Texas Clean Air Matters

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Ditch those Dirty Diesels (“TERP” that Old Truck or Tractor!)

By / Bio / Published: December 23, 2015
Image Source: Flickr/TruckPR

TCEQ can pay for the replacement of dirty diesel equipment with cleaner equivalent machines.

Have you ever heard of “TERPing”?  (Hint: it has nothing to do with pop music singers.)

In Texas, it’s shorthand for when the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) pays owners of dirty diesel equipment to reduce emissions by purchasing cleaner equivalent machines. The program, called the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (the “TERP” in “TERPing”), is a voluntary incentive program focused on improving air quality in the metropolitan areas of the state that have issues with meeting federal clean air requirements for ozone.

Since the TCEQ is accepting applications now, consider “TERPing” your older truck or equipment to apply for some of the $20 million* currently available. It’s a win-win program for all involved that we’ve written about before: Texas gets cleaner air and makes progress on its commitment to meet health-based ozone standards, and owners of heavy-duty equipment get new, cleaner machines.

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EPA Revises Ozone Standard – Texans Ready for Healthier Air

By / Published: October 1, 2015
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EPA’s revised ozone standard is an improvement, but it falls short of adequately protecting public health.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a modest but important step forward in improving air quality by revising the standard for ground-level ozone or smog. EPA today finalized a standard of 70 parts per billion (ppb) — at the least protective end of the range recommended by the EPA’s independent scientific advisors and the nation’s leading health and medical societies.

Texans, and particularly those most vulnerable to air pollution such as children and the elderly, face challenges associated with harmful air quality and now is the time to come together as a state and implement solutions that will reduce this pollution. The Houston region has made strides in reducing emissions while continuing to grow and demonstrated that we have effective tools to improve air quality across Texas.

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Posted in Air Pollution, Environment, Houston / Also tagged , , | Comments are closed

Driving Truck Efficiency with Smart Standards: Innovative Companies On How It Can Be Done

By / Bio / Published: September 30, 2015

clean truck 9.30.15As readers of this blog will know, Texas has been called home by a number of leaders in technological innovation, from Dell to Frito Lay. 

This post is from our colleague Christina Wolfe, one of our experts in air quality and freight efficiency, who notes that innovative companies recognize the value of smart regulations that help to advance technologies. We wanted to share this post with Texas Clean Air Matters because of its relevance to Texas, both as a hotspot for innovation and as a beneficiary to the climate and pollution benefits a strong Phase 2 rule will provide. 

— The EDF Texas Clean Air Matters Team

The deadline to provide public comment on new greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for large highway trucks and buses—jointly proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—is quickly approaching. Overall, the proposed new fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards have been heralded by shippers and others. And a majority of Americans — 71 percent — favor requiring truck manufacturers to increase the fuel efficiency of large trucks because it would reduce fuel costs, with much of the savings passed on to consumers. Read More »

Posted in Air Pollution, Environment, Environmental Protection Agency, GHGs / Also tagged , , , , , | Comments are closed

Natural Gas-Fueled Buses and Trucks: Will the Climate really Benefit?

By / Published: August 28, 2015

Kenworth truckAs readers of this blog will know, the freight transportation industry in Texas— a freight hub – has a significant impact on the state’s economy and environment. Recent market conditions and environmental concerns have ignited talk of expanding the use of natural gas trucks instead of diesel. But what would be the true climate benefit – or cost?

This post from our colleague Jonathan Camuzeaux, a senior economic analyst for EDF’s Office of Economic Policy and Analysis, explores this question from a national perspective, but we wanted to share this post with Texas Clean Air Matters because of its relevance to our state. We have the second-largest state-highway system in the U.S., as well as the Port of Houston Authority, which is the second busiest port in the nation when it comes to overall tonnage. Considering the switch to natural gas could have a big effect on the climate impact of the state’s truck fleets.

— The EDF Texas Clean Air Matters Team Read More »

Posted in Air Pollution, Natural gas / Also tagged , | Read 1 Response

Strong Fuel Efficiency and Clean Air Standards Welcome in Texas

By / Bio / Published: July 28, 2015
Strong fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards will cut both costs and pollution.

Strong fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards will save money and cut pollution.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are proposing new fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles, and that should be welcome news for all of Texas.

Applying to everything from delivery vans to waste and recycling trucks to utility trucks and all the way up to tractor-trailers, these rules could drive efficiency improvements that save money for both businesses and consumers, all while cutting harmful air pollution. According to EPA and NHTSA estimates, the rules would cut climate emissions by one billion metric tons and save 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program. And a study by Environmental Defense Fund and CERES found strong fuel-efficiency standards for trucks could lower total per-mile cost of truck ownership by 21 cents-per-mile by 2025. Read More »

Posted in Air Pollution, Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Environmental Protection Agency, Uncategorized / Also tagged , , , | Comments are closed

Study Shows How Power Plant Rules Can Save Lives, Improve Public Health in Texas

By / Bio / Published: July 15, 2015
A recent study suggests that a carbon emissions reduction policy for power plants could prevent thousands of premature deaths

A carbon emissions reduction policy for power plants could prevent thousands of premature deaths

When it comes to reducing carbon pollution from power plants, details in policy choices matter, especially for the state of Texas.

The final proposal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan, which would put the first ever national limits on carbon pollution from power plants in the U.S., is expected later this summer. It comes on the heels of the publication of an important study in Nature Climate Change, which examined three different power plant carbon policy options and then investigated how each would affect clean air and public health.

The study is titled Health Co-benefits of Carbon Standards for Existing Power Plants, and was conducted by scientists Dr. Buonocore and Dr. Charles Driscoll as well as their colleagues from Harvard, Syracuse, and Boston Universities. Read More »

Posted in Air Pollution, Clean Power Plan, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Protection Agency / Also tagged , , | Comments are closed