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Power outages, system failures, and shutdowns at industrial plants in Texas during February’s winter storm led to millions of pounds of pollution. Between February 11 and 15, 2021, almost 200 facilities throughout the state reported excess toxic chemicals released into the air.
Preliminary reports are showing an estimated 3.5 million pounds of excess pollutants released in this event, with 703,000 pounds released in the Houston-area alone.
This is a reoccurring problem when natural disasters hit Texas because plants burn or release gases during shutdowns to prevent damage to processing units.