Toxic Smoke and Mirrors: How a Petrochemical Giant Broke Its Promise

Graphic by Dan DeLorenzo
  • Indorama Ventures pledged to be a responsible neighbor. Documents obtained by Hunterbrook show the opposite: The Thai petrochemical company has exposed thousands in Texas to carcinogens, violated environmental permits, and concealed toxic leaks from regulators.
  • According to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) records, Indorama has emitted several thousand pounds of ethylene oxide and other hazardous air pollutants in violation of its permits. The documents show a pattern of accidents and leaks at the plant that have exposed thousands of local residents to toxic chemicals.
  • The TCEQ also found that the company didn’t notify regulators and the public of several toxic releases at its facility. At least two large emissions of harmful substances were discovered more than a year after the fact.
  • Jefferson County, where the Indorama plant is located, has the highest breast cancer mortality among women under the age of 50 in Texas, according to National Cancer Institute data. Long-term ethylene oxide exposure is linked to a higher rate of breast cancer in women.

Zombie Pipeline: Why Sable is Still a Pipe Dream

Exxon spinoff Sable Offshore faces seven barriers to restarting its pipeline, idled since a major oil spill in 2015. One of those approvals needs to come from the California Coastal Commission, which Sable CEO Jim Flores criticized for its “Teflon” “eco-Nazi attitude” in a leaked call recording newly obtained by Hunterbrook. Because of these barriers — and despite Trump Administration intervention — Sable’s project, originally scheduled to go online in Jan 2024, may never sell oil. At least not under the ownership of Sable ($SOC), which is quickly running out of cash.

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