you’re still recovering from damage to your home or spotty power. But did you know that Beryl and other extreme weather events like it also increase emissions from petrochemical plants?
In anticipation of hurricanes, refineries and chemical plants will often shut down. To do that, they have to burn excess fuel that can’t stay in the pipes without risking a buildup of pressure. The chemicals are burned and released through flaring, a practice that is better than venting, but still harmful. Venting releases unburned chemicals and dangerous pollutants into the air. The advantage of flaring over venting is that some portion of the pollutants are burned off – but a significant portion make it through. While flaring is a sign that the emergency systems are functioning, extensive flaring during refinery shutdowns and startups still has negative environmental and human health impacts.
When petrochemical plants shut down and restarted in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey, they emitted 8.3 million pounds of pollutants. If refinery operators wait too long to shut down, other weather-related issues like power outages can exacerbate the problem and release more pollutants. Even while shut down, these plants release chemicals like hydrogen sulfide, volatile organic compounds, and carcinogens like benzene. To make matters worse, air quality monitors often shut down during storms. Then we can’t track what people are breathing, and to what extent, during these excess emissions events. High speed winds and flooding can dislodge and puncture storage tanks and piping, releasing even more pollutants directly into our neighborhoods. These “SSM” events, or startup, shutdown, and malfunction events, involve non-routine emergency procedures. These procedures can cause dangerous situations that harm the plant workers and our air quality. For example, equipment failure, malfunctions, and maintenance issues can cause flaring and emit pollutants into our air.
Extreme heat and cold also often increases emissions
Refineries are designed to operate between 32 and 95 degrees. Outside of that temperature range, problems at the plant cause excess emissions that typically go without consequences for the polluters.
As seen in other extreme weather events, high temperatures cause a buildup of pressure in the gas pipelines. High temperatures can also lead to power outages, which cause compressor stations to dial back or shut down. When these compressor stations shut down, the gas builds up pressure. This pressure has to be released through flaring or venting.
On the other extreme, freezing temperatures can result in dangerous leaks. When temperatures drop fast, liquids freeze in pipes and expand, causing the pipes to crack. When the temperature warms again and the liquids or gasses begin to flow, they escape through the cracked pipes. Such pollution releases can increase public health risks because chemicals like carcinogenic benzene linger near the ground for longer in cold weather.
Weatherizing petrochemical plants can better protect them from extreme weather. Having backup power sources, like generators, can maintain refrigeration for critical chemicals and air pollution control devices. Backup power also reduces the need for shutdowns that emit pollutants. Establishing sunshades, windwalls, and equipment shelters can help prevent extreme weather from damaging equipment and causing harm. For cold temperatures, insulating pipes, establishing preventive maintenance systems in anticipation of freezing temperatures, and draining pipes can all reduce pipe damage leaks. To avoid a buildup of pressure during extreme heat, mobile compressor stations can empty pipelines into existing storage tanks, parallel pipelines, or new or expanded gas recovery systems for safe storage instead of dangerous flaring or venting.
Historically, petrochemical plants have rarely suffered serious consequences for their excessive emission events. Clean Air Act permits impose permissible pollution limits that are supposed to apply at all times. But companies are rarely penalized for failing to take sufficient measures to prepare for extreme weather. Legal loopholes (such as SSM exemptions that allow excess emissions during startup, shutdown, and malfunction events) and lack of enforcement allow refineries to emit pollutants far beyond permissible limits even though measures can be taken to prevent weather-related emission events. These chemical facilities have little incentive to weatherize and reduce upset emissions. We should enact stricter regulation, such as through the EPA’s new RMP rule to increase chemical accident prevention measures, close the loopholes, and install meaningful fines for those who violate these limits. This will motivate refineries to take necessary measures to avoid excess emissions during extreme weather. This is especially important now as climate change further increases the possibility of widespread plant shutdowns and malfunctions from natural disasters.
Houston Advocacy Intern
Monica Orozco is a student at the University of Southern California interning for Environment Texas in Houston this summer.
As the executive director of Environment Texas, Luke is a leading voice in the state for clean air and water, parks and wildlife, and a livable climate. Luke recently led the successful campaign to get the Texas Legislature and voters to invest $1 billion to buy land for new state parks. He also helped win permanent protection for the Christmas Mountains of Big Bend; helped compel Exxon, Shell and Chevron Phillips to cut air pollution at four Texas refineries and chemical plants; and got the Austin and Houston school districts to install filters on water fountains to protect children from lead in drinking water. The San Antonio Current has called Luke "long one of the most energetic and dedicated defenders of environmental issues in the state." He has been named one of the "Top Lobbyists for Causes" by Capitol Inside and received the President's Award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society for his work to protect Texas parks. He is a board member of the Clean Air Force of Central Texas and an advisory board member of the Texas Tech University Masters of Public Administration program. Luke, his wife, son and daughters are working to visit every state park in Texas.