No FEAR Coalition
for immediate release
Contact: 240-731-9577
Green Circle
Contact: 607-591-0607
April 1, 2013
Gina McCarthy
What are you going to do about the dying community of Manchester?
Next week, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will preside over the confirmation hearing of Gina McCarthy, the Obama Administration's nominee to be the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator.
Communities of Color, such as the Latino neighborhood of Manchester in the east end of Houston, Texas, are asking what Ms. McCarthy, if confirmed, will do to protect them and their children from the ever expanding oil and petrochemical companies that are destroying their health and lives.
The Houston community of Manchester is a casebook example of a "sacrifice zone" and tragic example of environmental racism; a community that corporations believe is disposable and its people insignificant. Tragically, Manchester has been selected by industry to be a fertile area for refineries, incinerators, plants and storage facilities may adversely impact on the health and well-being of the residents. Surrounding the community is the Valero refinery, a trash incinerator, Rhodia chemical plant, Goodyear Tire plant, Texas Petro-Chemical Group plant, Lyondell Basell refinery and Westway liquid storage terminals (massive tanks). Adding insult to the already overburdened people is a car crushing facility, 17 railway crossings, a major highway with industrial trucks inundating the community 24 hours a day 365 days a year to and from the Houston Ship Channel
Manchester is also a primary target for tar sands refining on the Gulf Coast based on projects and contracts of two of the major players located there. In March 2013, Lyondell Basell's CEO announced that the Houston refinery was nearly finished with an additional $50 million project planned to allow them to increase their tar sands refining capacity to 175,000 barrels a day. Valero has contract rights with TransCanada that allow them to purchase up to three-quarters of the capacity of Keystone XL. These are admittedly in preparation for the Keystone Oil Pipeline XL, that it is estimated would allow them to refine approximately a quarter of the pipeline's capacity.
EPA has a history of failing to process environmental complaints filed by communities under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act against those who receive Federal funds. While this may not be applicable to these companies, the 1990 Clean Air Act amendment provided standards for roughly 160 hazardous air pollutants, all of which must be strictly regulated by industrial emitters.
So, Ms. McCarthy, the community of Manchester wants to know what you are going to do to help them fight the loss of their health and possibly their lives because they are deemed disposable.
Ms. McCarthy, a horrible situation is about to get worse.
EPA whistle blowers are standing in solidarity with the community of Manchester.
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nofearcoalition@aol.com
Find me at about.me/marshacolemanadebayo,
Find me at about.me/marshacolemanadebayo,
Author, No FEAR: A Whistleblower's Triumph over Corruption and Retaliation at the EPA - www.amazon.com
