Representative Jayapal, alongside Senator Whitehouse, conducted a tour of Port Arthur, Texas, to observe the impact of the fossil fuel industry and Bitcoin mines on the predominantly Black and Latino community. The visit included stops at the Valero and Motiva facilities, as well as the Golden Pass, Sabine Pass, and Sempra LNG terminals. The tour highlighted the proximity of toxic facilities to residential neighborhoods, schools, and parks, and noted the significant pollution issues, including three EPA violations at the TotalEnergies Refinery over the past five years. The community's situation was described as being on the frontlines of the climate crisis and living in a 'sacrifice zone' for the oil and gas industry. Additionally, the visit to Port Neches revealed the distressing closeness of massive industrial plants to areas where children and families live and play.
Yesterday, I visited Port Arthur, Texas with @SenWhitehouse and saw the devastating effects that fossil fuel plants can have on a community. These refineries and LNG facilities are everywhere, polluting the air and water and making entire neighborhoods essentially unlivable. https://t.co/IjHddFM3bu
NEW: Serial entrepreneur in Texas explains his #Bitcoin mining business to his startup audience 👀 https://t.co/QZQsVlWsXB
Lastly, we visited Port Neches. Along the way, we saw schools, parks, and homes along the fence lines of massive industrial plants. The proximity of these locations, where children and families live and play, to enormous polluters was striking and incredibly disheartening. https://t.co/YpkU8PAvhT
Next, we drove through one of Port Arthur’s main roads, passing neighborhoods that are just blocks from some of the most toxic facilities in the entire United States. We also saw the TotalEnergies Refinery, which has been subject to three EPA violations in the last five years! https://t.co/BSs5lsOuWD
Our second stop was the Golden Pass, Sabine Pass, and Sempra LNG terminals, where we learned about the impact of new and existing LNG export terminals in Port Arthur and the harm they do to the surrounding communities. https://t.co/X1cqicxCmA
Some good pointers by @MiningHope: "Hosted Bitcoin Mining, an Introduction" https://t.co/2Ke3luHCOT
While in Port Arthur, we had the opportunity to visit the Valero and Motiva facilities, where we learned about the history of Port Arthur and how the community has essentially become a sacrifice zone for the oil and gas industry. https://t.co/aNFv1e28Pd
Today, I’m touring multiple toxic sites with @SenWhitehouse in Port Arthur, Texas — a predominantly Black and Latino community with a high concentration of fossil fuel plants, putting them on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
A Texas Town's Misery Underscores the Impact of Bitcoin Mines (@andrewrchow - @TIME) https://t.co/vPnqlxMcY2