The Texas Tribune recently revealed 12 Texas counties that have recently exceeded federal air quality standards for particulate matter, also known as soot. Three of them are heavily Latino-populated border communities.
The ‘Deadliest’ Form of Air Pollution
“If you inhale [soot], it enters your body and can cause severe health impacts,” Jennifer Hadayia, executive director of the environmental nonprofit Air Alliance Houston, told the Latin Times. “It is invisible to the eye but very detrimental.” Many scientists and environmental advocates describe soot as the deadliest form of air pollution.
No Consequences for Exceeded Standards
Based on air quality data from 2021-23, Webb County, Hidalgo County, and Cameron County exceeded soot pollution standards. However, the three border counties will avoid consequences as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) cited “exceptional events” as the reason behind their high soot contamination levels.
Exceptional Events Described
On the agency’s website, exceptional events are defined as “unusual or naturally occurring events that affect air quality and are not reasonably controllable or preventable.” Examples of exceptional events include natural disasters, wildfires, dust storms, volcanic activity, or human activities that are unlikely to recur regularly and significantly impact air quality.
Cameron County leads the state in soot contamination, second only to Harris County, which includes Houston. Harris is home to the largest concentration of oil refineries and petrochemical plants in the country. Its population is more than 10 times larger than that of Cameron County, per Census data. Additionally, Harris County has a larger land area of approximately 1,707 square miles compared to Cameron County, which has a land area of about 891.7 square miles.
According to TCEQ, soot contamination cannot be properly addressed in the border community due to its location, hence the lack of consequences. The agency excused its results, citing international emissions coming from Mexico and Central America…