Texas is in an unprecedented environmental emergency.
Eighty-one percent of the state is currently suffering exceptional drought. It’s the worst one-year drought Texas has experienced in 116 years of state records.
Texas is literally on fire. Over 3.6 million acres have burned in wildfires topping the record 1.8 million acres burned in 2010 with less than four months left. There’ve been over 21,000 fires in Texas and wildfires in the state for 300 straight days. The Bastrop fire has been burning out of control for six days and nearly 1,400 homes have been destroyed 30 miles from the state capitol leaving Austin in clouds of toxic smoke.
CLIMATE CHANGE Governor Perry has shown concern about the severe drought and wildfires. Now it’s time for Perry to stop denying the root causes of climate change and take action to address those causes.
Climate change is caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Coal plants are the largest industrial source of carbon dioxide (CO2), the chief global warming gas. Texas’ 19 coal-fired plants are the worst industrial cause of life-threatening, climate triggered perils that we are experiencing. Texas coal-fired plants emit over 150 Million Tonsof CO2 every year – over 99% of Texas coal plant air pollution — is currently unregulated. Defended by Governor Perry, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Texas Public Utility Commission, the Texas coal plants are continuing to heat our atmosphere, fueling the drought conditions leading to wildfires and putting 24 million Texans in harm’s way.
Texans’ health and lives are at risk! Governor Perry and his appointees who lead Texas state agencies must address the biggest root cause of climate change in our state – coal plant CO2 emissions.
OZONE, TOO Beside smoke from wildfires, 18 million Texans are breathing harmful ozone. Ozone is caused when nitrogen oxide emissions from factories like coal plants mix with volatile organic compounds in sunlight creating ground-level smog. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texans have suffered 56 bad air days in 2011 when the ozone levels were unsafe.
After cutting funds by 75% from the Texas Forest Service year, Governor Perry is now calling for help to fight wildfires from the same federal government that he attacked in law suits for trying to protect Americans air from unsafe coal plant pollution. Perry enlisted the TCEQ, the Rail Road Commission, and the Texas PUC to fight new federal safeguards against both CO2 and ozone.
By fighting federal safeguards against ozone, Governor Perry and state agency leaders are denying that serious problem too. They need to wake up to the reality of our ozone problem and help, not hinder, efforts to clean up our air and cool the atmosphere.
To Governor Perry, ERCOT, and PUC, we say: Wake up!
The price tag for drought and wildfire destruction is too high. Losses to Texas’ agriculture alone were about $5.2 billion before the Labor Day weekend fires. We now face greater costs. Ignoring climate change and fighting, rather than supporting, clean energy solutions is costing Texans lives, homes, and jobs.
FIRST RESPONDERS COMMITMENT On the campaign trail, Governor Perry has repeatedly criticized public works programs like the New Deal, yet Texas firefighters fought to protect the beautiful cabins built by New Deal workers in Bastrop State Park this week.
Perry, ERCOT, and the PUC need to respond like our brave fire fighters putting out the blazing wildfires across Texas. The Governor and state leaders must recognize and extinguish the root cause of these problems – the massive burning of coal in coal-fired power plants in Texas. There’s a safer, cleaner, cheaper way, Governor, and the stakes are too high to continue to allow the burning of dirty coal.
Neil Carman, PhD Chemist, Sierra Club Clean Air Program Director, September 9, 2011
(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.
There are times in recorded history where people have paused in what they're doing. Walked out of classes. Taken a personal day. Called in sick in order to be at the place where a major change is being made. That's how important this coming Tuesday is. If you could take a day's break from what you're doing and profoundly change the world, would you? Would you do that on next Tuesday, February 2? This coming Tuesday is the day people are converging at the Houston Hobby Hilton for the EPA's hearing on new ozone limits that will seriously help clear up Texas air.
Sierra Club and the Clean Air Texas coalition are asking you to push away from the keyboard for one day and drive to Houston on next Tuesday, February 2nd to play your part in creating a desperately-needed change at this pivotal moment in history.
On Tuesday, February 2, the EPA is going to hear from Big Coal, the Oil and Gas industry, Chemical companies, and possibly highway construction companies and the auto industry that clean air standards are bad for business.
EPA must also hear from We who believe in change and are ready to make some change.
What EPA also has to hear and see is that a new Ozone Standard of 60 parts per billion will actually be great for the business of better breathing. Great for the business of saving billions of tax dollars spent on health care costs for the many people who suffer from asthma, respiratory illnesses, heart disease and other impacts of dirty emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. We have learned from over 1700 studies that ground level ozone is much more dangerous to breathe than we originally knew. That is why the EPA scientific panel advises this new, more protective ozone limit. The EPA needs to hear from millions of Americans who support cleaner air and the Tuesday hearing in Houston is getting the most build-up of the three hearings being held across the nation. Could you pause what you're doing and make a plan to be there and add your presence to that power?
Air Quality Standards are not only about saving Texan lives. That's their primary importance. At the same time, the new ozone rule is also going to significantly help transform an obsolete and problematic way of doing energy. EPA needs to hear from us about that, too -- that we support their proposal for tougher limits on ozone because we are ready now for clean energy -- more and more energy efficiency and more renewable power, particularly solar and also wind and geothermal.
