Petrochemical expansion impact on lower income communities

TEXAS — Texas is expanding its petrochemical industry with new facilities, but that could affect the health of the lower-income communities where the new plants will be located.

A release published by Texas Southern University claims that the people living near the 89 new facilities in five different regions (Port Arthur/Beaumont, Greater Houston, the Coastal Bend, the Southern Coast and Inland Texas) will likely disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

“The findings show that nine out of ten petrochemical facilities are proposed in Texas counties with higher demographic vulnerability (in the form of higher numbers of people of color, or higher numbers of people in poverty, or both) than other areas of the state or the nation—in neighborhoods where residents are alread