City · TRI 2024

Odessa, Texas Pollution

5 TRI facilities inside the city limits and 5 public water systems serving residents. In-city TRI releases rose meaningfully year over year (+30%). Toxic releases concentrations have more than doubled since 2010.

FIPS 4853388 · population 113,353 · Ector County

IN-CITY TRI RELEASES · 20102024
Bar chart of annual values from 2010 to 2024, in lb. Most recent year (2024): 51k.51k'10'12'14'16'18'20'22'2451k
Anomaly engine

Notable Signals

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Contaminant 0300

Unresolved Long Term 1 Enhanced SWTR violation cited in 2025 (contaminant 0300).

EPA SDWIS record

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Contaminant 0200

Unresolved Surface Water Treatment Rule violation cited in 2025 (contaminant 0200).

EPA SDWIS record

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Contaminant 5000

Unresolved Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2025 (contaminant 5000).

EPA SDWIS record

UNRESOLVED VIOLATION · SDWIS VIOLATION

Beryllium

Unresolved Phase I/II/V Inorganic Chemical Rules violation cited in 2025 (beryllium).

EPA SDWIS record

Showing the 4 most editorially weighted signals out of 9. Lower-severity signals fold into the chemical breakdown and history charts below.

Pollutant pathways

Odessa Pollutant Multi-Year Trends

CRITERIA AIRSINCE 2010

PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual))Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

7.29 µg/m³ · +6% YoY · -5% since 2010

PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) concentrations are roughly unchanged from 2010.

CRITERIA AIRSINCE 2010

PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour))Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

19.10 µg/m³ · +21% YoY · +22% since 2010

PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour)) concentrations are up 22% since 2010.

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold))Health riskEPA-modeled added cancer cases per million residents from a lifetime of breathing local air toxics. EPA flags 100-in-a-million as elevated.

20.2 per million · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

Formaldehyde ambient mean (0.077 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic emitted by refineries, wood products, and combustion. EPA classifies it as a known human carcinogen — long-term inhalation raises cancer risk.

1.22 µg/m³ · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

HAZARDOUS AIR2020 VINTAGE

Benzene ambient mean (0.13 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic from gasoline, refineries, and tobacco smoke. A known human carcinogen — chronic exposure is linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.

0.40 µg/m³ · 2020 vintage

Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.

TRI AIRSINCE 2013

TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as released into the air — fugitive leaks plus smokestack emissions. Higher pounds means more inhaled exposure for nearby residents.

27k lb · -21% YoY · +161% since 2013

TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) concentrations have more than doubled since 2013.

TRI WATERSINCE 2010

TRI water releases (5.3)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as discharged to surface waters (rivers, lakes, the ocean). Affects fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.

0 lb · YoY · since 2010

TRI water releases (5.3) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.

TRI LANDSINCE 2019

TRI land + off-site releasesHealth riskToxic chemicals released to land on-site or transferred off-site for disposal — landfills, deep-well injection, and similar. Risks groundwater contamination over time.

24k lb · +328% YoY · +206% since 2019

TRI land + off-site releases concentrations have more than doubled since 2019.

GHGSINCE 2010

Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023)Health riskGreenhouse gases reported by large industrial emitters under EPA's GHGRP, in metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. Drives climate warming and the heat-related health effects that follow.

4.5M metric tons CO₂e · +22% YoY · +79% since 2010

Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations are up 79% since 2010.

Top facilities · TRI 2024

Largest Emitters Inside The City

FacilityTop chemicalTotal releasesYoY
Halliburton Odessa Field CampHalliburton Energy Services INCMethanolHealth riskAcutely toxic if ingested or inhaled. Metabolizes to formaldehyde and formic acid, causing blindness and metabolic acidosis. (EPA)26k lb+74%
Univar Solutions USA INC OdessaUnivar Solutions USA INCXylene (mixed isomers)Health riskEye, skin, and respiratory irritant; central-nervous-system effects from chronic exposure. (EPA)12k lb+11%
Coastal Chemical CO. LLCBrenntag North America INCMethanolHealth riskAcutely toxic if ingested or inhaled. Metabolizes to formaldehyde and formic acid, causing blindness and metabolic acidosis. (EPA)11k lb+20%
Brenntag Southwest INC OdessaBrenntag North America INCMethanolHealth riskAcutely toxic if ingested or inhaled. Metabolizes to formaldehyde and formic acid, causing blindness and metabolic acidosis. (EPA)2k lb-56%
Troy Vines Odessa PlantQuikrete HoldingsLeadHealth riskNeurotoxin. Even low childhood exposure impairs cognitive development; chronic adult exposure damages kidneys and the cardiovascular system. (EPA, ATSDR)0 lb
Drinking water · SDWIS

Water Systems Serving Odessa

92 unresolved violations on the SDWIS record across utilities serving this city.

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
5

Utilities serving

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
139,068

Population served

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
90

Health-based · 5yr

SDWIS · 5-YR WINDOW
92

Unresolved

Water systemPWSIDPopulation servedHealth-based · 5yrStatus
Canyon Dam Mobile Home Park PrivateTX068005110851UNRESOLVED
Huber Garden Estates PrivateTX068016320036UNRESOLVED
City Of Odessa MunicipalTX0680002123,3342UNRESOLVED
Northgate Mobile Home Park 1 PrivateTX06800131261UNRESOLVED
Ector County Utility District MunicipalTX068023515,3000UNRESOLVED

A public water systemis the regulated entity, not the city. EPA's SDWIS definition covers anything serving 25+ people for 60+ days a year or with 15+ service connections — that includes municipal utilities (City of Stockton), water districts, mobile home parks operating their own wells, schools, and small private subdivisions. Each system is independently monitored. Some systems serve multiple cities; some cities are served by many systems.