The new ozone rule as it is implemented -- along with recently proposed, improved standards for carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, will help to expand the already dynamic clean energy economy in Texas and will help build the green jobs of our future. One of the ways this transformation will work is like this. We must now phase out burning coal for electricity. Coal-fired power plants are the largest ozone polluters in Texas' industrial sector. Energy companies must close the oldest, dirtiest coal plants in order for our counties and State 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. One energy producer working on shifting to wind development said, What is Texas? An oil state? Or an energy state? We say Texas is a saavy Energy state full of brilliant and visionary people who, instead of fighting clean air standards, must make this change. An improved ozone standard of 60 parts per billion is an enlightened requirement that will help Texans save dollars spent on health care costs and will help the energy industry do what it needs to do.
Sierra Club, American Lung Association, Health Professionals for Clean Air, Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention (GHASP), Environmental Defense Fund, Public Citizen, Environment Texas, are asking you to please join us! We need you to help make this Big Change happen. Consider breaking out of the usual week's pattern and come to Houston with us. Here's what's planned:
All Day Starting at 9:30 AM EPA Ozone Hearing, Hilton, Hobby Airport, Houston, Sign up to speak or Register your comments on a card.
10:45 Activists Gather in Grand Ballroom across the hall from the Hearing
11:00 Press Conference. Who's speaking
Mary Partridge, Chair, American Lung Association USA
Wendi Hammond Attorney and 2 year old son Jonah, with Kids for Clean Air
Stuart Abramson, Pediatrician, Health Professionals for Clean Air
Matthew Tejada, Director, GHASP
Neil Carman, Clean Air Program Director, Sierra Club
Alejandro Sarvansky, Environment Texas
Possibly others, elected officials and 14-year old with asthma invited
12:00 Free Texas BBQ Lunch with Veggie Option. Afternoon is open for you to speak at the hearing or register your comments.
7:00 Sierra Club and Clean Air Coalition Rally and free Dinner in Grand Ballroom across from Hearing
Senator Rodney Ellis confirmed to speak at Rally!
7:30 Last chance to sign up to speak at Hearing Hearing will run until last person signed-up has had a chance to speak.
Last week, President Obama’s EPA made an announcement that will spring Texas forward to cleaner air!I love the idea of being able to run on Lady Bird Lake trail without wheezing on certain days.And, I love the idea that the number of ozone alert days could go down. The children I'd like to have someday might not have to stay inside the classroom like kids have to now on Ozone Action Alert days.
Here’s the big news.The EPA proposed an improvement to the federal clean air standard for ozone to a range of 60 to 70 parts per billion -- This step could signficantly lower ozone pollution across the state!The EPA will soon ask for public comments from you. The Sierra Club is already taking action to support the new, proposed rule!After the public comments process, the rule will become finalized by August 31 of this year.
The announcement came January 7 from the EPA in Washington.Texas is going to be one of the states impacted most because despite our beautiful dream of wide open space and big blue skies on the frontier, both urban and rural Texans are breathing some of the dirtiest smog in the nation.In anticipation of the EPA’s announcement, the American Lung Association in Texas, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Texas State Legislators including Senator Kirk Watson and Representatives Lon Burnam and Eddie Rodriguez environmental groups and local citizens impacted by air pollution in our state eagerly welcomed the decision at press conferences in Austin (News8 Austin video), Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
You Don't Have to be a Doctor to Know
Why is Obama’s EPA doing this?The proposed rule revises a much less protective proposal from the Bush Administration.The Bush EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) went with a less than adequate standard (and little enforcement of that!) despite the obvious damage it would cause to our health and air quality.The ozone limits announced today meet recommendations from the EPA’s scientific panel based on 1700 scientific studies, many indicating that ozone is a lot worse for our lungs than we previously knew.
At Wednesday’s press conference at the State Capitol, Dr. Don Williams pointed out that “You certainly don’t have to be a doctor to know that brown haze is not good for your lungs.” Dr. Don compared ozone to lead explaining that we didn’t know how dangerous lead was until we found out through research.Breathing Ozone can kill.When we breathe in smog, it burns and damages the respiratory system like a sun burn might burn the skin.It can lead to further respiratory illnesses like cardio-pulmonary obstructive disorder and heart disease.According to the American Lung Association, even short term increases in ozone have been found to increase deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory problems.That’s why this new ozone limit is so important.
After the comment period and finalization of the new standard, Texas’ multi-county, regional Councils of Government and the TCEQ will create and submit State Implementation Plans to the EPA that will identify the sources and ways we’ll reduce emissions. That’s really good news for all of us breathers.
We can look at where ozone comes from.Ozone comes from nitrogen oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds emitted by large industrial facilities -- coal plants, cement kilns, refineries, and chemical plants, but also from smaller yet hugely numerous sources like our vehicles in traffic, heavy, off-road construction equipment, gasoline stations, paint shops, and natural gas drilling.
