Emission Intensities of Weather-Caused Industrial Upsets in Texas Exceed Other Causes and Have Increased

At industrial operations,
nonroutine emissions events or “upsets”
occur irregularly yet frequently. While upset emissions present a
substantial health concern, little research exists comprehensively
characterizing their root causes, which is necessary to inform effective
prevention and mitigation measures. Weather can trigger upsets and
poses well-known risks to industrial operations that are expected
to worsen with climate change. In this study, we characterize weather-related
upset emissions from 2003 to 2023 in the state of Texas. Weather was
a major cause of upsets, accounting for 12% of all upset emissions.
Emissions per upset were greater for weather-related upsets compared
with other causes and increased. Weather-related upsets caused emissions
with a median magnitude that was 1.8 times greater compared with emissions
from upsets that were not related to weather. Median emissions per
upset increased by 187% and 131% for weather-related and nonweather-related
upsets, respectively. Thunderstorms, winter storms, hurricanes, and
power outages were among the top causes of weather-related upset emissions.
Our results indicate that while weather-related upsets continue to
present a substantial public health risk in Texas, many weather-related
upsets may be prevented. We conclude by discussing specific strategies
that our findings indicate could help to prevent or mitigate weather-related
upset emissions.