How harmful was that black smoke from the Shell Deer Park fire? Experts weigh in. - Houston Chronicle
Shell Deer Park fire: Experts warn of health concerns from black smoke
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Fire at the Shell Chemical Deer Park Complex on Friday, May 5, 2023 in Deer Park. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer Show More Show Less Fire at the Shell Chemical refinery on Friday, May 5, 2023 in Deer Park. Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer
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As a prolonged fire at a Shell petrochemical plant in Deer Park sent thick black smoke into the Houston-area sky over the weekend, company and state representatives repeatedly said the event posed “no danger to the nearby community.”
Local residents, advocates and experts remain wary, citing extensive emissions events and environmental violations from Shell and other Deer Park operators.
Related Knowledge Center: Air emissions
More than 30 years after the last major update of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has upended the ability of Congress to give the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies broad scope to combat air pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, further Biden administration efforts to limit emissions face opposition in the courts.