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EPA makes strides vs. Texas pollution
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By ROY N. KENT
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a statement Thursday saying it is making big strides in combating pollution in Texas.
In its statement, a Pasadena company was one of the companies in which the EPA cited its biggest success.
Overall, more than “$11.8 billion in environmental improvements were secured” and an estimated 4 billion pounds of pollution “will be prevented” as a result of enforcement actions by the EPA this year. Both figures represent record highs for the agency.
“Enforcement is a vital part of EPA’s commitment to protecting the environment and public health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene in a news release. “As a result of these efforts, communities throughout Texas will benefit from less pollution and more investments by industry to better control pollutants. I commend the work of our staff and environmental partners on a job well done.”
Among the achievements involving facilities in Texas, the EPA said, is the treatment and disposal of 1.7 billion pounds of hazardous waste from Agrifos Fertilizer, Inc. in Pasadena. The EPA issued an Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order to Agrifos and ExxonMobil to address long-term wastewater management and prevent future endangerment to human health and the environment.
Agrifos operates a mineral processing facility that extracts phosphorus from mineral ores for use in commercial fertilizer. The facility accumulated excessive amounts of acidic wastewater that threatened catastrophic failure of the impoundments.
An abnormal amount of rainfall caused an excess of wastewater resulting in the failure of a portion of the retaining wall, which released wastewater into a county drainage ditch, Cotton Patch Bayou, and then into the Houston Ship Channel. The overflow released approximately 54 million gallons of wastewater, and at least one fish kill was reported in the bayou.
A total of $565 million in environmental improvements, 437 million pounds in pollution reductions and 2 billion pounds of treated or disposed hazardous waste were realized across the region comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Results for cases with facilities in Texas brought more than 223 million pounds of pollution reductions, more than $528 million in penalties and environmental improvements, and 206 concluded enforcement actions.
The EPA’s enforcement numbers were released by its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance as part of its fiscal year 2008 accomplishments report. The report outlines some of the agency’s notable achievements in the areas of civil and criminal enforcement, compliance assistance, public health, environmental justice and international cooperation.
Additional information on the 2008 enforcement and compliance results is available at www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6en/08-axns.htm.
To learn more about activities in EPA Region 6, visit the Internet at www.epa.gov/region6.
In its statement, a Pasadena company was one of the companies in which the EPA cited its biggest success.
Overall, more than “$11.8 billion in environmental improvements were secured” and an estimated 4 billion pounds of pollution “will be prevented” as a result of enforcement actions by the EPA this year. Both figures represent record highs for the agency.
“Enforcement is a vital part of EPA’s commitment to protecting the environment and public health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene in a news release. “As a result of these efforts, communities throughout Texas will benefit from less pollution and more investments by industry to better control pollutants. I commend the work of our staff and environmental partners on a job well done.”
Among the achievements involving facilities in Texas, the EPA said, is the treatment and disposal of 1.7 billion pounds of hazardous waste from Agrifos Fertilizer, Inc. in Pasadena. The EPA issued an Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order to Agrifos and ExxonMobil to address long-term wastewater management and prevent future endangerment to human health and the environment.
Agrifos operates a mineral processing facility that extracts phosphorus from mineral ores for use in commercial fertilizer. The facility accumulated excessive amounts of acidic wastewater that threatened catastrophic failure of the impoundments.
An abnormal amount of rainfall caused an excess of wastewater resulting in the failure of a portion of the retaining wall, which released wastewater into a county drainage ditch, Cotton Patch Bayou, and then into the Houston Ship Channel. The overflow released approximately 54 million gallons of wastewater, and at least one fish kill was reported in the bayou.
A total of $565 million in environmental improvements, 437 million pounds in pollution reductions and 2 billion pounds of treated or disposed hazardous waste were realized across the region comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Results for cases with facilities in Texas brought more than 223 million pounds of pollution reductions, more than $528 million in penalties and environmental improvements, and 206 concluded enforcement actions.
The EPA’s enforcement numbers were released by its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance as part of its fiscal year 2008 accomplishments report. The report outlines some of the agency’s notable achievements in the areas of civil and criminal enforcement, compliance assistance, public health, environmental justice and international cooperation.
Additional information on the 2008 enforcement and compliance results is available at www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6en/08-axns.htm.
To learn more about activities in EPA Region 6, visit the Internet at www.epa.gov/region6.
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