A new mobile chem lab, which will be used to monitor toxic air in Houston, was unveiled on Jul 12 by the city's Bureau of Air Quality Control.  This is positive step forward in the fight for cleaning up our air. 

In a report by the Houston Chronicle, Mayor Bill White said chemists will have actual proof of where the toxic air is located, and the mobile lab will be able to collect real-time data on air pollutants. 

We will be seeking out offenders," Mayor Bill White said at the Thursday unveiling. "We can know who is responsible and not just do finger-pointing and guesswork."

Previously, city investigators relied upon their sense of smell when called to investigate complaints of suspected air contaminates, but now they will have an instrument that is quite a bit more accurate.

Jane Laping, executive director of Mothers for Clean Air, praised the technology." Prior to this, the best investigative tool the city had was their nose," she said.

In what used to take weeks for the city to obtain laboratory results, now, with this new mobile lab, the processes can have a much quicker turn around, and the information collected will be made available to media and the public.

The mayor is serious about finding facilities that are not doing their part in cleaning up Houston's air.  And now he has one more tool in his tool box to hold companies accountable.

The petrochemical businesses need to realize that it may be easier on their bottom line to fix the problem rather than fighting and denying it. The Chronicle reminded us of the Texas Petrochemical release in Sept 2006.

Last September, for example, Texas Petrochemical reported releasing 300 pounds of the rubber ingredient 1,3-butadiene. But city monitors and computer models indicated the release was more than 6,000 pounds, Blanco said.

White is continuing ahead with nuisance charges for facilities in and outside of Houston city limits, and GHASP will be interested to see what, if any, proposals industry leaders come up with for their voluntary emissions reduction program.  The proposals are due in September.