New Name, Same Game!
The Dallas Morning News deserves a special bravo for their recent editorial Air pollution: New name, same game! Thank you for taking a bold stance about the newly named state environmental agency-Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Your editorial highlighted what environmentalist and air huggers have been saying all along “its time that the agency get serious about clearing our air and do something to address pollution coming from Ellis County.” According to agency data there’s enough evidence to suggest that Ellis County be incorporated into the four county clean air plan. In addition to being the home to the top industrial smog producers in North Texas, Ellis County has violated the three strikes law for ozone but yet the governor, nor the TCEQ, nor the EPA has taken the necessary steps to declare the region a clean air felon--even though it is.
The $223,125 fine and a perpetual pollution extension of more than a year and a half is a gift from the TCEQ to Holcim and a literal “gag” gift from the agency to breather’s in North Texas. If the agency were really serious about reducing pollution then Holcim’s fine would be closer to $3.6 million and they wouldn’t be able to operate until they complied with their agreement with the state.
Meanwhile, while they’re given another year and a half to reach their permitted levels Holcim has applied for a “permit amendment” to challenge the conditions of their agreement. TCEQ this is very simple, Holcim broke their agreement, they reneged on a formal process, the hurled additional smog forming pollution into North Texas, and it’s time that you as the state’s environmental agency enforce the law. Anything else is irresponsible.
Becky BornhorstSubmitted to the Dallas Morning News 9/23/02
Your editorial highlighted what environmentalist and air huggers have been saying all along “its time that the agency get serious about clearing our air and do something to address pollution coming from Ellis County.” According to agency data there’s enough evidence to suggest that Ellis County be incorporated into the four county clean air plan. In addition to being the home to the top industrial smog producers in North Texas, Ellis County has violated the three strikes law for ozone but yet the governor, nor the TCEQ, nor the EPA has taken the necessary steps to declare the region a clean air felon--even though it is.
The $223,125 fine and a perpetual pollution extension of more than a year and a half is a gift from the TCEQ to Holcim and a literal “gag” gift from the agency to breather’s in North Texas. If the agency were really serious about reducing pollution then Holcim’s fine would be closer to $3.6 million and they wouldn’t be able to operate until they complied with their agreement with the state.
Meanwhile, while they’re given another year and a half to reach their permitted levels Holcim has applied for a “permit amendment” to challenge the conditions of their agreement. TCEQ this is very simple, Holcim broke their agreement, they reneged on a formal process, the hurled additional smog forming pollution into North Texas, and it’s time that you as the state’s environmental agency enforce the law. Anything else is irresponsible.
Becky BornhorstSubmitted to the Dallas Morning News 9/23/02
posted by Downwinders At Risk at
5:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home