Petrochemical

Texas freeze led to release of tons of air pollutants as refineries shut

Sun, 2021-02-21 14:46 — mike kraft

Texas freeze led to release of tons of air pollutants as refineries shut The largest U.S. oil refiners released tons of air pollutants into the skies over Texas this week, according to figures provided to the state, as one environmental crisis triggered another. Laura Sanicola, Erwin Seba U.S.

NEW YORK/HOUSTON (Reuters) - The largest U.S. oil refiners released tons of air pollutants into the skies over Texas this week, according to figures provided to the state, as one environmental crisis triggered another.

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White House coronavirus adviser says vaccine companies plan to update shots to address variants

Thu, 2021-02-18 13:57 — mike kraft

White House coronavirus adviser official discusses plans by vaccine companies cope with COVID-19 variants

Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser on the coronavirus response, said vaccine-producing companies plan to update their shots to address variants of the virus.

During a Washington Post live interview Thursday, he said the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines “work well for” the most prominent variant spreading throughout the United States, which is the one first identified in Britain.

He said that while the vaccines appear less effective against the variants first identified in Brazil and South Africa, they do produce some antibodies.

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Biden takes sweeping steps to curb climate change, vows job creation

Wed, 2021-01-27 19:29 — mike kraft

Biden takes sweeping steps to curb climate change, vows job creation President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a new raft of executive actions to combat climate change, including pausing new oil and gas leases on federal land and cutting fossil fuel subsidies, as he pursues green policies he billed as a boon for job creation. Valerie Volcovici, Jeff Mason U.S.

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Coronavirus: few vaccines prevent infection – here’s why that’s not a problem

Tue, 2021-01-12 15:05 — mike kraft

Coronavirus: few vaccines prevent infection – here's why that's not a problem Sterilising immunity means that the immune system is able to completely prevent a virus from replicating in your body. Not all vaccines provide this. Sarah L Caddy The Conversation

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Health experts dispute conservatives’ claim that new study finds masks are ineffective

Sat, 2020-11-21 14:50 — mike kraft

Health experts dispute conservatives’ claim that new study finds masks are ineffective Mask-wearing has remained a hot-button political issue even as more states, including those with Republican governors who long resisted such measures, are adopting mask mandates following a rise in cases across the United States. Meryl Kornfield Washington Post

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US seeing unprecedented coronavirus spread, White House said

Fri, 2020-11-20 11:22 — mike kraft

US seeing unprecedented coronavirus spread, White House says The US is seeing the fastest spread yet of Covid-19, the White House Coronavirus Task Force said in its first public briefing in four months on Thursday. Maggie Fox, CNN CNN

(CNN) The United States is seeing the fastest spread yet of the coronavirus, the White House Coronavirus Task Force said in its first public briefing in four months on Thursday.

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Fire erupts at hurricane-hit Louisiana chemical plant

Thu, 2020-08-27 13:54 — mike kraft

Fire erupts at hurricane-hit Louisiana chemical plant Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards on Thursday asked residents in three southwestern communities to stay indoors with windows and doors shut as a plume rose from a chemical fire at a chlorine plant in an area hit by Hurricane Laura. Liz Hampton U.S.

(Reuters) - Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards on Thursday asked residents in three southwestern communities to stay indoors with windows and doors shut as a plume rose from a chemical fire at a chlorine plant in an area hit by Hurricane Laura.

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This oil spill is poised to become one of the biggest environmental disasters in the US

Sun, 2018-10-28 23:16 — Kathy Gilbeaux

An aerial image of an oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico, taken on April 28, 2018. (Handout photo by Oscar Garcia-Pineda, Water Mapping, LLC)

circa.com - by Julia Boccagno and The Associated Press - October 24, 2018

Millions of gallons of oil have been spewing into the Gulf of Mexico for more than 14 years, forming what is poised to become one of the worst environmental disasters in the United States, according the Gulf Restoration Network, which has been tracking the chronic leak.

"There has been an uptrend of the areas of the slick during the last two years," wrote Oscar Pineda-Garcia, who runs a company that maps oil spills and is an adjunct professor at Florida State University.

Environmental leaders suggest that the Taylor Energy Co. oil spill has dumped anywhere between 10,000 to 30,000 gallons of oil a day since 2004, when its platform collapsed during Hurricane Ivan.

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Texas, Refineries Urged to Plan Storm Shutdowns to Cut Pollution

Thu, 2018-08-16 09:31 — Kathy Gilbeaux

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of the Shell Deer Park Manufacturing Complex is seen in Deer Park, Texas, U.S. August 31, 2017. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File Photo

CLICK HERE - REPORT - Preparing for the Next Storm (33 page .PDF report)

reuters.com - by Timothy Gardner - August 16, 2018

Texas environment regulators should coordinate shutdowns of oil refineries and other petrochemical plants during major storms to avoid big releases of air pollution like during last year’s Hurricane Harvey, a report said on Thursday.

A year ago Harvey dumped more than 60 inches (1.5 meters) of rain on southeastern Texas, halting refineries that produce a quarter of U.S. fuel and damaging infrastructure.

Texas industry, including refineries and petrochemical plants, released an extra 8.3 million pounds (3.8 million kg) of air pollutants including cancer-causing benzene, during Harvey, said the report . . .

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12 years after Gulf Oil Platform Destroyed, Feds Start Investigating Environmental Damage

Sat, 2017-07-29 19:10 — Kathy Gilbeaux

nola.com - by Mark Schleifstein - July 28, 2017

Twelve years after Hurricane Ivan destroyed a Taylor Energy Co. platform in the Gulf of Mexico, the federal government has finally started investigating how oil and gas that is still leaking from its wells damages natural resources. The flow of oil, "if left unchecked, could continue for 100 years or more," says the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Interior Department agency that oversees gulf drilling.

Although the storm waylaid Taylor Energy's MC-20 Saratoga platform on Sept. 15, 2004, it was not until late 2016 that the government began its inquiry, and not until Thursday (July 27) that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed the investigation.

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