美國山巒協會（Sierra Club）及德州環境（Environment Texas）兩個保育團體，1月8日向聯邦地區法庭提出對殼牌石油公司和其旗下幾個集團成員的訴訟案。這些環保團體表示，殼牌石油在其德州迪爾帕克（Deer Park）的石油精煉廠及化學廠，一再違反清淨空氣法，在過去5年內排放了幾百萬磅的空氣污染物，這些污染物包括例如苯及1,3 - 丁二烯等的有毒化學物質。
這個訴訟案是要請求法庭下達命令要求殼牌石油停止違反清淨空氣法行為，此外，該公司也要面對每件違法事項每天最高32500美元的民事罰款。
殼牌石油是英荷殼牌集團的一個成員，被《財富》雜誌評比為全世界第三大公司。殼牌公司的迪爾帕克廠是佔地1500英畝（約合607公頃）的複合式廠區，座落休士頓市中心東邊20英哩哈里斯郡（Harris County）的休士頓輪船航道邊上。它是全美第八大的石油精煉廠，同時也是全球最大的石油化學物質生產工廠之一。
然而這個工廠也是哈里斯郡第二大的空氣污染來源，它的幾個空氣品質項目都在全美最糟的名單之中。山巒協會會員，同時也是小型公司負責人的蘭德（Karla Land）表示：「我在位於契諾福尤（Channelview）的殼牌公司下風處生活及工作，我的家人及我的員工再也無法承受吸入任何空氣污染了。我們有法律可以保護空氣品質，殼牌公司違反法律，必須透過法律使他們停止這種行為。」
清淨空氣法包括一項「公民訴訟（citizen suit）」的規定，這項規定讓被違法事件影響的一般公民得以在州政府或聯邦執法者沒有確實執法時，向聯邦法庭提出執行法律的訴請案。
Sierra Club and Environment Texas filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal district court against Shell Oil Company and several affiliates. The groups claim that Shell has repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act at its Deer Park, Texas, oil refinery and chemical plant, resulting in the release of millions of pounds of air pollutants over the past five years, including toxic chemicals such as benzene and 1,3-butadiene.
The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring Shell to end its Clean Air Act violations. In addition, Shell faces civil penalties of up to $32,500 per day for each violation of the Clean Air Act.
Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell, ranked by "Fortune" magazine as the third largest company in the world.
Shell's Deer Park facility is a 1,500 acre complex located on the Houston Ship Channel in Harris County, about 20 miles east of downtown Houston. It is the nation's eighth largest oil refinery and one of the world's largest producers of petrochemicals.
The facility is also the second largest source of air pollution in Harris County, which ranks among the worst in the nation in several measures of air quality.
"I live and work downwind from Shell, in Channelview. My family and my employees simply can't afford to breathe in any more air pollution," said Sierra Club member and small business owner Karla Land. "We have laws to protect air quality for a reason. Shell is breaking those laws and they need to be made to stop."
The Clean Air Act contains a "citizen suit" provision that allows private citizens affected by violations of the law to bring an enforcement suit in federal court if state and federal regulators do not.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
