Stronger State Environmental Protection, Regulation and Enforcement is essential to preserve our quality of life and secure long-term economic growth. Gov. Perry’s lax TCEQ has failed to enforce the law and as a result, the state is ceding its responsibility to protect Texans’ health. “Flex permits” that allow excess pollution must be changed to protect the health of Texans. The use of TCEQ permits to make billions of dollars for some of Perry’s largest contributors must end. State regulatory officials must be appointed who will protect our health by using science as a basis for decisions. They must enforce state and federal laws, and protect our air, water and land from those who pollute for profit.

We support:

• a requirement that all major permit proceedings include consideration of the feasibility and cost analyses of less polluting, alternative technology;
• the repeal of state grandfathering provisions that allow circumvention of municipal regulations that protect health and human safety and the property of nearby landowners;
• limiting the volume and curies of radioactive waste coming to Texas and only allowing disposal of radioactive waste from the Compact States of Texas and Vermont to prevent Texas from becoming a dumping ground for radioactive waste from other countries and 36 or more other states;
• thorough scrutiny of the lax environmental enforcement by Perry’s Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) through the Sunset Review process;
• requiring TCEQ to protect the health of Texans by enforcing the Clean Air Act and analyzing cumulative pollution impacts on downwind communities before making permitting decisions;
• strengthening violation penalties so that it does not pay to pollute;
• repeal of legislation promoted by Gov. Perry allowing the state to interfere with local prosecutors’ ability to bring criminals who poison our air and water to justice;
• the rights of all citizens to participate in the permitting process and contested hearings in order to protect their property, health and the environment;
• a 90% reduction of mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants in order to protect public health and prevent brain damage in children;
• retirement of the oldest, heavy-polluting, coal burning Texas power plants that are so outdated that pollution controls are not an economically viable option; prevent contamination of Texas’ land, air and water by proposed Canadian tar sands pipelines;
• protecting watersheds, aquifers, schools and neighborhoods from the harmful effects of transporting dangerous materials through pipelines or other forms of surface transportation;
• enacting and enforcing guidelines to prevent contamination of Texas’ land, air and water by pipelines;
• the enactment of laws and regulations to protect low-income communities and communities of color from environmental racism and environmental injustice;
• strict “truth in labeling” laws and regulations that mandate the consumer’s right to know what is present in their food, including genetic engineering involved in product preparation;
• proper management and regulation of landfills that threaten community health;
• providing State and Federal funds to address border environmental problems caused by inadequate water, wastewater treatment systems and air pollution; and
• the enactment of state policy that allows local government to protect air and water quality, public safety, historical sites and health from actions that adversely affect their community.