Deer Park Residents Barely Show Up for Themselves at ITC Permit Hearing
Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC), the organization responsible for the major chemical fire in Deer Park in 2019, is currently seeking to renew its operating permit under Title V as determined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Environmental organizations showed up to pushback on May 4, 2023, at the Deer Park High School’s North Campus. Organizations Air Alliance Houston, Fenceline Watch, Caring for Pasadena Communities with Lonestar Legal Aid, and Channelview Health and Improvement Coalition showed up and gave powerful comments during the hearing. Some residents from surrounding cities like Baytown, Galena Park, and Pasadena, showed up, and even fewer Deer Park residents.
There were three Deer Park residents that showed up to speak on the permit. Two residents were against the operating permit renewal, citing health reasons, as one mother spoke up about how the fire exacerbated her child’s side effects from cancer and another mother spoke up about her experience with her family evacuating.
“My children’s elementary school is located one mile away from ITC. On the day of the explosions and subsequent fires, we waited in long pickup lines to pick them up from school early. While at home, wondering about what we needed to do next, we closed all windows and doors, and were sure not to operate our air conditioning units. We had two dogs who were unable to go outside as well.
Our family was forced to evacuate for five days as a result of the ITC explosion. We covered our children’s nose and mouth with wet washcloths and raced out of Deer Park. We were worried about our home and community while away constantly.
When we returned home, there were many questions regarding the quality of air. We purchased expensive air purifiers and other air monitoring systems for our own peace of mind inside our home. The constant worrying about our own health and the health of our young children is a memory and trauma that I will never forget. This company had complete and total disregard for the health and safety of our community. The levels of Benzene were proven to be high two to three weeks after the shelter in place was lifted. It will take many years to fully understand, and comprehend the damage that was inflicted upon our community from this irresponsible company. Many of the health concerns may not be immediately recognized, but will linger in this community and its residents for years to come.” — Valeh, Deer Park resident, and hospital worker who gave me the comment via email.
The third Deer Park resident acknowledged health concerns and offered up a solution.
“I worked in the industry you guys facilitate. I’ve been working towards implementing technology that would help reduce emissions and explosions. I would recommend to TCEQ to educate yourselves. You cannot continue to give permits if they are continuing business as everyday. There are solutions that can eliminate the emission issues and would allow you to keep your storage tanks safer and cleaner. I’m still a resident of Deer Park and I will be. Did the fires affect me? Yes. But the TCEQ needs to ask facilities that if they want their permit renewed they need to use the technology used today.” — Craig, Deer Park resident, spoken during the formal comment period of the hearing.
Air Alliance Houston told me they had mailed out flyers and postcards to homes in Deer Park and the surrounding area. I am unaware of any other efforts to get Deer Park residents to this permit renewal hearing.
Why did only three Deer Park residents show up?
In order to understand why Deer Park residents didn’t show up for their own health as it relates to pollution from the refineries, it is important to understand that Deer Park is a refinery city. Meaning, those who live in the city most likely work in the refineries. Despite health hazards, it does not benefit workers to advocate against their employers, especially without robust union support.
According to data aggregated by Data USA, in 2020 there were a little over 2k workers in manufacturing in Deer Park. The manufacturing industry includes refineries as a subsector since they do manufacture petroleum and oil products.
Besides the labor make-up of the city, in 2021 Shell announced $2.1 million in funding for projects for the community. Including $800,000 for the City of Deer Park History Museum, $1 million to Baker Ripley’s Pathways to Possibilities program, and $300,000 addressing the digital divide in Harris County Precinct 2. The city also benefits from tax revenue from these corporate polluters. In 2004, former Deer Park City Manager Ron Crabtree was worried the city would lose about $1.1 million in tax revenue when Shell tried to pay lower taxes on its Deer Park complex. I have done a public records request to see what the city’s tax revenue from the corporate polluters currently, and will update this article when I get it.
The city, its government, and its people financially rely on these corporate polluters. With 64% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck regardless of industry, getting a paycheck in the first place is detrimental in this late-stage capitalist system. And it isn’t only Deer Park that has this economic relationship with the corporate polluters, it’s cities all up and down that refinery section.
“As a citizen that recognizes risk and the benefits, I support the renewal of the permit.” — Jonathan, Pasadena resident, spoken during the formal comment period of the hearing.
Organizers and organizations held the line
Organizations Air Alliance Houston, Fenceline Watch, Caring for Pasadena Communities with Lonestar Legal Aid, and Channelview Health and Improvement Coalition truly held the line that night during the permit hearing. If you are a Deer Park resident reading this, please know that you are not alone in caring for your health and community. You don’t have to start from scratch in the environmental or labor movement, and you can get involved with these organizations to create a healthier place for you and your family.
As organizers asked questions, neither TCEQ nor ITC had actual answers. For example, Fenceline Watch asked ITC why they weren’t at a storage tank safety meeting in March. ITC couldn’t give an answer, they didn’t know why. Air Alliance Houston asked TCEQ if any of the 27 violations after the 2019 fire to ITC led to fines. TCEQ said they would need to look it up later, they didn’t know.
“You’re not doing your job, you’re not protecting the citizens. I demand that you do not pass this permit for them. It’s sad and disgusting to hear you don’t know anything. You’re sitting there like lame ducks, not answering questions during Q&A. Is this just a rubber stamp for you? I got sick during that time. You know what’s going on and you’re not holding them accountable for the hazardous stuff that goes into the air, you need to be more responsible on what is happening to these communities. This is needs to be more than just a one day ‘lets see how much they scream and yell.’ If you did your job, you would hold them accountable for the mistakes they are making.” — Patricia , director of caring for Pasadena communities, spoken during the formal comment period.
TCEQ representatives kept saying that they could not hold ITC compliant under this permit. This permit was for operational renewal, and holding accountability for the ITC fires did not fall under the requirements for this renewal.
“If there’s no enforcement after a law, or after a regulation, it’s pretty useless. Then what’s the point of the law? Instead of asking to put out permits for economic development, take a second to see what the agency and the company is going in. Are you okay with ruining people’s lives? I personally suffer from respiratory health problems, fibromalagyia, and what it does is make life hard to go by. It’s not fair to see how much money is made when people’s lives are meant to be valued. I didn’t grow up in Deer Park, I grew up in Southeast Houston, but these are our communities. We’re at a crossroads here, do we want to contribute to a better future for our communities?” — Erandi, organizer with Public Citizen and Texas State Organizer with Moms Clean Air Force, spoken during the formal comment period during the hearing.
An organizer gave a formal comment on what clean up looked like for their community. Neither TCEQ nor ITC have offered up help to clean up communities after the 2019 fire.
“Clean up was held in Channelview. We were directly affected, we were affected by the smoke, by the ashes, this was not an incident local to Deer Park. The air plume went up Harris to other counties. Air is not stagnant, it moves. There were multiple violations and the TCEQ didn’t do anything. With this new permit, you say you cannot consider the ITC fires that you haven’t resolved. Do not expand on this failure by renewing this permit.” — Carolyn, Channelview Health and Improvement Coalition
Soon after this permit hearing, the Shell facility had its own fire that affected residents yet again. The flares and the smoke were visible from the front steps of the auditorium in which the ITC permit hearing took place.
And go deer.
