Polluter(s) of Week

A few weeks ago, we were watchin a college football game when the commentator made note of the hometown of a player who happened to hail from the Beaumont-Port Arthur-Orange area. The commentator said the area is known as "The Magic Triangle."

Actually, it's known as "The Golden Triangle," and it happens to form the easternmost boundary of The Petrochemical Underarm of Texas.

It is a rather magical setting, though. Full of unicorns, three-eyed fish, environmental scofflaws and regular emissions events.

What we're leadin up to is our semi-regular Polluter of the Week Award, which we decided today should go to a Golden Triangle entity -- Premcor Refining Group, Inc.

Premcor has been penalized $25,250 by the state for illegal emissions violations. [link]

Nice goin, Premcor.

Closer to the headquarters of The Brazosport News, an honorable mention Polluter of the Week plaque goes to Yetta Hustead, who does business in the town of Brazoria as "High Five," which apparently is a restaurant (we rarely venturely West o' the Brazos and have never noticed the eatery.)


Anyway, High Five failed to conduct routine bacteriological monitoring of the public water supply during the months of September and November of 2004 and June of 2005, and failed to provide public notification of the failure to conduct monthly bacteriological sampling for the months of September and November of 2004, and June of 2005, and since it failed to collect four repeat samples following each total coliform-positive sample found on a routine sample during the month of August 2005, and failed to provide public notification of the failure to collect and submit the appropriate number of repeat samples for the month of August 2005, and failed to collect at least five distribution samples the month following a total coliform-positive result during the month of September 2005, and failed to provide public notification of the failure to collect and submit the appropriate number of distribution samples for the month of September 2005, and failed to pay an outstanding administrative penalty, it's gotta cough up $1,755.

We pray that Mouth of the Brazos and our half dozen other readers over in the greater Brazoria-Sweeny-Old Ocean Triangle weren't drinkin the water at High Five back in '04 and '05.