First Step, Halt Proposed New Coal Plants
One of the easiest ways to control NOx emissions is to go after the largest ‘single point sources’.Because coal plants create almost 35% of all industrial ozone, Texas must reverse the Texas coal rush.We have to stop building new coal plants and we have to phase out the dirty, existing coal plants.We have to and we can make a transition to clean power.
Texas doctors and nurses have been focusing more and more on the coal-fired power plants.Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) is speaking out because they recognize burning coal for electricity is terrible for people’s health.Along with Dr. Don, PSR spokespersons Dr. Stuart Abamson, a pediatric children’s hospital, asthma & immunology specialist spoke at the Houston press event and pediatrician Dr. Karen Lewis spoke at the Dallas event last week.
In Corpus Christi, Dr. Bruce Taylor, pediatrician, anesthesiologist and a member of the local Clean Economy Coalition spoke about the problems presented by Chase Power Development’s plans to build an ironically named ‘Las Brisas’ -- Spanish for ‘the breezes’, coke-powered plant.(Coke emits NOx and is regulated like coal.) Las Brisas would put out more pollution than the 6 refineries currently operating in Corpus Christi combined including 3,776 TONS annually of ozone-forming, asthma-causing NOx.Just up the coast, citizens and elected officials are looking closely at the proposed White Stallion coal plant, planned in Matagorda County just south of the Houston-Galveston ‘non-attainment’ area.Las Brisas and White Stallion would add up with the 9 other proposed coal plant projects in Texas to equal 27,013 TONS per year of additional NOx in our air.That’s why Sierra Club, Environmental Defense, and local environmental groups and individuals around the state are fighting these new coal plants.Placing a moratorium on any new coal plant permits and reconsidering all recently permitted coal plants would be one easy way to help meet the new ozone standard.
DMN to Perry: Get Over It
This week, Governor Rick Perry and the TCEQ continued to fight the Obama Administration’s clean air and climate protection plans while editors at the Dallas Morning News want Perry to get over it.They want the state to now ‘get started on a serious ozone reduction strategy.’
A reporter at the Austin press conference asked a good question, ‘What will make Texas local and state government clean-up the air?’
Good question.If you ask me, the reason coal plants have been polluting Texas is because the Bush Administration EPA failed to act, and the TCEQ under Governor Perry’s appointees went right along.We have a new administration now and a new EPA that is willing to enforce the law to protect public health.What can happen?For one thing, the EPA has the ultimate say over the State Implementation Plan so EPA can require serious, health-based permitting plans.If regions around the State don’t reach ‘attainment’ of the clean air standards, they can lose federal highway funds for one thing.
Clean Energy Solutions
Texas is now at an energy crossroads.Businesses are looking for clean energy solutions.The Texas energy industry can seize this huge opportunity to turn away from coal and create green jobs and wealth by building their part of the new clean energy economy. We have the smarts in this energy savvy state.Texas received more money for energy efficiency programs like home weatherization than any other state in the country after New York.We have the renewable power resources. Texas generates more wind power than any other state in the nation, and we have incredible solar power resource.
Sierra Club, other environmental groups, and our partners in the medical community applaud the EPA for taking this step in the right direction.The only way we’ll get our cities back into attainment of the clean air standards is to stop any new coal plants from being built, and to phase out and shut down some of the oldest and dirtiest coal plants.We are calling on the EPA to halt the permitting of any new coal plants in the state of Texas and to help TCEQ prioritize which of the dirtiest old coal plants to phase out first.
State Legislators are ready to take action.As Senator Kirk Watson said at last week’s announcement, “Our goal…should be to make sure that we all get the air we need to breathe well, have fun, work productively, and keep our region competitive with areas that can offer companies and workers unmistakably clean air.Non-attainment isn’t something to be afraid of.”
In 2009, "It is a literally a matter of one or two parts per billion..." County Commissioner Karen Hubner, recently mapped out ozone nonattainment's economic impacts to Austinites, saying: "The implications are huge and will cost taxpayers a lot of money."
Commissioner Huber explains,
"First, going into nonattainment would subject us to a slew of new rules and regulations that could hang over our heads for up to 20 years after we return to air quality compliance. These regulations would create a lag effect on everything, from higher energy bills for households to creation of new businesses, as well as more expensive transportation projects (that you finance).
Second, "Nonattainment would require us to cede local control of transportation projects to state and federal oversight regulations. Conforming to their regulations would create longer construction times and higher construction costs.
Third, "... our businesses could be subject to much harsher oversight than they currently enjoy... Nonattainment regulations would subject power plants to higher emissions standards, resulting in higher electricity bills. Gasoline might have to be reformulated before it can be used to fuel our vehicles, and your car would be required to pass stringent emissions testing."
On Tuesday, February 2, the EPA is going to hear from Big Coal, the Oil and Gas industry, Chemical companies, and possibly highway construction companies and the auto industry that clean air standards are bad for business. 
Last week, President Obama’s EPA made an announcement that will spring Texas forward to cleaner air!
The announcement came January 7 from the EPA in Washington.
One of the easiest ways to control NOx emissions is to go after the largest ‘single point sources’.
Texas is now at an energy crossroads.