A picture of PEW poll on global attitude survey, saying the % who rate the morality and ethics of people in their country as good vs bad, where the US has the worst rankings and Canada the best
Americans: we live in a fallen state—embroiled by sin, cheating, lying, and evil. You cannot trust anyone, not even those who claim to know you best
Canadians: I love my neighbors and my friends!
Oksana saw her children suffer at Dilley for roughly 4.5 months. She said they found worms in their food. Her 4-year-old asked if they were in jail because they were bad people.
But Oksana said the release process was one of the worst experiences yet.
Dow asks Texas to legalize plastic pollution from its plant - Texas Tribune www.texastribune.org/2026/03/02/t...
A recent Marshall Project investigation revealed that state child welfare agencies shared allegations of pregnancy substance use with law enforcement more than 70,000 times over six years. Use these tools to explore the data and policies in your state.
www.themarshallproject.org/2026/02/18/p...
In 2025, Trump’s deportation operation skyrocketed gun industry sales. Weapon manufacturers received a record $120.7 million through DHS contracts, according to government records reviewed by The Trace.
The windfall comes as immigration agents face scrutiny for their tactics: thetr.ac/dptey
Public comment period open until Feb. 11 on new chemical plastics recycling plant in East TX The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is accepting comments until at least Feb. 11 on a draft air permit proposed for a new chemical recycling plant at Eastman Chemical's petrochemical complex in Longview. The plant would use a process called methanolysis to break down polyesters into their molecular building blocks and produce "recycled" PET plastics.
Public comment period open until Feb. 11 on new chemical plastics recycling plant in East TX
oilandgaswatch.org/alert/rec_d5...
ICE budget set to triple to $30 billion in 2026. Trump request: $11 billion, plus estimated $19 billion from reconciliation bill. The red line chart shows gradual increase in the ICE budget from 2016 to 2025, before skyrocketing to a projected $30 billion in 2026. 2026 estimate based on Trump's budget request and White House documents stating that 25% of reconciliation homeland security funding is for 2026.
Most of this year's ICE budget comes from last year's reconciliation bill. House Democratic leaders discouraged its members from offering amendments eliminating that funding. Didn't want the party to come across as anti-ICE.
www.stephensemler.com/p/ice-budget...
The Trump administration determined Colorado cannot order the closure of heavily polluting coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act. "You do not have to shut these down to ensure the people in Colorado have clean air," the EPA's Region 8 administrator tells @thenoellephillips.bsky.social
Read the full, interactive feature from @publichealthwatch.bsky.social. Reported by me, Jim Morris and Savanna Strott with original illustrations by Andy Morris-Ruiz.
publichealthwatch.org/2025/12/30/t...
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An illustration of three people silhouetted in an orange car driving toward a chemical plant.
A pull quote from Ellen Buchanan, member of Sierra Club's Golden Triangle Group: "We continue to pay, and they're making billions."
Three friends, all septuagenarians in Jefferson County, are making their voices heard in the permitting process. Terry Stelly, president of Southeast Texas Clean Air and Water, has been advocating for environmental protections for the region since the 70s. 14/15
A pull quote from Michael Esealuka, Petrochemical Coordinator with Break Free From Plastics: "Sometimes, the companies and the agencies are expecting that there won't be a fight, and when there is one, we've seen change happen."
A portrait of Genesis Granados, Environmental Justice Program Senior Manager with Air Alliance Houston.
Organizations like @airalliancehou.bsky.social have been filling the gap in the state’s complex air permitting process. It created Air Mail, an interactive map of pending applications and renewals in the state, and has been mobilizing communities near petrochemical plants. 13/15
An illustration of a woman with her head in her arms surrounded by piles of paper.
These new plants and expansions are likely to be approved. A @pubhealthwatch analysis found that in the past 25 years, the state regulatory agency @TCEQ has not denied any new major sources of air pollution, and less than 0.5% of permit amendments and renewals. 12/15
An illustration of planet earth with smoke coming out of cracks in the surface.
A dot plot entitled, "Texas leads the nation in industrial releases of greenhouse gases." The plot shows states by total emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent from stationary sources. Texas leads the rest of the country by far with 380 million metric tons. The next state is Louisiana with 144 million metric tons. The rest are clustered around and below 100 million.
Petrochemical buildout in Texas could have significant climate consequences. Just 12 of the new projects are permitted to release as much greenhouse gases as 41 natural-gas fired power plants, according to data from Oil & Gas Watch. 11/15
An illustration of a silhouetted chemical plant with a large column of fire and smoke in the background.
Petrochemical plants handle extremely explosive and toxic chemicals, making them potential hazards for the surrounding communities. The TPC Group, which expanded Houston operations in 2024, faced a federal lawsuit after its Port Neches location blew up in 2019. 10/15
Pull quote from Augustin Loredo III, Vice President of the West Baytown Civic Association: "I'm not against Exxon. Exon has provided a good living for a lot of people. I just wish they were cleaner and more self-aware."
An illustration of the Baytown Olefins steam-cracking furnace.
Exxon Mobil’s Baytown petrochemical complex — four times the size of Central Park — is expanding for a third time. Its olefins plant has reported ~240 unplanned releases of air pollution. Residents describe living next to the “eight-headed dragon.” 9/15
An illustration of miscellaneous plastic waste in the shape of Texas.
A pull quote from Mike Belliveau, Founder of Bend the Curve: "The industry is panicked. All the industry pundits say this is not a normal cycle."
