Moderating a panel discussion focusing on impacts of regulatory controls on the petrochemical industry, Texas Chemical Council President Hector Rivero noted that one of the industry’s greatest challenges to attracting new investment is obtaining permits in a timely fashion.
“Depending on whether or not they’re contested, a permit can sometimes take a year and a half, and sometimes up to two years,” Rivero said. “That, really, is kind of a deal-killer for a lot of companies that are trying to meet customer demands.”
Speaking to delegates at the Economic Alliance Houston Port region’s annual Gulf Coast Industry Forum, held recently in Pasadena, Texas, Rivero lauded the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)’s participation in the creation of an expedited permitting process.
Panel members Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) commissioner, Toby Baker; American Chemistry Council president, Cal Dooley and United States Congressman Larry Taylor (R-TX) also discussed the implementation of a coastal barrier system to protect the Gulf Coast from future storm surge disaster, Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) reform, and other regulatory challenges to the industry.
Read this article in its entirety in the November issue of BIC Magazine.
