Slow And Upbeat EPA Response To Hurricane Harvey Pollution Angers Residents
Hurricane Harvey caused industrial facilities to release an extra 5.98 million pounds of air pollution. Some people who live and work near the plants are frustrated with the federal response.
Juan Flores and his family live in Galena Park, Texas, which is bordered on three sides by pipeline terminals, oil refineries, fertilizer plants and rail yards.
Flores has lived in the town of about 11,000 people just east of downtown Houston since he was 4 years old. For a while, he even served on the city council.
After all these years, he's accustomed to the rhythms of life among the industrial plants. Strange smells and occasional warnings to shelter in place don't bother him too much. "I live so close to [one] company that I can hear their alarms," he says. "The thing is, you hear it so much you get immune to it, and it's like background noise."
But there are also times when he takes notice. "If I smell something out here, it's
