CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Residents from Robstown and Calallen traveled to Austin to oppose a proposed ammonia plant, as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality held the first day of a three-day hearing to determine the future of the Nueces Green Ammonia Plant.
The plant is proposed to be built at FM 1889 and County Road 46. Some homes in the area sit about 130 feet from the proposed site.
During Monday's testimony, a TCEQ representative presented the agency's findings on the project. The state agency found the project could have moderate to high potential risk for odors and other nuisances, and gave it a moderate hazard rating.
Opponents' expert Tim Doty challenged TCEQ's hazard assessment, arguing the agency significantly underestimated the risk posed by the facility. He also pointed out that the regional site review's nuisance rating was internally inconsistent, with both "moderate" and "high" checked — a dual marking he described as confusing and unclear.
"I think the TCEQ completely missed the boat here. I don't think there's any way… that somebody with an impartial view that had knowledge about constituents that are going to be handled in this facility could assume that this is going to be a moderate impact when in fact ammonia is a known lethal compound," Doty said.
Doty based his assessment on the combination of ammonia's lethal properties and the extreme proximity of homes, which he said sit just 130 to 200 feet from the proposed site. He also noted a practical concern about TCEQ's response times: while health-effect complaints receive a response within hours, pure odor complaints can take up to 30 days — meaning that by the time investigators arrive, the meteorological and operational conditions that caused the odor may no longer exist.
During cross-examination by the applicant's counsel, Doty's professional opinion was challenged on the grounds that he did not personally set TCEQ's hazard thresholds and could not specifically recall drafting language for ammonia permits. Doty held firm, maintaining his opinion based on the nature of ammonia as a known lethal compound and the close proximity of residences.
TCEQ permit engineer James Brackin, who wrote the draft permit, acknowledged during the hearing that fundamental questions remain about how the hydrogen and ammonia facilities would operate together on the same site.
"Bottom line is that we really can't tell how both the hydrogen plants and the ammonia plants are intended to be co-located, operated, and function on the same site based on the materials we currently have," Brackin said.
Brackin admitted that while the ammonia permit application describes hydrogen production as part of the plant, the hydrogen facilities are actually authorized under a separate Permit-by-Rule issued to Avina — not Nueces Green Ammonia. He acknowledged confusion over whether the diesel tank and firewater pumps listed in that separate permit are the same units authorized in the ammonia permit or are separate and duplicative. He also agreed that language in the Permit-by-Rule application stating that hydrogen "will be transported off-site via pipeline" is confusing if the hydrogen is intended to feed the on-site ammonia plant.
Brackin confirmed that the version of the draft permit included in his prefiled testimony is not the most recent version. After a public meeting, a new Special Condition 21 was added requiring continuous temperature monitoring of the refrigerated ammonia storage tank, which must be maintained at -33 degrees Celsius to keep the ammonia in liquid form. Brackin admitted he does not fully understand the consequences if the temperature rises and the ammonia begins to vaporize, and that he used generic boilerplate continuous-monitoring language in the permit rather than ammonia-specific conditions.
The hearing drew significant public opposition. Brackin confirmed approximately 600 to 632 public comments were received, with most if not all in opposition, including comments from elected officials who do not live immediately next to the site.
Opponents argue those unanswered questions must be resolved before the project moves forward.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
