Study details risk to Texas school children
By APRIL CASTRO (Associated Press Writer)
The Associated Press
03/04/2003 5:02 PM
About 63 percent of Texas' cancer-causing pollution from refineries and
chemical plants is released within two miles of mostly minority schools in
eight counties, according to a study released Tuesday.
The study by Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition found
that 100 plants near the schools emitted 39.8 million pounds of toxins in
2000.
Representative Sylvester Turner, the legislation's sponsor
"Too many children in Texas go to school in the shadow of refineries and
chemical plants that every year are allowed to release millions of pounds of
toxic chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, learning and other
serious health problems, " said Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, who said he
would file legislation to protect school children from toxic chemicals.
A total of 142,147 children in 216 schools in Ector, El Paso, Galveston,
Gregg, Harris, Jefferson, Nueces and Orange counties attend schools within a
two-mile radius of a refinery or chemical plant, the study found.
"This study only dealt with eight counties, I'm sure that when you expand
it, it occurs a great deal more, " Turner said. "The health effects are very
real. "
Hilton Kelley of CIDA of Port Arthur points to his school's toxic skyline
Turner said that as state budget cuts are likely to force thousands of Texas
children to be dropped from the Children's Health Insurance Program, it's
even more important to provide a "safety net " to ensure their health.
"Few parents realize that the state of Texas has no plan or protocol to
ensure that these children are breathing safe air at schools where near
toxic emitters, " said Denny Larson, coordinator of SEED's Refinery Reform
Campaign.
"Central to this problem is that there is no consistent air monitoring at
these schools or on the fencelines of neighboring plants. "
Susana Almanza of PODER of Austin speaks of the pattern of environmental
racism locally and statewide.
Children are more sensitive to chemical pollution because their bodies'
biological defense systems are still developing and are more vulnerable to
chemical pollution.
Turner's bill would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to
develop a plan to protect school children.
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