Air‑quality advocates urge tougher conditions for Valero Houston refinery permit

Advocates from Air Alliance Houston asked the City Council to join the community at an Oct. 1 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) public meeting and to press state regulators to strengthen the Valero refinery’s federal air permit.

"The Valero Houston Refinery on Manchester Street in District I is up for its federal air permit," Reem Tariq told the council. She said the facility is permitted to emit more than 1,000 tons of volatile organic compounds a year and alleged the refinery released "more than 46 tons of unauthorized pollution, most of which was benzene" since 2019. Benzene is a known carcinogen, she said.

Tariq also noted the refinery’s proximity to community assets: "More than 7,500 households, 10 schools, and 12 parks sit within the 2‑mile radius of this facility," she said, and urged councilmembers, particularly representatives of nearby districts, to attend the TCEQ meeting at Hartman Park Community Center.

City staff did not propose a related motion or vote during the meeting; the public comment was recorded for council consideration and to alert local officials to the scheduled TCEQ event.