Overview
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Blue Cube Operations LLC for releasing over 70,000 pounds of air pollution from their Freeport chemical plant. This lawsuit matters because it shows our state holding companies accountable when they harm our health and environment. The company had 11 emissions events between 2022 and 2025, including a chlorine gas leak that forced Clute and Lake Jackson residents to shelter in place. This also affected all Brazosport ISD schools. These pollution incidents directly impact our Gulf Coast communities, where many families live and work near industrial facilities. Poor air quality affects everyone, especially children, seniors, and people with breathing problems. When companies don't follow environmental rules, our neighborhoods pay the price through health risks and emergency situations. You can stay informed about this case by following Texas Attorney General updates and attending public meetings about environmental issues in Brazoria County. Contact the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to report pollution concerns in your area. Support local environmental groups that monitor air quality along the Gulf Coast. Vote in local elections for leaders who prioritize environmental protection. If you live near industrial facilities, sign up for emergency alerts from your city. This lawsuit shows that we can demand better from companies operating in our communities.
Why it matters
The air you breathe and the water you drink are public goods. So is the land your neighborhood sits on. Environmental decisions happen at the local level — in city hall, in zoning meetings, in utility boardrooms. Local people can and do change outcomes. Understanding the issue is where that starts.
“Texas Attorney General sues chemical company for major pollution at Freeport plant that forced nearby communities to shelter in place.”
Who this is for
You're worried about your environment
Understand what's happening in your neighborhood — air quality, water, green space, and more.
You want to take action on climate and environment
Find local organizations and campaigns working on environmental issues in your city.
You're impacted by an environmental problem
Know your rights and the resources available when you're dealing with pollution or environmental harm.
Go deeper
The Texas Attorney General's Office is suing a chemical manufacturing company, alleging it released more than 70,000 pounds of air pollution from its Freeport plant.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office is asking the court to impose civil penalties against Blue Cube Operations LLC, as well as require the company to hire independent auditors and implement compliance measures. Paxton is currently running in the republican runoff for Senate against encumbent republican John Cornyn.
"I will not allow any company to harm Texans' health with dangerous chemicals,” Paxton said in a news release Monday. “Companies operating in Texas have a duty to protect the people who live and work around them. Blue Cube's repeated failures exposed Texas families to hazardous substances and forced entire communities to shelter in place. We will hold them accountable and work to prevent this kind of threat to public health in the future."
Blue Cube is a subsidiary of Olin Corporation. Olin's media relations team did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The lawsuit lists findings from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), which found that the company had at least 11 emissions events and "systemic operational failures" between 2022 and 2025, when the facility allegedly exceeded allowable emissions or violated state standards.
Those emissions events include a chlorine gas leak at the facility last year which sparked a shelter-in-place order for the cities of Clute and Lake Jackson, as well as all Brazosport ISD schools.
The Houston Chronicle found that the incident was the largest chlorine gas leak in Texas since 2020. KHOU reported at the time that Blue Cube had been fined nearly $200,000 by the TCEQ over the previous five years.
In addition to the emissions events, the lawsuit found that Blue Cube failed to properly conduct inspections and monitoring, comply with chlorine emissions limits and report an emissions event in a timely manner. The TCEQ also found inaccuracies in some of the company's permits.