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Study: 9 Southeast Texas Plants Leak Smog-Producing Chemicals into Air

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 August 2005, 18:00 CDT

Aug. 10--Nine Southeast Texas industrial plants are leaking smog-producing chemicals into the air, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality determined in a series of flyovers by a helicopter equipped with an infrared-sensing camera.

In a total of seven hours of flight conducted between July 11-22, the sensing equipment detected volatile organic compounds which contribute to smog formation when atmospheric conditions are right.

"We can't identify the companies yet," said Andy Saenz, a commission spokesman.

He said the commission will determine the industrial plants responsible through global positioning satellite information, which computes positions of places on the ground or at sea.

"Then we'll be asking the companies to come in and identify the specific areas (of the leaks) and ask how they intend to fix it," Saenz said.

The state is using the infrared-sensing camera for the first time in an effort to further pinpoint hydrocarbon leaks into the atmosphere. Then, proper controls can be designed to comply with federal clean-air regulations.

Southeast Texas is one of the areas in the state out of compliance with the Clean Air Act. Failure to comply by a specific deadline could result in economic sanctions.

The helicopter flyovers spotted 21 leaks in Harris County and three in Galveston County, not including leaks from waterborne barges or docks.

"We looked at 5,400 storage tanks and found 71 leaks," Saenz said. "That's 1.3 percent, and although it's not bad, we want that to be zero."

Saenz said the infrared camera cannot identify the type of hydrocarbon that is leaking, which is why the commission needs to identify the company responsible.

"Find it and fix it is our mantra," he said.

A Lamar University chemical engineering professor will help the commission analyze the results, Saenz said.

"By early next week, we should have a list of the companies," Saenz said.

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas

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Source: The Beaumont Enterprise

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