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Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 01:09 PM CST
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(Sierra Club is working hard to protect our air and water in Texas. If you can be there on Tuesday, you need to be there. - promoted by Katherine Haenschen)
There are times in history when regular people have paused in what they're doing to fight for a cause bigger than themselves. We've walked out of classes when necessary. We’ve taken a personal day or called in sick in order to be at the place where a major change is being made. No matter how big the challenge, Texans always rise to the occasion.  This Tuesday, February 2, we have another historical opportunity to make change. The Environmental Protection Agency is hosting an important public hearing on ozone air quality standards, and we have a real opportunity to clean up our air and set good policy that will last decades. The Sierra Club and the Clean Air Texas Coalition encourage you to travel to Houston this Tuesday for this important EPA hearing. Please play your part in creating a desperately-needed change at this pivotal moment in history. Texas families have the right to clean air, and now is the time to stand up and make your voice heard! We know that the big oil, coal and chemical companies will be well represented. So let’s show the powerful pollution lobbyists that we won’t be intimidated. Let’s show that regular Texans are willing to take time out of their day to stand up for clean air. There are only three public hearings across the country, so let’s take advantage of this opportunity to make real change. If you can't travel to Houston, then please go online and submit your public comment in support of stronger ozone air quality standards. (more below the fold on the EPA hearing.) |
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Air quality standards are not only about saving Texan lives. It’s also about helping the Texas economy. We will save billions of tax dollars spent on health care costs for people suffering from asthma, respiratory illnesses, heart disease and other impacts of dirty emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. The new ozone rule will also help us transition towards a 21st century clean energy economy and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs for Texans. Our current energy production is not sustainable. Coal-fired power plants are the largest ozone polluters in Texas' industrial sector, and energy companies will have to close the oldest, dirtiest coal plants in order to meet the new safe limit. The coal industry will be forced to revisit budgets for the 12 new coal plants proposed in Texas. They will need to let go of those projects because with the required new scrubbers new coal plants are not economically feasible. EPA PUBLIC HEARING ON OZONE STANDARDS Houston, TX Tuesday, February 2nd 9:30 a.m. - Public hearing begins 10:45 a.m. - Supporters gather in Grand Ballroom, across the hall from the Hearing 11:00 a.m. - Clean Air Texas Press Conference Mary Partridge, Chair, American Lung Association USA Wendi Hammond Attorney and 2 year old son Jonah, with Kids for Clean Air Aaron Smith, 14 year old living with asthma Bonnie New, Pediatrician, Health Professionals for Clean Air Neil Carman, Clean Air Program Director, Sierra Club Alejandro Sarvansky, Environment Texas (se habla espanol)
12:00 p.m. - Free Texas BBQ Lunch with Veggie Option. 1:00 p.m. - Afternoon is open for you to speak at the hearing or register your comments. 7:00 p.m. - Clean Air Texas Rally featuring Sen. Rodney Ellis. Free dinner in Grand Ballroom across from hearing. 7:30 - Deadline to sign up to speak at hearing. Everyone who signs up will have a chance to speak.
Thanks to the members of our Clean Air Texas Coalition: - Environmental Defense Fund
- Environment Texas
- Health Professionals for Clean Air
- Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention (GHASP)
- Public Citizen
- Sierra Club
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| Poll |
| Do you want a new 60 ppb ozone standard? |
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Results
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| Tags:
ozone,
national-ambient-air-quality-standards,
EPA,
Environmental-Protection-Agency,
air-pollution,
coal,
coal-plants,
TXU,
chemical,
nitrogen-oxides,
volatile-organic-compounds,
Houston,
(All Tags)
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