Official Comment on Valero Permit O4898
Re: Fenceline Watch COMMENT ON TCEQ FEDERAL OPERATING PERMIT O4898 VALERO REFINING - TEXAS, L.P., O4894, APPLICATION NO. 39767
Valero Refining, Texas, L.P. applied for a permit renewal in 2026. This renewal was submitted months after the facility missed its initial deadline, yet the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has continued to allow Valero to operate. As one of more than 12,000 facilities regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Management Program (RMP), Valero Refining should adhere more strictly to its operating standards.
This facility, located in the community of Manchester in Houston, Texas, sits within a neighborhood and is adjacent to Hartman Park, where community events, youth after-school and summer programs, activities for senior residents, sporting events, and public community meetings are held. For decades, community members have been subject to the carcinogenic pollution this petrochemical facility has emitted into the surrounding air.
RMP facilities nationwide need regulations that prioritize community protection. As community members, we have a right-to-know the risks these facilities present and to understand the impact of the Risk Management Program rollbacks on communities.
Some highlights (read our full comment):
