Environmental groups announced their plan to sue the Pasadena refinery over allegations the location consistently released illegal levels of particulate matter.
Environment Texas and Sierra Club said in a statement they intend to file a suit within the 60-day grace period against Pasadena Refining System, Inc. or PRSI which is owned by Petrobras, the state-controlled oil company of Brazil.
The groups’ lawsuit will allege the local refinery violated hourly and yearly emissions standards, resulting in thousands of breaches of the Clean Air Act over five years. This includes violating annual limits on emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other air pollutants.
This past year was filled with mishaps for the refinery. A seven-hour power outage in November resulted in emissions of three tons of particulate matter into the air. A lightning strike in July caused the plant to emit 21 tons of potentially dangerous pollutants into the air and in March, a fire and explosion injured one worker. The plant also suffered a fire in 2011.
Three other lawsuits have been filed by the two environmental groups since 2008, challenging oil refineries and petrochemical facilities along the Houston Ship Channel for violating emissions laws.
Source: Chron.com, “Environmentalists plan to sue Pasadena refinery for Clean Air Act violations,” by Gabrielle Banks, December 22, 2016.