|
Vehicle Emission Testing Begins Today as Citizens Do Their Fair Share for
Clean Air But Will the Region Meet Clean Air by 2007? The Outlook Is
Smoggy.
Dallas, Texas-Vehicle
emissions testing begins today as a strategy to help clear the air over the
Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. Vehicle emissions testing is a great step
toward solving the metroplex’s air quality woes but will the air get clean
enough by 2007? It’s highly unlikely.
“Cars are just a piece of
the larger pollution puzzle” said Katy Hubener, executive director of the
Dallas based air quality group the Blue Skies Alliance. “The
underestimation of emissions coming from automobiles according to recent
modeling by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ellis County’s
persistent violation of clean air standards, a push by North Texas
Congressman Joe Barton to undermine the Clean Air Act, the Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission’s (TNRCC) unwillingness to enforce the law,
and industrial facilities emitting three times their agreed permit levels
all point toward failure to reach clean air by 2007.”
A study
conducted by the EPA illustrates that the modeling numbers used to plan
strategies for our State Implementation Plan (SIP) “underestimated the
release of nitrogen oxide (NOx)...and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)”
from automobiles by more than 90% in 2004 and 44% in 2007.
Comparative
Study of Mobile5 and Mobile6 for the Dallas Ft. Worth Nonattainment.
Cars are
further exacerbated by Ellis county. Ellis county, which lies just south of
Dallas is in violation of the very law that has forced automibile emissions
testing on Dallas and Tarrant county residents. Futhermore, Ellis county is
home to the largest industrial sources in the metroplex but yet the
industries that lie there have been asked to make only modest reductions --
and they’re even disputing that. According to the most recent EPA Air Data
(1999) the eight facilities in Ellis county pump out more pollution than all
of the 48 facilities in Dallas County combined.
Of the
largest industrial facilities in Ellis County three are cement plants: TXI,
Holcim (pronounced ironically wholesome) and North Texas Cement. Of these
three facilities one has an ongoing lawsuit and is trying to opt out of the
clean air rules (TXI) and one is pumping out more than double the pollution
they said they would (Holcim). Holcim and the TNRCC recently reached
agreement on what their fine would be for their violations against
breather’s-$223, 125 a small penance for the pollution they’re still pumping
out.
Meanwhile
Congressman Barton, whose home just happens to be Ellis County and was
conincientailly the largest recepient of campaign money from the industries
that reside there, is attempting to gut significant portions of the Clean
Air Act. The Clean Air Act reauthorization hearings begin today and reside
in the House energy and air quality subcommittee, chaired by Barton. The
Clean Air Act is the law which governs pollution standards and it calls for
such things as real emission reductions from industrial sources like those
in Ellis county, development of regional strategies for making the air
cleaner, and use of health-based standards in order to guide rule
development by the EPA.
On
February 28, 2002 citizens and public interest organizations made a special
trip to Austin to ask the TNRCC Executive Director, Jeff Saitas to request
that Ellis county comply with the Clean Air Act. In a letter from Saitis,
he stated
“I have had staff review the air monitoring data for Ellis
County and agree that there were four monitored exceedences during the years
1998, 1999, and 2000. Although not required, the Governor has the
discretion to request that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
redesignate Ellis County as nonattainment. 42 USCA §7407(d)(3)(D).
However, it is not my recommendation to Governor Perry that he request
redesignation of Ellis County at this time.”
In sum,
Saitas comments translate to the following summary. “Yep, you’re right.
Ellis County has violated the law, but I’m not going to enforce it.”
And to think, Saitas is the chief police officer for environment in the
state of Texas.
“Citizens
are doing their part to clear the air through vehicle emission testing, but
the largest industrial sources remain awray. Citizens have asked for fair
and proportional reductions from the area’s largest industrial sources, but
the state refuses to comply. Citizens have asked Congresman Barton for his
support in strengthening clean air standards, but yet all indications are
that he’ll roll back the Clean Air Act if given the chance. Citizens have
asked Jeff Saitis, of the TNRCC, to comply with federal law, but yet he
refuses to do so” said Hubener. “Citizen’s want clean air to breathe but
will they get it-probably not”.
|
