A company based in Ireland intends to establish a sizable production facility in our vicinity, drawn by the absence of regulatory constraints. This situation worries me because I reside in a rural community in West Texas currently engaged in opposing the construction of a proposed methanol plant. Our county lacks the financial resources to oversee such an operation, a fact the company is well aware of. Consequently, they can proceed with their plans without regulatory oversight. The proposed site is situated 20 miles away from the nearest volunteer fire department, meaning any incidents at the facility could result in significant damage to a large portion of West Texas before emergency responders arrive. Given the rural nature of the area, the company could freely release methanol, CO2, and various other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere, as there are no county or city regulations in place to monitor their emissions. This is distressing because it indicates a disregard for our air quality, and I am acutely aware that everyone in our community will be impacted by the presence of this facility.
