Groups allege illegal emissions at Exxon Mobil's Baytown plant
By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
July 7, 2010, 9:52PM
America's largest refinery is the latest target of Texas environmentalists working to reduce harmful emissions in the Houston region through federal lawsuits.
Environment Texas and the Sierra Club's Lone Star chapter said Wednesday they intend to sue Exxon Mobil Corp. under the federal Clean Air Act after a required 60-day waiting period, arguing that its Baytown complex illegally released more than 10 million pounds of toxic chemicals over the past five years.
Neil Carman, a Texas air quality expert working for the Sierra Club, said Exxon Mobil's emissions illustrate the weaknesses with the state's "flexible" air permit program, which the federal Environmental Protection Agency recently struck down as inadequate.
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