In February 2021, extreme cold swept across the U.S, brought on by winter storm Uri. This heavily impacted the country's energy sector, particularly in Texas where millions of people faced power outages. These conditions also impacted Texas' refineries and petrochemical plants as supplies needed to run them were disrupted. As these facilities shut down, gases were flared - or burned off - to prevent damage to their processing units. This released thousands of tons of pollutants into the skies over Texas, including carbon monoxide and benzene. The five largest refiners in the state emitted more than 300,000 pounds of pollutants, with 14,255 pounds released by Motiva's Port Arthur refinery in less than five hours on Monday 15, February.
Air pollutants released in Texas by the largest U.S. oil refiners during storm Uri in February 2021*
(in pounds)
*Preliminary data supplied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
**Motiva’s Port Arthur refinery emissions from Monday 15 to Thursday 18, February 2021
***Marathon Petroleum Corp's MPC.N Galveston Bay Refinery emissions on Monday 15 over a period of less than five hours.
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Reuters. (February 21, 2021). Air pollutants released in Texas by the largest U.S. oil refiners during storm Uri in February 2021* (in pounds) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 03, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1211853/air-pollutants-released-in-texas-refineries/
Reuters. "Air pollutants released in Texas by the largest U.S. oil refiners during storm Uri in February 2021* (in pounds)." Chart. February 21, 2021. Statista. Accessed December 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1211853/air-pollutants-released-in-texas-refineries/
Reuters. (2021). Air pollutants released in Texas by the largest U.S. oil refiners during storm Uri in February 2021* (in pounds). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 03, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1211853/air-pollutants-released-in-texas-refineries/
Reuters. "Air Pollutants Released in Texas by The Largest U.S. Oil Refiners during Storm Uri in February 2021* (in Pounds)." Statista, Statista Inc., 21 Feb 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1211853/air-pollutants-released-in-texas-refineries/
Reuters, Air pollutants released in Texas by the largest U.S. oil refiners during storm Uri in February 2021* (in pounds) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1211853/air-pollutants-released-in-texas-refineries/ (last visited December 03, 2024)
Air pollutants released in Texas by the largest U.S. oil refiners during storm Uri in February 2021* (in pounds) [Graph], Reuters, February 21, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1211853/air-pollutants-released-in-texas-refineries/
