Study puts toxins close to school

By GLENN EVANS
Longview News Journal

A statewide pollution study released Tuesday includes Gregg among eight counties where two-thirds of the state's toxic chemicals are released into air within two miles of schools.

The study from Refinery Reform Campaign says that students at Jodie McClure Elementary in Longview are at greatest risk of cancer, learning disabilities and other health problems.

"We're hoping that a bill will actually pass the legislature this year to start up an air monitoring program," said Denny Larson, coordinator for the RRC. Larson's group compiled the report, "A is for Air Pollution," from data provided by U.S. Geological Survey experts and the Environmental Protection Agency's Toxic Release Inventory.

The Refinery Reform Campaign bills itself as "a national campaign seeking to clean up America's oil refineries and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels." The study released Tuesday, however, seeks to draw attention to a class of pollution, known as air toxins, emitted by refineries and chemical manufacturers.

The study looked at campuses within two miles of chemical and refining facilities in Gregg, Orange, Jefferson, Nueces, Harris, Galveston, El Paso and Ector counties. Gregg is the most rural of the eight. The study's authors pointed out that the schools closest to the pollution sources have mostly minority students.

"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.

McClure is within two miles of Eastman Chemicals Co., Texas Operations, and the adjacent polypropylene maker, Huntsman Corp.

"It's both plants," Larson said. "It looks like both of those plants ... are causing a risk to McClure."

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