Natalie Weber/Houston Public Media
Dozens of residents called on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) at a public hearing Thursday to shut down the WA Parish Power Plant in Fort Bend County.
In addition to the four coal units, the WA Parish plant also includes four natural gas units.
NRG Energy, which owns the Houston-area power plant, is seeking renewal of a federal Title V permit that would allow it to continue operating both coal and natural gas power plants on the site for another five years.
The factory has been the subject of opposition from environmentalists and local residents for several years. They cite Rice University. study It is estimated that this plant is responsible for approximately 178 premature deaths each year. Most of the deaths were related to PM2.5a type of particulate matter that has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and stroke.
Haley Schultz, an organizer with the advocacy group Public Citizen, has lived in Fort Bend County all her life. She talked about growing up using an inhaler, frequently suffering from sore throats, and recently experiencing costochondritis, which causes burning pain in the chest.
“I didn’t know this plant existed until about two years ago, but my body knew it existed,” she said in public comment.


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NRG said it complies with state and federal regulations and that the plant provides nearly 5% of its on-demand energy sources to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the state’s power grid. Ta. It’s not immediately clear how much of that energy is provided by coal and how much is produced by natural gas.
Roger Morgan, vice president of plant operations for NRG’s southern region, compared permits to speed limit signs, regulations that have serious consequences if violated. He said the factory is complying with permit requirements.
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“We are operating in good faith under the permit,” he told Houston Public Media in an interview after the meeting.
Morgan, who previously worked at a power plant in Washington Parish and whose son now works there, said the plant is a safe working environment.
“We want to be good stewards of the environment and good stewards of our communities,” he said. “We want to make sure our community is safe at all times.”


Natalie Weber/Houston Public Media
The meeting began with a question and answer session, followed by about an hour of public comment. Speakers cited health concerns about the factory and called for monitoring of air quality at the site. Some said the rally was not well advertised and expressed frustration at the sparse turnout.
Fort Bend Environment Vice Chair Veronica Piña worked for many years as a mechanical engineer in oil and gas, but left as hydraulic fracturing became more popular.
“While it was extremely difficult for me to give up a lucrative career, my personal choice to look away is to avoid fossil fuel projects that pollute the planet, harm wildlife, and impact human health. We will not allow this to continue to be blatantly ignored,” Piña said in public. comment.
Piña said she learned about the health effects of the pollution that affected her friends and neighbors.
“We hope that NRG (and) the diocese will transition to green renewable energy,” Piña said. “Environmental justice has been violated in Fort Bend County for many years.”
After one speaker continued to comment past the time limit, TCEQ cut off his microphone and threatened to use security, sparking frustration among some in the audience.
TCEQ will consider public comments before making a decision. Title V permits are also reviewed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.