Subra speaks on TAGA findings

Port Arthur News Staff Writer
By ANGELA WEAVER
7/31/2003

"Hot spots" of toxic chemical concentrations in the air of Port Arthur neighborhoods should be further investigated and their sources located and eliminated, renowned chemist Wilma Subra told local environmentalists Thursday.

Subra, a 1999 recipient of the nationally acclaimed MacArthur Fellows Program -- a five-year grant to individuals who show exceptional merit and promise for continued and enhanced creative work, commonly called the "genius awards" -- disagreed with the Environmental Protection Agency's determination of data from their trace atmospheric gas analyzer -- a mobile air-sampling device capable of detecting a wide range of volatile organic compounds in ambient air.

She presented her analysis of the EPA's data Thursday in a press conference and later to residents who attended a public meeting.

Using the EPA's data, Subra analyzed readings taken from the TAGA samples collected in January and pinpointed "hot spots" in Port Arthur where toxic chemicals were measured in exceedance of Texas air quality standards that were not revealed in their reports.

"There is a real need to do additional monitoring around those hot spots and locate the sources to formulate an effective plan to alleviate the problems there," Subra said.

Plotting hot spots on street and road maps of Port Arthur, Subra determined that Nineteenth Street, along the Motiva fenceline rated highest among areas with readings above acceptable ranges. Neighborhoods around Atlanta, Mobile and Shreveport streets measured 3.7 parts per billion (ppb) of butadiene and "above standard" measurements of six other toxic chemicals.

"A targeted investigation should be performed in the area to identify the source or sources of the chemicals and develop a plan to reduce or eliminate the toxic air emissions," Subra said.

Because of wind direction at the time of the TAGA readings, Subra said the fenceline readings didn't come from Motiva, however, but drifted from the direction of the port and could have been caused by an emission source in the community or waterfront unloading.

"The sources need to be identified," she said, adding that community emission sources are the easiest to eliminate over refinery emissions.

According to her analysis, the TAGA noted areas where measurements of toxic chemicals like benzene and vinyl chloride -- known carcinogens -- chloroform, butadiene and many other toxics far exceeded safe breathing levels established by the EPA.

"Nine of the 13 chemicals were detected in the highest concentrations in residential areas," she said.

The report prepared b the EPA said "short term releases of benzene and several other chemicals of concern were detected above quantification levels." Subra said a review of the results identified 12 of 13 monitored pollutants were detected in levels "greater than the quantification levels."

"Benzene was present above the quantification level in 10 of the 12 TAGA trips that monitored the Port Arthur area," Subra said in her report.

Of industrial areas, all 13 chemicals traced by TAGA were discovered -- nine of which were in concentrations high enough to exceed standards. Areas along Highway 87, 82 and in the El Vista area of Port Arthur netted high concentrations of dangerous chemicals.

"The EPA said in their report that the samples dissipated, but they dissipated because they were driving by," Subra said, explaining that graphs showing exceedances were noted as TAGA passed by a location with concentrated levels of toxics and again as TAGA retraced it's route past the same area.

"There were a huge number of exceedances, even though the EPA said there were none," Subra said.

Hilton Kelley and Denny Larson, local environmentalists who, since 1995, have protested local refineries for clean air, said permanent "high-tech" air monitors would be a "watch dog" for refineries who don't report emissions above the Texas air standard.

"We shouldn't have to guess or wait a week (for test results) to know what we're breathing," Kelley said. "If you don't have monitors, you don't have to know. Their strategy is not to know."

David Barry, spokesperson for the EPA, said he was aware of Subra's report, but said officials were unwilling to comment until they reviewed her analysis.

"Before we can respond to the concerns expressed by this group, we're going to have to examine their findings and as soon as we do that we'll be happy to respond," he said. "We need to see for ourselves what their concerns are."

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