What is the City of Houston currently doing about this problem?
In addition to the routine oversight and enforcement of air pollution sources conducted by the City’s Bureau of Air Quality Control, over the past 12 to 18 months, the City of Houston has initiated specific actions to address 1,3-butadiene and benzene air pollution problems through many avenues including: Negotiations of emission reductions with specific facilities emitting 1,3-butadiene: The City entered into an emission reduction agreement with the facility that emits the highest quantity of 1,3-butadiene emissions in the City so that reductions of emissions are quantified and verified;. Air monitoring and data surveillance of these pollutants has been increased: The Milby Park canister monitor was upgraded to an automatic gas chromatograph so that near real time hourly data are available. The data are routinely reviewed for spikes and trends. A mobile air pollution monitor and laboratory is slated to be online in May to quantify impacts from specific 1,3-butadiene and benzene source