Independent analysts and nonprofit advocacy groups believe the expansion doesn’t make economic sense anymore, saying the markets for some petrochemicals, like ethylene, are softening. 9 ethane crackers, which manufacture ethylene, are planned to expand or be built in Texas. 8/15
A pull quote from Jeff Branick: "I will tell you that the industry as it existed when I was a little boy is probably not something I would be in favor of today. The air was palpable, the smell was ever present, the water was polluted."
An illustrated portrait of Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick.
Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick shares why he believes petrochemical development is good for his county, home to several of the nation's largest oil refineries and busiest ports. The industry provides critical goods for the US and thousands of jobs to his constituents. 7/15
A purple/grey illustration of a storm cloud with lightning.
A scatterplot entitled, "Texas petrochemical projects concentrated in communities of color." The chart shows petrochemical expansion and new construction air permits from 2011-2025. Time is on the x-axis, and percent of people of color within 3 miles is on the y-axis. The chart shows that the vast majority of permit applications are in communities above the US average. They are shaded in purple in the top two-thirds of the chart.
Charlton-Pollard is one of many communities of color impacted by petrochemical growth. A report from
@bullardcenter.bsky.social found that 90% of the planned projects are in communities with more people of color or people living in poverty — or both — than national and state averages. 6/15
A satellite image of northeastern Charlton-Pollard. A lot the size of 18 football fields was paved this year, now just two blocks away from Charlton-Pollard Elementary School and across the street from a 97-year old church.
An illustration of Chris Jones, president of the Charlton-Pollard Historical Neighborhood Association.
Chris Jones’ historic Black neighborhood Charlton-Pollard could be impacted by the proposed Nederland ethane cracker. After decades of disinvestment, pollution and the encroaching industrial footprint, he fears the neighborhood’s rich history is on the verge of extinction. 5/15
An illustration of an ethylene molecule, comprised of 2 carbon and 4 hydrogen atoms.
A scatterplot entitled, "Energy Transfer project an outlier for ozone precursors." The x-axis shows permitted tons per year of nitrogen oxides, and the y-axis shows permitted tons per year of volatile organic compounds. Dozens of dots representing petrochemical expansions and new constructions are clustered in the bottom left corner of the chart, under 500 tons of VOCs and 200 tons of NOx. A handful of projects extend further, but Energy Transfer's projects is in the far right corner far from any other projects. Its permitted limits are 1,615 tons of VOCs and 950 tons of NOx. Permit data from Oil & Gas Watch. Energy Transfer's data comes from the revised air quality analysis.
A new ethane-cracking plant proposed in Nederland could be one of the largest petrochemical sources of ozone precursors in the state. It’s just outside a city of ~18,500 people and a few miles from 15 schools. Pollution could reach residents up to 17 miles away. 4/15
A multi-line chart entitled, "Ozone levels worsening in Harris and Jefferson counties." The chart shows 8-hour ozone concentrations in the two counties from 2009-2024. Both lines have been trending downward until about 2021/2022 when they head in the wrong direction. Harris is almost 15 ppm above the ozone standard. Jefferson County is 4 below, but its Nederland Monitor shows levels 1ppm below the threshold.
An illustration of a set of lungs, one is filled with grey smoke. A pipe extends from the lungs and is billowing smoke.
One potential impact of all of this development: worsening fine-particle and smog-forming ozone pollution. The county already exceeds national standards for PM2.5 levels, and one air monitor is just shy of violating the ozone standard. 3/15
An illustration of a collection of 6 houses surrounded by blueprints of 3 different chemical plants.
A locator map of Jefferson County, in Southeast Texas. Beaumont is in the far north, below is Nederland, and on the Gulf Coast is Port Arthur. Petrochemical projects are distributed throughout, with a cluster of projects between Beaumont and Nederland, and in West Port Arthur.
Jefferson County in far southeastern Texas, home to the heavily industrialized cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur, is a hub of petrochemical activity. 7 new plants and 5 expansions are planned or announced, according to data from @oilandgaswatch.bsky.social. 2/15
A collection of 13 illustrations depicting each of the scenes from petrochemical expansion. Among them are a globe, lungs filled with smoke, a plant explosion, and several portraits. Color palette is browns, greys, oranges and greens.
Dozens of petrochemical plants are being built and expanded in Texas, which could worsen pollution in overburdened neighborhoods and exacerbate climate change.
Here are 13 scenes chronicling the newest fossil-fuel infrastructure boom, from @pubhealthwatch.bsky.social ➡️ tinyurl.com/txpetchem
1/15
Particulate pollution in the air down a whopping 22% in NYC’s congestion pricing zone.
Not only are the streets less congested, but so are our lungs.
e360.yale.edu/digest/new-y...
Meanwhile on TruthSocial…
The President appears to call for the cancelation of green cards and denaturalization of large numbers of non-white people who came to the US legally, based on ideological and religious tests like being “non-compatible with Western civilization”
Here’s a prayer for Thanksgiving Day… or any day. From our book Common Prayer. You can find it and others here:
CommonPrayer.net
NEW: ICE remains mum regarding prosecutor exposed as white supremacist.
"They want to signal to the other white supremacists...out there that under this administration things are going to be different and you’re not going to have to worry about losing your job"
www.texasobserver.org/ice-white-su...
A mom in Houston reported her 15-year-old son with autism missing. She spent 6 days terrified, searching for him. The whole time, Houston police knew exactly where he was since they helped ICE place him in a refugee facility.
This is beyond cruel.
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Read the full story from David Leffler:
publichealthwatch.org/2025/10/09/t...
