Beamont-Port Arthur, Texas, and the Petrochemical Industry

Overview

For much of their history, Port Arthur, Beaumont, and other cities of Texas’ “Golden Triangle ” owed their vitality to local plants producing petrochemicals. This industry has long brought jobs and wealth to this town; however, those benefits are not at all what they used to be. Meanwhile, Golden Triangle residents–and some more than others–have shouldered long-accumulating impacts of their local refineries and chemical plants, from pollution to climate change to lower property values.  And the region has also given rise to robust movements for environmental and climate justice that seek to address and alleviate many of these problems.

Contents

StoryMap: Oil’s History and Impacts in Port Arthur

Timeline

Environmental and Climate Justice Movements

Oral Histories

Witness Seminar

Video and Audio Clips by Theme and Speaker

Documents and Bibliography