MOSSVILLE — Environmental activists are
cautiously optimistic about their chances of persuading the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency to apply more stringent emissions rules to chemical plants
that produce polyvinyl chloride.
On Sept. 28, the EPA announced that it
would reconsider its April ruling for the National Emission Standards
for Hazardous
Air Pollutants for Polyvinyl Chloride and Copolymers Production on
the basis of “petitioners’ claims that the public was not
afforded a reasonable opportunity to comment on emission limits in
the final rule for process vents, process wastewater and
stripped resin for major and area sources,” as stated in a letter
forwarded to Saint-Gobain (the company that owns CertainTeed
Polymer on Pete Manena Road in Westlake), PolyOne Corp., based in
Ohio, and the Vinyl Institute.
The government’s decision was in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of several environmental advocacy groups in Washington,
D.C., in June and a separate petition requesting another review of the standards.
Dorthy Felix, president of Mossville Environmental Action Now, applauded the government’s decision.
“This is a step forward for a better
national decision that will protect communities like Mossville. We hope
that EPA administrator
Lisa Jackson will be strong in her decision-making to consider
that PVC has, will and is destroying many lives in communities,”
she said.
MEAN joined with Earthjustice, Air
Alliance Houston, the Sierra Club and the Louisiana Environmental Action
Network in the
lawsuits and petition. The organizations have argued that the
standards set by the EPA to govern 17 vinyl-producing facilities
do not go far enough to limit emissions.
Activists from Mossville and Deer Park,
Texas, are the central players in the lawsuit and petition. Those
groups believe the
EPA rules allow CertainTeed in Westlake and OxyVinyl in Deer Park
to emit more toxic chemicals into the air than allowed at
other PVC plants.
“Just to have them reconsider is good for us. This is something that seems to be headed in our favor. When they collect data,
we hope they just don’t use information from CertainTeed,” Felix said.
Emma Cheuse, an attorney with Earthjustice, said members of the public need to communicate with the EPA and encourage it to
consider the health of Mossville residents.
“We are very hopeful, because of concerns raised, that EPA will do a much better job to protect communities,” she said.
She characterized the government’s decision to reconsider its ruling as “a win.”
What process the EPA will use during its time to reconsider its rules has not been announced.
“But we do expect the EPA to take time to re-evaluate. They will then issue a new ruling and take public comment on that,”
Cheuse said.