![A drone photo of the International Terminals Company fire in Deer Park, on March 18, 2019.](https://cdn.houstonpublicmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/25201444/20190318-DJI_0078-450x338.jpg)
Houston Matters
Fires that release chemicals are not among the factors under consideration for renewing chemical plant permits
Posted on · Air Alliance Houston's Jennifer Hadayia walks us through the permitting process for chemical plants.
Posted on · Air Alliance Houston's Jennifer Hadayia walks us through the permitting process for chemical plants.
Posted on · On Tuesday's show: Are some predominantly Black schools in HISD suspending more students than they need to? We learn more about a Houston Chronicle investigation. And we find out what a hurricane is like from the inside from NOAA's Hurricane Hunters.
Posted on · New analysis from the Texas Tribune found that benzene lingered in the air far longer than initially reported.
Posted on · Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, spent years negotiating with industry groups to get new regulations placed on the chemical industry after the ITC fire in 2019. The bill has passed both chambers, but small changes need to be ironed out before it is sent to Gov. Greg Abbott.
Posted on · On Friday's show: Lessons Houston has learned from our rash of chemical fires over the past few years, helping Black-owned restaurants survive the pandemic, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week, and The Voice contestant Zae Romeo.
Posted on · The Houston Ship Channel is the petrochemical capital of the country, but in one city, the state's environmental agency only has one air monitor. So, a group of clean-air advocates in east Harris County are taking matters into their own hands.
Posted on · One of the goals is to prevent industrial disasters from occurring in the first place by identifying potentially problematic facilities for additional inspections and oversight.
Posted on · The company and its former Crosby plant manager still face charges for reckless emission of air pollutants.
Posted on · Witnesses will take the stand this week in the criminal trial that centers around fires that broke out a Crosby chemical plant during Hurricane Harvey.
Posted on · The government overturned the rules in 2019, saying they were no longer “reasonable or practicable.”
Posted on · On Tuesday's Houston Matters: We examine the history of the Port Neches chemical plant where explosions and a fire occurred last week. An expert walks us through how the impending state takeover of the HISD board might work. A bug expert answers your questions. And we meet a local practitioner of the Haitian Vodou religion.
Posted on · In a complaint filed Thursday morning, Harris County accuses Exxon Mobil of “unauthorized emissions into the atmosphere,” saying multiple air pollutants including “propylene, LPG, propane, and associated products of combustion” were released.
Posted on · On Wednesday's Houston Matters: The latest on the fire at a Deer Park chemical facility, a discussion of the latest political news, Kashmere High School's new principal, and writer Bryan Washington.
Posted on · On Tuesday's Houston Matters: An update on the fire at a Deer Park chemical facility, details on how Proposition B will be implemented, and a discussion on lingering notions of the reasons behind the Civil War.
Posted on · On Monday's Houston Matters: The latest on the continuing fire at a Deer Park petrochemical facility, answers to your questions about Houston airports, exploring the city's Nigerian community, and the latest on local sports.