ExxonMobil’s Baytown Refinery Released Over 54,000 Pounds of Unauthorised Pollution

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reported that a boiler malfunction at ExxonMobil’s Baytown refinery led to more than 54,000 pounds of unauthorized carbon monoxide pollution being released last week.

The emissions were caused by a “loss of airflow” to the boiler, according to ExxonMobil’s initial report with the TCEQ. The release occurred overnight on Sept. 8, from about 1 a.m. to 3:59 a.m.

NASA says that when carbon monoxide enters the atmosphere, it can help form smog and ozone. A large part of the Houston area has no zoning rules and fails to meet federal air quality standards for ozone.

The Company’s Response

ExxonMobil announced it has put over $1 billion into its Baytown facilities to boost its “environmental performance.”.

“Personnel, environmental, and community safety is our top priority,” the statement said. “We continuously optimize our processes to minimize emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and maintain the highest standards for environmental care.”

What Air Alliance Houston Found

Air Alliance Houston determined that ExxonMobil’s Baytown plant was among the top sources of unauthorized air pollution emissions in the Houston region from 2017 to 2024, according to an examination by the environmental advocacy group. That same facility also led all others in permit violations during the period, the organization reported.

The Numbers Behind the Event

1. A boiler malfunction at the Baytown refinery caused a loss of airflow.
2. More than 54,000 pounds of carbon monoxide escaped into the atmosphere.
3. The release occurred overnight on Sept. 8.
4. ExxonMobil has invested more than $1 billion in Baytown.
5. Air Alliance Houston’s analysis shows the refinery led in permit violations from 2017 to 2024.

The gap between what the company says about its spending on environmental performance and what Air Alliance Houston found about its facility is stark. The firm claims heavy investment, while the organization’s report places the site among the region’s largest sources of unauthorized emissions.

Ozone pollution is already a problem for the Houston area, which has trouble meeting the federal air quality standards for it.

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air pollution · Baytown refinery · carbon monoxide · ExxonMobil · Houston air quality · TCEQ