TCEQ Annual Emissions Inventory Report (2022)

Every year, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) releases data for annual emissions by source of pollution by County. This data is not widely distributed, mapped, or otherwise made accessible to the public. This report seeks to make that data usable for the public to better understand where polluters are, what they are emitting and how that pollution impacts them. The data is also released two years late - that means in 2024 we have access to 2022 data.

We last released this report using the 2020 emissions numbers. We want to highlight a few differences and similarities in the data since that year:

1. McCommas Bluff Landfill in Top 5 largest sources of pollution for Dallas County. Previously, McCommas Bluff had been one of the top 5 sources of PM 10, PM 2.5 and SOx pollution, but had not been overall one of the top 5.
2. Asphalt Shingle Producers GAF, TAMKO and Owens Corning release 65% of Dallas County's SOx pollution. The three asphalt shingle factories are three out of the five top sources of SOx pollution in Dallas County. Combined, GAF and TAMKO make up 10.5% of the City of Dallas' industrial pollution.
3. Midlothian's Holcim Cement plant is still the largest source of total pollution emitted in the 12 county nonattainment area. They emitted a staggering 7,569.4 Tons Per Year in 2020 and increased to 9,181 Tons Per Year n 2022.

We will provide maps of the sources of air pollution in the 12-county area, a breakdown of the Top 20 Polluters per county in the 12-county area, a DFW "Dirty 30" of the biggest 30 total polluters in the 12-county area, a breakdown on the different types of pollution by source, and a deep dive of Dallas County by pollution types. If you would like to use the datasets for other research purposes please contact: emayo@pqc.edu.

Counties included are the 12 counties that have been in "Nonattainment" or out of compliance, with federal clean air laws for several years: Dallas, Tarrant, Ellis, Parker, Denton, Wise, Rockwall, Kaufman, Johnson, Hunt, Hood and Collin.

Because Paul Quinn College is located in Southern Dallas County, we want to specifically highlight the polluters in our region. The first map below shows the 'total' emissions for every source of air pollution regulated by the TCEQ in Dallas County. Total emissions were calculated by adding together the tons per year emitted for each type of pollution. The top five largest sources of air pollution in Dallas County are listed below. The smaller maps for Dallas County show the breakdown of each type of pollution by quantity (comparing all PM pollution emissions in Dallas County to each other, comparing all VOC pollution emissions in Dallas County etc.).

If you smell, taste, or see pollution in your neighborhood,   reach out  . We can help train your neighborhood on how to document your complaints with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, making 311 complaints with the City of Dallas or find other ways to keep your family safe and heathy.

As mentioned above, total emissions are calculated by adding together the tons per year emitted for each type of pollution by facility. The top five largest sources of air pollution in Dallas County are listed below:

#1 Mountain Creek Power Station

#2 Dal-Tile Corporation

#3 Luminant Generation Company

#4 McCommas Bluff Landfill (City of Dallas)

#5 Building Materials Incorporated (GAF)

#1 Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt

#2 Building Materials Investment (GAF)

#3 DAL-TILE Corporation

#4 TAMKO Building Products

#5 Dallas Clean Energy McCommas Bluff

#1 Texas Instruments

#2 Poly-America Inc

#3 Hensley Industries (Dallas Plant)

#4 Tekni-Plex Inc

#5 Motiva Enterprises

#1 Solo Cup Operating Corp

#2 Dal-Tile Corporation

#3 Luminant Generation Company

#4 Mountain Creek Power LLC

#5 Westrock Converting Company

#1 Dal-Tile Corporation

#2 City of Dallas (McCommas Landfill)

#3 Building Materials Investment (GAF)

#4 Occidental Chemical Corporation

#5 Luminant Generation Company LLC

#1 Mountain Creek Power Station

#2 Luminant Generation Company

#3 Solar Turbines Inc

#4 Dal-Tile Corporation

#5 Texas Instruments Incorporated

#1 Mountain Creek Power Station

#2 Dal-Tile Corporation

#3 Luminant Generation Company

#4 Dallas Clean Energy McCommas Bluff

#5 Ameresco Dallas

#1 City of Dallas McCommas Bluff Landfill

#2 Building Materials Investment (GAF)

#3 Dal-Tile Corporation

#4 Occidental Chemical Corporation

#5 Mountain Creek Power LLC

The top 20 polluters for each county in the 12 county nonattainment area are mapped below, showing the largest polluters by county in relation to each other.

The "Dirty 30" list takes the top 30 largest sources of air pollution in the 12 county nonattainment area to rank the largest polluters across North Texas in relation to each other.

Particulate matter (PM) is a combination of different elements and chemicals, which together make tiny particles of dust or released in smoke. There are different sizes of particles, PM 10 is the larger particles and PM 2.5 are smaller particles.

PM 10 and PM 2.5 are very dangerous because they are so small, they can not only affect your lungs, but can also enter your blood stream and impact your brain and heart. Read more about the health harms of this pollution from the  Environmental Protection Agency here .

CO pollution is a colorless, odorless toxic pollutant that is emitted when something (wood, coal, gasoline) isn't burned fully.

When people breathe CO pollution, it can cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting. In large quantities it can be deadly. Read more about the health harms of this pollution from the  Environmental Protection Agency here .

NOX pollution is a poisonous gas that is released when combustion occurs at very high temperatures. It is a contributor to smog, acid rain and particulate matter pollution.

NOX can cause headaches, breathing problems, eye irritation and other side effects of particulate matter exposure. Read more about the health harms of this pollution from the  Environmental Protection Agency here .

Lead pollution is a heavy metal that is released as solid particles into the air from industrial operations.

Depending on the level of exposure, lead can impact the nervous system, kidney function, immune system, and development systems, especially impacting neurological development of children. Read more about the health harms of this pollution from the  Environmental Protection Agency here .

VOCs are gases that are emitted into the air by industrial production and processes. They can mix with other polluting gases in the air.

VOCs can cause eye, nose, and throat irritation, nausea, and can also damage the liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Sometimes people experience headaches and skin irritation. Read more about the health harms of this pollution from the  Environmental Protection Agency here .

SO2 is a colorless, bad-smelling (rotten eggs?) gas, that can react and cause acid rain.

SO2 can negatively impact the lungs and causes wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness, especially during exercise or physical activity. Read more about the health harms of this pollution from the  Environmental Protection Agency here .

Interested in County specific data? Reach out! We are happy to help make this tool as relevant as possible to your goals.