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Houston Ship Channel residents warn they intend to sue the EPA over Valero refinery

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Thursday, September 12, 2024

David J. Phillip/APHomes are seen with the Valero Houston Refinery in the background.Residents of communities along the Houston Ship Channel have warned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that they intend to sue to force it to take over the permitting of Houston's Valero refinery. The outcome of the legal fight could affect the health of tens of thousands of people. Lawyers representing the residents said the EPA delegated responsibility for overseeing the Valero refinery, under Title V of the Clean Air Act, to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The plaintiffs filed a complaint with the EPA in 2021, saying the TCEQ had failed to hold the refinery to federal air quality standards and asking the federal agency to take over the Title V permitting process. The EPA granted the plaintiffs' petition the following year but took no further action. "We are now giving EPA notice that it's time for them to take over this permit, as is within its regulatory authority," said Amy Dinn, litigation director of the environmental justice team at Lone Star Legal Aid. More than 85,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the Valero refinery, most of them people of color and many of them below the federal poverty level. The region has abnormally high rates of cancer and other severe health issues. "This facility often skirts regulations," said Rodrigo Cantù, a senior attorney with the Gulf regional office of Earthjustice. "It's the only major refinery within the Houston city limits. It's right next to an overburdened, vulnerable community, an environmental justice community. And for that reason, it's one that we intend on keeping our eyes on." The EPA has until February 25, 2025, to respond, either by taking over the permitting process for the refinery or by contesting the suit.

The plaintiffs argue the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has failed to hold the refinery to federal Clean Air Act standards. They're demanding the EPA take over the facility's permitting process.

Residents of communities along the Houston Ship Channel have warned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that they intend to sue to force it to take over the permitting of Houston's Valero refinery. The outcome of the legal fight could affect the health of tens of thousands of people.

Lawyers representing the residents said the EPA delegated responsibility for overseeing the Valero refinery, under Title V of the Clean Air Act, to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The plaintiffs filed a complaint with the EPA in 2021, saying the TCEQ had failed to hold the refinery to federal air quality standards and asking the federal agency to take over the Title V permitting process. The EPA granted the plaintiffs' petition the following year but took no further action.

"We are now giving EPA notice that it's time for them to take over this permit, as is within its regulatory authority," said Amy Dinn, litigation director of the environmental justice team at Lone Star Legal Aid.

More than 85,000 people live within a three-mile radius of the Valero refinery, most of them people of color and many of them below the federal poverty level. The region has abnormally high rates of cancer and other severe health issues.

"This facility often skirts regulations," said Rodrigo Cantù, a senior attorney with the Gulf regional office of Earthjustice. "It's the only major refinery within the Houston city limits. It's right next to an overburdened, vulnerable community, an environmental justice community. And for that reason, it's one that we intend on keeping our eyes on."

The EPA has until February 25, 2025, to respond, either by taking over the permitting process for the refinery or by contesting the suit.

Read the full story here.

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By I. Edwards HealthDay ReporterMONDAY, Jan. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — If you order coffee or tea on a flight, you may want to think twice.A 2026...

