China’s Texas Hold ’Em: Chemical Plants Flank Historic Black Community

"TEXAS CITY, Texas — Renetta Trylas had not heard about plans to build one of the world’s largest methanol plants less than 3 miles from her neighborhood, even though it has been more than six months since the land was leased by Chinese entrepreneurs behind the project.

Trylas, a 52-year-old black woman, blames the petrochemical plants and refineries that are already in her predominantly black, low-income enclave of Texas City for what she calls rampant public health concerns, including the cancer that has ravaged many of her loved ones. Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, Texas City offers plants a deep-water port and cheap production costs.

When a new plant is built or malfunctions, she said, she and her neighbors seem to be the last to find out. And they often learn about what she calls the fallout from the plants at the doctor’s office, she added."
 
Massoud Hayoun reports for Aljazeera America April 14, 2015.