40 percent of all hazardous waste in our entire country is created by just one state! Texas

[ElsewheresDaughter]

http://problogic.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/away-down-south-in-dioxin-dixie/

Well folks, here is yet another interesting factoid on why Texas should continue to be regarded as the bright and shining light of rampant, unfettered capitalism; the state is freaking aglow in hazardous wastes. Just keep it a secret and do not tell anyone, it might scare all the newcomers and tourists off.

According to 2009 data from the EPA, Texas alone, generates 38.1 percent of all hazardous waste in the entire United States. Yes, you read that correctly, nearly 40 percent of all hazardous waste in our entire country is created by just one state! Texas produces three times more hazardous waste than second place Georgia and more than 46 other states combined. Those are astonishing and downright frightening statistics.

The rest of “Dioxin Dixie” does not sound too peachy clean either, since the top five states for hazardous waste generation are all from the deep South. Here’s the 2009 data list from the EPA:

1. Texas: 13,461,911 tons of hazardous waste generated

2. Georgia: 4,024,468 tons of hazardous waste generated

3. Louisiana: 3,878,843 tons of hazardous waste generated

4. Alabama: 2,063,609 tons of hazardous waste generated

5. Mississippi: 1,702,446 tons of hazardous waste generated

All 45 other states combined accounted for 10,200,119 tons of hazardous waste generated, according to EPA statistics.

[JuniperLea]

1. Texas Tea... eom

[lame54]

2. Everything is bigger in Texas

[Zoeisright]

3. And that doesn't even count the rewritten textbooks!

[damntexdem]

4. Well, sure, but we're working very, very hard to . . .

increase that percentage.

;-)

[Marblehead]

5. Texas lays a big

turd in the USA

[Tesha]

6. And then there's George W. Bush! (NT)

[Ernesto]

7. no surprise here..... nt

[Ilsa]

8. What is included in hazardous waste?

If it includes waste products from oil production and refining, then part of that 38.1% should be shared with states that use a portion of Texas' energy production.

[taught_me_patience]

9. The top 5 is all in the south. Not coincidence.

I guess Jesus will take care of pollution.

[Ilsa]

10. Over 23% of all oil used in US is produced in Texas. That's part of the hazardous waste.

I don't know how much of the hazardous waste.

Texas is a shitty place to live, no doubt. I'd love to move, but can't right now. But any state using oil (or gas) produced or refined in Texas gets a share of that 38.1%.

[JoeyT]

11. Yeah, all five of those states are where most of the industries that create hazardous waste moved.

Of course the other 45 still benefit from the creation of that waste, but don't have to deal with it being created where they have to live. So it's kind of a win-win for them.

Oil, mills, chemical production plants, refineries, etc all produce an assload of toxic chemicals. Very little of the end results are used locally.

[Kber]

12. NJ didn't even make the top 5? Really?

On a more serious note - why?

Is it that Texas is making / growing stuff in a dramatically less eco-friendly way, or are the rest of us "outsourcing" the production of our dirtier products there.

I mean if Texas is polluting her own environment to make, mine or grow things that we all buy, but don't want produced in our back yard, then I think we all have a measure of responsibility here.

If, on the other hand, they are just tolerating unhealthy practices and could make, mine or grow these things without the hazardous waste then that just plain sucks.

I suspect it's a combination of the two.

[Shagbark Hickory]

13. Yay! We're number 2!

:sarcasm:

[sybylla]

14. Just one more reason to let them secede.

nt

[GSLevel9]

15. for clarity... OIL REFINERY STATES!! nt

[KamaAina]

16. GA, MS and AL aren't huge refinery states

NJ has more than any of them.