Environmental groups sue EPA over ‘failure’ on industrial flare rules

A view so Houston’s sprawling petrochemical industry. After years of booming business, the petrochemical industry faces a slowdown. Ten environmental organizations, including Air Alliance Houston and Environment Texas, on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, asserting that the agency has failed to bolster pollution rules for industrial sites. The suit claims that the EPA’s failure to update the standards for flaring, the practice of burning off excess gases to prevent more toxic pollution to escape, has increased emissions.

The regulations target flaring at petrochemical facilities, gasoline terminals, natural gas processing plants, compressor stations and solid-waste landfills. The environmental groups say that operators don’t always conduct the practice correctly, leading to the release of gases that endanger public health and that contribute to climate change. By Rebecca Carballo, Staff writer Erin Douglas “Time and time again, EPA has admitted that flares operating under these outdated standards can release many times more toxic air pollutants into local communities than estimated,” said Adam Kron, senior attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project, the leading plaintiff in the suit, in a statement. “This can cause serious harm to public health.” The lawsuit claims that the EPA doesn’t require operators to improve […]

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