A new study and documentary from Texas Southern University’s Robert D. Bullard Center report a rise in proposed petrochemical projects in neighborhoods that already have heavy industrial activity. The research shows that dozens of new or expanded plants could increase pollution, health risks, and safety hazards in low-income and majority-nonwhite communities.
Report and film released by TSU center
Last Wednesday, the Bullard Center released “Green Light to Pollute in Texas,” a sweeping analysis that charts 89 proposed or expanding petrochemical facilities across five regions and uses EPA EJScreen tools to gauge local exposure, as reported by Bullard Center. The team looked at particulate matter, toxic air releases and how close residents live to high-risk Risk Management Plan facilities within three-mile buffers around each site. The authors say the pattern echoes decades of siting major industry next to communities with the least power to fight back.
“This is not progress. It’s a policy regression,” Dr. Robert D. Bullard said in the center’s statement, describing the buildout as a continuation of long-running environmental injustice, according to Bullard Center. Bullard, often called the father of environmental justice, warned that fast-track permitting combined with weaker federal oversight leaves fenceline communities more vulnerable to both routine pollution and industrial accidents.
What the analysis shows
The report and its documentary find that nine out of ten proposed projects are in counties with above-average shares of people of color or families in poverty, and nearly half are located in neighborhoods ranked among the worst 10% in the nation for toxic air releases, as noted by CW39. Researchers also found that 93% of the new or expanding sites sit next to other facilities covered by federal Risk Management Plans, a setup that can amplify evacuation and shelter-in-place risks for nearby residents. A large share of this buildout is clustered in Greater Houston and along Jefferson County’s Port Arthur and Beaumont industrial corridor.
Chemical incidents and the broader pattern
Advocacy groups tracking chemical accidents say the scenario flagged in the report is not hypothetical. Fires, explosions and toxic releases already occur regularly at U.S. petrochemical plants, and trackers place Texas among the states with the highest number of reported incidents, as mentioned by Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters. Those events can trigger mass evacuations, shelter-in-place orders and spikes in emergency-room visits, harms the Bullard Center warns would only grow if more facilities are packed into populated neighborhoods. Community and public-health groups argue that clustering raises both everyday pollution levels and the odds of a catastrophic incident for people living nearby.
Community reaction and next steps
Residents and organizers featured in the film are pushing for a halt on new permits, tougher reviews for projects already in the pipeline and investments in clean jobs and infrastructure, as per CW39. Advocates say the new maps and data bolster long-standing calls for stronger chemical-safety rules and for permit decisions that put public health ahead of rapid industrial expansion. Local officials and regulators now face renewed scrutiny over how any future approvals will shield fenceline communities…