Receding Floodwaters in Houston Expose Long-Term Health Risk
- Scores of wastewater, sewage discharges reported since storm
- Air monitoring reveals benzene plume near Houston refinery
Inside Houston's Post-Harvey Rebuilding Plans
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Benzene churns through Houston’s economy. The clear, sweet-smelling chemical is found in the crude oil processed in the region’s refineries and is used to make plastic, pesticides and other products.
It’s also a carcinogen with cancer-causing properties, illustrating the risks that will linger for southeast Texas long after the floodwaters of Harvey have receded. Thousands of homes were submerged in murky water that may have been tainted with benzene and other runoff from an area that boasts the nation’s largest concentration of refineries and petrochemical plants.