Texas Clean Air Matters

Talking TERP– The Texas Approach to Clean Air (Part 1)

By / Bio / Published: October 31, 2016
Photo courtesy of: Texas House of Representatives

Photo courtesy of: Texas House of Representatives

Texas is home to many unique things – from the iconic Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo to the Eiffel Tower in Paris (Texas), we tend to do things a little differently from the rest of the country.

The same is true with how the state has decided to deal with an air pollution problem that was affecting many areas in the state years ago. Instead of requiring specific actions from businesses and others whose operations create air pollution, our business-friendly state took another tactic – we created a voluntary incentive program to pay for emission reductions.

It’s called the Texas Emissions Reductions Plan – or TERP for short. And it has worked surprisingly well. Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, Clean Air Act, TCEQ / Comments are closed

Texas Companies Among Winners of EPA Award for Sustainable Freight Transport

By / Bio / Published: October 7, 2016

trucks flickrEPA just announced the winners of the 2016 SmartWay Excellence Award for sustainable freight transport.

44 companies — out of more than 3,500 partners in the program – were honored for their accomplishments in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency.

This year’s well-deserved accolades went to 43 truck carriers, seven shippers and one barge carrier – including some SmartWay partners in Texas.

The awards demonstrate that environmental stewardship and economic success go hand in hand, and are an example of EPA’s commitment to recognizing companies that achieve those “win-wins.”  Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, Clean Car Standards, Climate Change, Dallas Fort-Worth, Environment, Goods Movement, Transportation / Comments are closed

Asthma Awareness Month – Show How You Care About the Air

By / Published: May 16, 2016

ChildAsthma

May, which is well into ozone season in many regions in Texas, is also Asthma Awareness Month — an opportunity for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and health partners to educate Americans on asthma health risks and prevention strategies.

Asthma is a condition in which inflamed airways make it difficult for a person to breathe, and smog may be a trigger for asthma attacks. According to the American Lung Association, almost 26 million Americans have asthma, including more than seven million children.

Asthma and other health issues such as lung disease are directly affected by air quality. Asthma Awareness Month is kicked off by Air Quality Awareness Week, a week that health officials use to spread awareness of the effects of air quality on human health. The week included celebrating champions of asthma education and prevention by announcing the winners of EPA’s National Leadership Awards in Asthma Management on May 3rd. These recipients have developed national models for effective asthma care. Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, Ozone / Read 1 Response

Texas Organizer Named to National Climate Justice Panel

By / Bio / Published: March 22, 2016
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Yudith Nieto, shown here holding an an air sampler in the Manchester neighborhood of Houston, was named to a national climate justice panel.

Environmental justice is a top priority for many millennials. And one young, Houston-based organizer is demonstrating her generation’s effectiveness by leading the way on this important issue.

Community groups play an important role in bolstering young leaders. Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS), based in Houston’s Manchester neighborhood, supports residents in efforts to create sustainable and environmentally healthy communities by providing education and resources. They recognize millennial leadership on environmental justice issues, and often work with young organizers in their efforts to educate and engage community members on environmental laws and policy. Read More »

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Part III: Flawed Logic at Texas Environmental Agency Results in Costly Lawsuits and Poor Public Health Policy

By / Bio / Published: January 26, 2016
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rkimpeljr/209687857/in/photolist-jwGTT-sPNXn-b6WTeX-6Rcx6B-32dh5E-328Zf6-9LgCmw-b8zLCz-dCVDGi-aApWyE

There is robust agreement on the dangers of ozone pollution in the medical health community.

Part I of our series on ozone described how 2015 was a bad year for Houston ozone. Part II reviewed recent research from leading Houston scientists that explains why more ozone pollution is harmful to our health. Part III explains how faulty logic and erroneous assumptions had led to costly lawsuits and poor public health policy across the state. Part IV will identify some solutions to Houston’s ozone problem and suggest measures to protect the health of Houston area residents.

There has been quite a bit of activity related to the proposed U.S. ozone regulations in the past year. As part of a four part series on ozone in 2015, we’d like to take the time to rebuke some of the scientifically-flawed testimony provided by state environmental officials, including Dr. Michael Honeycutt, toxicologist for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the state environmental agency. We feel that the agency has presented health information in a way that is misleading and contradicts the robust opinion of the medical health community on the issue.

First, a little context is important. We at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have participated in the public process involving the ozone standard and provided testimony to Congress on the health effects of ozone exposure. TCEQ has challenged the health-based standards in an aggressive way, and their efforts have been fodder for expensive and frivolous lawsuits filed by the state. Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, Environmental Justice, Houston, Ozone, TCEQ, Uncategorized / Tagged , , | Read 2 Responses

Part II: Studies Show Health Risks Associated with More Ozone Pollution

By / Bio / Published: January 21, 2016
ozone image 3 1.21.16

High ozone days, particularly in sequence, increase the risk of an asthma attack requiring EMS intervention.

In Part I of our series on ozone, we described how 2015 was a bad year for Houston ozone. Why does this matter? In Part II, we’re reviewing recent research from leading Houston scientists that explains why more ozone pollution is harmful to our health.

Scientists have known for a long time that ground-level ozone, or smog, is harmful to human health. Smog is associated with adverse health effects like asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and lung disease. Children, the elderly, and individuals that spend lots of active time outdoors are even more susceptible to high ozone levels and thus considered sensitive populations.

Fortunately, recent research on exposure to lower levels of ozone prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this year to strengthen the national health-based standard to 70 parts per billion (ppb). The new standard means cleaner air and healthier lungs in Houston, where studies from area scientists have demonstrated local, negative health implications of high ozone levels. Read More »

Also posted in Air Pollution, Ozone, TCEQ, Uncategorized / Tagged | Read 1 Response