The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has proposed draft air construction permits to construct a new boiler at Bayport Polymers’ ethane cracker in Jefferson County.
This facility poses significant environmental and public health concerns, particularly for overburdened communities already impacted by industrial pollution.
How To Submit Your Comment
- Visit the TCEQ’s eComment page.
- Enter “122353” in the search field and complete the eComment form.
- Select “2024-1410-AIR-E” as the Docket Number.
- Accept the privacy policy and enter your contact information, as well as your comment, on the following page:
Here’s a sample comment for you to use (feel free to personalize it to put in your voice!):
Dear Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,
I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed air construction permits for Bayport Polymers’ Port Arthur Side Ethane Cracker in Jefferson County, Texas. Approving this facility will further exacerbate environmental injustices and pose significant threats to public health, safety, and our climate.
The communities near this facility are already overburdened by pollution from nearby fossil fuel infrastructure, including Total’s Port Arthur Refinery and the BASF/TOTAL Olefins Complex. Approximately 56% of residents within three miles of the site are people of color, 42% are low-income, and 9% are children under five. These communities, already facing disproportionate environmental and health burdens, deserve relief, not additional sources of harm.
Ethylene crackers are known to emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. In 2020, U.S. facilities with ethylene crackers released 70.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. These emissions contribute to climate change, which intensifies urban heat islands like those in Jefferson County, where every household is already at extreme risk of heat exposure.
Additionally, the poor track record of compliance among ethylene cracker facilities is alarming. As of 2022, the EPA has identified over half of these facilities as high-priority violators of the Clean Air Act. Approving this permit risks repeating this history of environmental noncompliance at the expense of our families’ health.
The projected greenhouse gas emissions from this facility are equivalent to adding 250,000 gasoline-powered vehicles to the roads annually. These emissions are linked to an estimated 252 climate-related deaths and $212 million in climate-related costs. The economic and human toll of such environmental impacts cannot be ignored.
Jefferson County residents have endured decades of pollution and industrial expansion. Adding another unit to one of the largest ethylene crackers in the world will deepen the already severe environmental and health inequities faced by this community.
I urge the TCEQ to reject Bayport Polymers’ draft air construction permits and prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of Jefferson County residents and our environment over industrial profits.
Here’s what you need to know: Bayport Polymers’ Port Arthur Side Ethane Cracker is one of the largest steam crackers globally, producing over one million tons of ethylene annually—a major building block for plastics and petrochemicals.
Ethylene crackers in the U.S. emit large amounts of greenhouse gases annually, exacerbating climate change and extreme heat. These emissions contribute to higher rates of climate-related deaths and economic losses from natural disasters, placing an even greater burden on vulnerable populations.
Let us know once you’ve taken action!
Please reply to this email at jasmine [@] hiphopcaucus.org once you’ve submitted your comment to TCEQ. Together, we can fight for a cleaner, healthier future. Thank you for standing with us to protect our most vulnerable.