MONDAY, Jan. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — If you order coffee or tea on a flight, you may want to think twice.A 2026 airline water study found that drinking water quality can vary sharply from one airline to another, and that many carriers still fail to meet federal safety standards meant to protect passengers and crew.Researchers evaluated 10 major airlines and 11 regional carriers, giving each a Water Safety Score ranging from a low of 0.00 to a high of 5.00. A score of 3.5 or higher earned a Grade A or B, meaning relatively safe onboard water."Delta Air Lines and Frontier Airlines win the top spots with the safest water in the sky, and Alaska Airlines finishes No. 3," the center’s director, Charles Platkin, said in a news release.By contrast, the lowest-scoring major airlines were American Airlines and JetBlue, the study found. "Nearly all regional airlines need to improve their onboard water safety, with the exception of GoJet Airlines," Platkin added.The federal Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR), in place since 2011, requires airlines to provide safe drinking water onboard. Airlines must regularly test water tanks for coliform bacteria and possible E. coli, and they must disinfect and flush each aircraft’s water system multiple times per year.To score airlines, researchers looked at five weighted factors, including:Violations per aircraft Maximum Contaminant Level violations for E. coli Rates of coliform-positive tests Public notices How often water systems were disinfected and flushed Across all airlines studied, 35,674 water sample locations were tested for coliform bacteria. Of those, 949 samples (2.7%) tested positive.The study also identified 32 E. coli violations across the 21 airlines analyzed, the single biggest factor dragging scores down.Delta Air Lines earned a perfect 5.00 (Grade A). Frontier Airlines scored 4.80 (Grade A). Alaska Airlines followed with 3.85 (Grade B). GoJet Airlines was the highest-rated regional carrier at 3.85 (Grade B). American Airlines ranked lowest among major airlines at 1.75 (Grade D). Mesa Airlines scored 1.35 (Grade F), the lowest among regional carriers. CommuteAir had a 33.33% coliform-positive rate, one of the highest in the study. The report’s "Shame on You" award went to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which shares responsibility for enforcing aircraft water safety standards. Civil penalties for airline water violations remain extremely rare, the study noted.Testing for coliform bacteria matters because its presence can signal that disease-causing organisms may also be in the water system. When samples test positive, airlines are required to quickly retest, disinfect, flush or shut down affected systems, depending on results.Because aircraft refill water tanks from many locations, including international airports, onboard water quality can also be affected by hoses, trucks and other transfer equipment, researchers noted.Until airline water systems improve, the Center for Food as Medicine & Longevity offers clear guidance for travelers who want to reduce risk.“NEVER drink any water onboard that isn’t in a sealed bottle,” the group advises.They also recommend skipping onboard coffee and tea and using alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol instead of washing hands with airplane sink water.SOURCE: Center for Food As Medicine and Longevity, news release, Jan. 2, 2026 Copyright © 2026 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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Many people start the new year thinking about ways to improve their health, be more organized and manage their finances. Experts say there is one area that touches on each of those resolutions — home care.Early and routine home maintenance goes beyond fixing visible damage. It helps ensure a healthy living environment, extends the life of a home and can protect its long-term value, according to real estate professionals. 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Reddy says “anywhere we’re spending time” or often ignoring and possibly missing necessary repairs should be prioritized.“At the end of the day, doing any preventative maintenance at all matters more than doing it perfectly or at exactly the right time,” Reddy said. “But timing can make a big difference. A lot of these tasks are seasonal or annual, and you’re not just going to do it one time. Homes are stressed differently by different times of the year, so seasonal maintenance helps us catch problems before they’re made worse by environmental stressors.” Seasonal maintenance to plan for throughout the year When it comes to maintenance, planning and preparing for anticipated and routine changes in the environment can help mitigate natural wear and tear on the exterior of homes and also create healthy conditions inside — where most people shelter from extreme weather events.“What happens outside the house rarely stays outside the house. 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By Shagun Bindlish, MD, FACP, FOMA, DABOM, DACLM HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Dec. 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — While childhood obesity has become...

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Tree Rings May Reveal Hidden Clues About Water History

By I. Edwards HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Trees don’t just clean the air, they also keep a quiet record of the...

TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Trees don’t just clean the air, they also keep a quiet record of the past.New research suggests that tree rings may help scientists uncover missing pieces of environmental history, especially when it comes to water in the midwest. By studying how different tree species respond to wet and dry conditions, researchers say they can better understand how watersheds have changed over time, and how they may change in the future.Watersheds are areas of land that drain water into nearby streams, rivers and lakes. Healthy watersheds help protect drinking water, support wildlife and keep ecosystems balanced, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But climate change can put a big strain on these systems, especially when historical data is limited.“One human lifespan is not going to show us the big picture,” study leader Alessandra Bertucci, a graduate student at Ohio State University in Columbus, said in a news release."So using trees to address these gaps of understanding is really important for managing water resources, even in intensively managed watersheds," Bertucci added.Trees typically grow a new ring each year and the size and density of those rings can reflect weather conditions such as droughts, floods and long periods of rain. But not all trees record these events the same way. That’s why the research team found that using multiple tree species gives a clearer picture than relying on just one.The study focused on riparian trees, which grow near rivers and streams in the Midwest. Researchers found that many of these trees are especially good at recording past wet and dry periods, making them useful for understanding regional water patterns.The work was recently presented at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in New Orleans.To gather their data, researchers collected tree core samples from areas where long-term watershed records are scarce, including Ohio’s Old Woman Creek State Nature Preserve near Lake Erie. They studied three common tree species and compared ring width and density with recorded climate data.Because much of the Midwest is heavily farmed, accurate water data is critical. Bertucci said limited historical records can lead to poor estimates of past floods or droughts, which may affect decisions about water use and conservation.With the updated tree ring data, the team hopes to build models that can help predict how weather patterns and water flow may change in the coming decades.“If we can round out that historical data and understand what to expect, we can better plan for how to manage our water resources in the future,” Bertucci said.Researchers plan to expand their work by sampling more tree species and studying additional watersheds. The findings could help farmers, water managers and communities make smarter decisions about water conservation.“Water is life,” Bertucci said. “We literally cannot live without it, so it’s important to protect and make sure that we are taking care of it, because that is our lifeline.”Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary, until published in a peer-reviewed journal.SOURCE: Ohio State University, news release, Dec. 19, 2025Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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How Bay Area cops changed their approach to mental health calls