Superfund / NPL sites

Federal Cleanup Sites In Odessa

Sites on EPA's Superfund National Priorities List, plus deleted sites whose cleanup objectives EPA has finalized. Federal-facility sites (defense, DOE, etc.) are flagged separately. Each link routes to a per-site page.

Methodology →

SiteStatusFederal facilityPrimary contaminant
East 67Th Street Ground Water PlumeNPL FINALNo1,1-DichloroethaneHealth riskSuspected carcinogen (EPA C/likely); CNS depressant. Common at solvent-contaminated sites as a degradation intermediate. (EPA, ATSDR)
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity

Who Lives In Odessa

Odessa, Texas (Census place block groups): 113,353 residents. City disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits well below the reference (34). Why we surface this →

POPULATION SHARE
14.7%

Low-income

POPULATION SHARE
71.5%

People of color

POPULATION SHARE
8.6%

Under age 5

POPULATION SHARE
9.9%

Over age 64

NATIONAL PERCENTILE · vs all US block groups (population-weighted; ranked against the national EJScreen indicator distribution)

  • PM2.5 (fine particulate)Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.17below the national median
  • OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.47near the national median
  • Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.87in the highest 20% nationally
  • Diesel particulateHealth riskSoot from diesel engines (trucks, trains, ports, construction). EPA classifies it as a likely human carcinogen and a major driver of childhood asthma near freight corridors.39below the national median
  • Toxic releases (RSEI)Health riskEPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score — weights TRI chemical releases by toxicity, where they go, and how many people are nearby. Higher means greater modeled cancer and chronic-health risk.9below the national median
  • Traffic proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to high-volume roads. Living close to heavy traffic raises exposure to PM2.5, NO₂, and diesel exhaust — and the cardiovascular and asthma risks that follow.46near the national median
  • Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)Health riskShare of housing built before 1960, when lead-based paint was common. Dust from deteriorating paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning, which permanently impairs cognitive development.67above the national median
  • Superfund site proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to NPL Superfund sites — the most contaminated waste sites in the country. Nearby groundwater, soil, and air can carry industrial solvents, metals, and other long-lived contaminants.91in the highest 10% nationally
  • RMP-facility proximityHealth riskDistance to facilities holding chemicals at quantities large enough to require an EPA Risk Management Plan (refineries, fertilizer plants, etc.). These pose acute exposure risk during accidental releases.51near the national median
  • Hazardous-waste site proximityHealth riskDistance to RCRA hazardous-waste handlers (treatment, storage, disposal facilities). Indicates potential exposure to industrial chemicals in air, soil, and groundwater.54near the national median
  • Underground storage tanksHealth riskDensity of underground tanks (gasoline, heating oil, industrial fluids). Leaking tanks are a leading source of benzene and other volatile organic compounds in groundwater drinking-water supplies.78above the national median
  • NPDES wastewater proximityHealth riskDistance to permitted industrial wastewater dischargers. Closer proximity raises exposure to pollutants released into surface waters used for fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.15below the national median
  • Drinking-water non-complianceHealth riskEPA score for public water systems with health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Higher means more residents on systems that recently exceeded safe limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, or nitrate.85in the highest 20% nationally
EJ disparity scores · population-weighted across city block groups (100 = national reference; higher = greater disparate burden)
IndicatorDisparity scoreReading
PM2.5 (fine particulate)34well below the reference
Ozone176well above the reference burden
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)171well above the reference burden
Diesel particulate82below the reference
Toxic releases (RSEI)19well below the reference
Traffic proximity90near the reference
Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)105near the reference
Superfund site proximity177well above the reference burden
RMP-facility proximity86below the reference
Hazardous-waste site proximity104near the reference
Underground storage tanks142moderately above the reference
NPDES wastewater proximity26well below the reference
Drinking-water non-compliance156well above the reference burden

Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).

Health context

Co-Located Health Indicators

Modeled adult-prevalence estimates published by CDC PLACES, paired with this city's pollution and demographic context. Comparisons are ecological, not causal — pollution and disease prevalence covary at the area level, but the data does not attribute any individual's diagnosis to local exposure. How this section works →

Adult asthma (current)

BRFSS 2023
9.5%
+0% vs Texas mean-5% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

COPD prevalence

BRFSS 2023
5.8%
+9% vs Texas mean+7% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Coronary heart disease

BRFSS 2023
5.5%
+8% vs Texas mean+9% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Diabetes (diagnosed)

BRFSS 2023
12.9%
+8% vs Texas mean+27% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

Frequent mental distress

BRFSS 2023
18.0%
+4% vs Texas mean+6% vs US mean

CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023

PLACES uses BRFSS-modeled small-area estimates, not individual records. Crude prevalence shown above is the local rate as published; comparators are age-adjusted vs the Texas mean and the US mean — both population-weighted across counties — so geographies with different age structures stay apples-to-apples. Sources: CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023.

Sources.