As Hurricane Laura bore down on the Gulf Coast in August of 2020, refineries and chemical plants began releasing massive amounts of pollution ahead of the storm — and that was before facilities failed to withstand the storm, causing even more pollution. All told, Grist reports, Texas facilities released an additional 340 tons of pollution because of Hurricane Laura, an amount that does not include the pollution released from a chemical plant fire across the border near Lake Charles, Louisiana. The pollution released by Texas facilities’ as a result of Hurricane Laura, is nearly as much as the toxic load carried by the train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in early February, is part of a larger pattern. Since 2002, Gulf Coast companies have released 550,000 tons of pollution beyond their permits. (Grist; Climate Signals background: 2020 Atlantic hurricane season)