A mental health clinician with a bullet-proof vest is helping change the way a Bay Area city responds to some of its emergency calls. That’s what CalMatters’ Cayla Mihalovich found when she visited the San Mateo Police Department earlier this month to check out a new approach for mental health calls. The city was one […]

Briana Fair, San Mateo Police Department’s mental health clinician, in San Mateo on Dec. 15, 2025. Photo by Manuel Orbegozo for CalMatters A mental health clinician with a bullet-proof vest is helping change the way a Bay Area city responds to some of its emergency calls. That’s what CalMatters’ Cayla Mihalovich found when she visited the San Mateo Police Department earlier this month to check out a new approach for mental health calls. The city was one of many that searched for a better way to help people in the throes of a mental health crisis. It participated in a 2021 pilot program from San Mateo County that paired law enforcement officers with mental health clinicians in four cities with the aim of freeing up police officers and avoiding unnecessary confrontations. 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When these services are farther away, people often remain in pain for longer because of missed or delayed appointments. In California, more than half of people 70 and over who died by gun suicide had a contributing physical health problem, and over a quarter had a diagnosed mental health condition. Jake Ritter, on the death of his 81-year-old grandfather, Jeffrey Butler, who had health and pain issues and died in Trinity County in 2024 from a self-inflicted gunshot: “I’m sad that he didn’t get the help that he needed, and I’m sad that he felt so strongly that this is the road that he chose.” Read more here. New law to prevent sex abuse at schools Students in a classroom in Sacramento on May 11, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters By July 2026 all California K-12 schools — including private schools — must have protocols in place to help protect schoolchildren from being sexually abused by educators, as directed by a new state law, writes CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones. The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, requires schools to enact a number of measures to rein in abuse and hold themselves accountable, including training students, teachers and other school staff to recognize signs of sexual grooming and report misconduct. The law’s most notable provision is the creation of a database that keeps track of teachers credibly accused of abuse. The database will be available to schools so that administrators can use it to vet prospective teachers. The database is intended to curb the practice of schools re-hiring teachers who have resigned from another school after being accused of sexual misconduct. Read more here. And lastly: Power-guzzling data centers An employee works in a Broadcom data center in San Jose on Sept. 5, 2025. Photo by Brittany Hosea-Small, Reuters A recent report finds electricity use and carbon emissions from California data centers nearly doubled in recent years, with water use climbing even more. CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on the environmental report as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here. SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal. California Voices CalMatters contributor Jim Newton: Despite making gains on her promise to reduce Los Angeles’ homelessness population, Mayor Karen Bass battles a difficult perception problem. California’s elected leaders must oppose the Trump administration’s plans to expand oil and gas drilling on the state’s public lands, writes Ashley McClure, East Bay physician and co-founder of Climate Health Now. Reader reaction: CARE Court can produce positive results in some cases, but it should not be treated as an automatic path to LPS conservatorship, writes Tom Scott, executive director of the California State Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians and Public Conservators. Other things worth your time: Some stories may require a subscription to read. State attorneys general sue Trump administration over efforts to shutter CFPB // Politico Why cities spend your tax dollars on lobbyists // The Sacramento Bee CA’s homeless ‘purgatory’ leaves thousands on a waitlist to nowhere // The San Francisco Standard How Trump broke CA’s grip on the auto market // Politico Central Valley surpassed all of CA in job losses this year // The Fresno Bee How private investors stand to profit from billions in LA County sex abuse settlements // Los Angeles Times San Diego just fast-tracked new fire-safety rules for homes // The San Diego Union-Tribune Chronic illness and longing define life in the Tijuana River valley // inewsource

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