Texas city trying to block construction of the world’s largest ethylene plant

Residents and local political officials of a South Texas city are attempting to block the construction of a new giant Exxon Mobil Corporation petrochemical plant in their neighbourhood.

The city council in Portland has approved a resolution asking Exxon Mobil to rule out their city north of Corpus Christi as a site for the world’s largest ethylene cracker plant.

As reported in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, the council members said they believe Portland’s quality of life would be diminished by the plant, which has the potential to produce up to 1.8 million annual tons of ethylene, a polyester component in clothing, bottles, and construction materials.

The newspaper says development would take five years and bring about 11,000 construction jobs. Sites in Victoria, southwest of Houston, and St. James Parish, Louisiana, also are being considered.