New Study Reveals Environmental Justice Crisis: 90% of Proposed Texas Petrochemical Plants Target Communities of Color and Low-Income Areas

A groundbreaking study from Texas Southern University’s Bullard Center has exposed a troubling pattern in the planned expansion of Texas’s petrochemical industry. Researchers analyzed demographic data surrounding 114 proposed industrial projects related to oil and gas operations across the state—most focused on plastics production—and discovered that approximately 90% are slated for counties with significantly higher concentrations of people of color and families living in poverty compared to statewide averages.

The Houston-based research team’s findings, released this month, highlight a stark example of environmental injustice that could have far-reaching consequences for vulnerable communities. These proposed facilities, nearly 100 in total, would bring increased air pollution, industrial traffic, and potential health risks to areas already bearing a disproportionate environmental burden.

The study’s timing is particularly significant as Texas continues to position itself as a major hub for petrochemical expansion, driven by abundant natural gas supplies from shale drilling. However, the research suggests that the economic benefits of this industrial growth may not be equally distributed, while the environmental and health costs fall primarily on communities with the least political and economic power to resist.

This pattern reflects a broader national trend where industrial polluters disproportionately impact minority and low-income communities. The findings provide crucial data for environmental justice advocates and policymakers working to ensure fair treatment in the siting of industrial facilities and the enforcement of environmental regulations. As these projects move through the permitting process, the study serves as an important tool for understanding and addressing the unequal distribution of environmental risks in America’s energy landscape.