Houston Refinery

For updates on planned tests or maintenance, as well as emergency information about the Houston Refinery, please download the Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER) Online App or visit ehcma.org/caeronline.

What is Benzene Fenceline Monitoring and why is Valero doing it?
EPA regulations require that refineries maintain a network of samplers along the property boundary to monitor for benzene emissions, if any, that come from offsite or onsite sources. 

Our Valero Houston refinery is equipped with 17 stationary sampling locations positioned around our entire perimeter (refer to the Benzene Fenceline Monitoring section above).

What is Benzene?
Benzene is a clear liquid that has a sweet odor and evaporates into the air very quickly. Benzene is formed from both natural processes and human activities and is a key building block used as a starting material in the production of several important products including: petroleum-based products (fuel oils, plastics, rubber, synthetic fiber), pharmaceuticals, detergents, and more.

How often is Valero monitoring the Fenceline?
Through the Benzene Fenceline Monitoring Program, each sampler along the fenceline is continually collecting benzene concentrations. After each sampling period concludes (approximately every 14 days), the sorbent tube samples are retrieved and analyzed in an independent third-party laboratory where an average concentration for each sample is determined.

How often is the Fenceline Monitoring Data being shared?
Valero has been monitoring its fenceline for benzene in accordance with EPA Regulations since 2019.  Results are available publicly on EPA’s website.  Valero is also sharing its results on this website on a more frequent basis to provide quicker access to the results by the community.

Will the fenceline results ever show zero emission readings or a “0.0 µg/m3” value?
It is not likely that the results of air monitoring for benzene will ever show a ‘zero’ value because low levels of benzene can be found in outdoor air as a result of gas stations, motor vehicle exhaust, proximity to highways and the burning of coal and oil. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), indoor air generally contains levels of benzene higher than outdoor air. The benzene in indoor air comes from products that contain benzene such as glues, paints, furniture wax and detergents as well as cigarette smoke. 

Why is Valero providing links to the TCEQ and Harris County community monitors on its Website?
Valero has added web browser links to these agency websites to help community members conveniently and quickly access real-time monitoring data that is being collected in our community by these two agencies.

Who can I speak to if I have questions or comments?
Sara Montelongo-Oyervidez
Manager Refinery Public Affairs
Valero Houston Refinery
751 95th St. Houston, TX 77012
(713) 923-3467
Sara.Montelongo-Oyervidez@Valero.com

Houston in the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States, with a population of more than 2.2 million. It covers 637.4 square miles near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The city has a mix of arts, business, sports and medical organizations.

• Theater and the arts
• Museum district
• Houston Botanic Garden
• Houston Zoo
• Downtown Aquarium
• Live music concerts
• Professional sports teams
• Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
• Several outdoor water parks and public parks
• Wineries and breweries
• Texas Renaissance Festival

Houston summers offer an extended season of warmth and brightness for sunshine lovers, perfect for outdoor activities and fun. The winters, while brief, provide a cool and relaxing atmosphere. Temperatures typically vary from 46°F to 98°F throughout the year.

•    Basketball – Houston Rockets
•    Baseball – Houston Astros
•    Football – Houston Texans 
•    Soccer – Houston Dynamo

•    Galveston: 50 miles
•    Austin: 165 miles
•    San Antonio: 196 miles
•    Dallas: 241 miles
 

•    Visit Houston https://www.visithoustontexas.com/
•    City of Houston https://www.houstontx.gov/
•    Public Schools https://www.houstontx.gov/abouthouston/education.html
•    Holocaust Museum https://www.hmh.org/
•    Houston Magazine https://www.houstoniamag.com/
•    Downtown Magazine https://www.downtownhouston.org/news/downtown-magazine/
•    List of Chambers of Commerce https://leadoptimize.com/2018/08/31/chambers-of-commerce-in-houston-area/ 
•    Texas Medical Center https://www.tmc.edu/
•    Houston Rodeo https://www.rodeohouston.com/
 

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Emergency Notifications

For updates on planned tests or maintenance, as well as emergency information about the Houston Refinery, please download the Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER) Online App or visit ehcma.org/caeronline.