Community speaks out against Oxbow's permit renewal
On November 14, 2019 CIDA Inc. and Port Arthur community residents spoke against the Oxbow permit renewal request. It was resounding that the community had a problem with the excessive emissions from the Oxbow facility. The community also called on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to do the right thing and have Oxbow take serious steps to reduce their emissions.
Oxbow has inundated the community with over 11,400 tons of Sulfur Dioxide or SO2 in 2017 alone. The company is responsible for close to 92% of the SO2 in Port Arthur and is the single largest source of SO2 in all of Jefferson county. Unfortunately the TCEQ currently permits them to emit much more than what they do, ensuring that they stay "in compliance" with their permit while dumping thousands of tons of toxins into our air, frequently violating the federal EPA limits. This behavior has resulted in Oxbow being fined for excessive emissions. All the while the company has refused to implement any form of emission reduction technology (which is available and widely used by other facilities).
The residents of Port Arthur have had enough and voiced their grievances on Thursday evening. We want to thank the community members who were present and spoke up for our community. Your voice is important and needs to be heard.
