More on Houston’s smog extension

The Baytown Sun has an article on Houston’s smog problem, with more details from GHASP’s Sabrina Strawn about why the TCEQ’s response is so lame.

Sabrina Stawn, executive director of the Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention, bemoaned the SIP revisions.

“In essence, it’s not a plan. At this point, we have a deadline of 2010, and TCEQ is saying we can’t meet the deadline for the Houston-Galveston area,” she said.

“We feel there are other control measures they could be looking at. We also don’t accept the reasoning that transportation is totally off-limits, or controlling emissions from transportation,” she said.

Strawn said TCEQ already has legislative authority to implement stricter controls, and there may be growing sentiment around the state for even more authority.

Strawn said the North Texas Clean Air Coalition, a subsidiary of the North Texas Council of Governments, has recently adopted a series of resolutions aimed at helping the Dallas-Fort Worth region reach attainment.

“One of the things they proposed is that Texas should go ahead and adopt California’s vehicle emissions standards,” the most stringent in the nation, Strawn said.

She said she expected the Texas Legislature to consider bills next session that would “fully fund” the Texas Emissions Reduction Program, which she said wasn’t fully funded when the Legislature created it.

Strawn said the Houston-Galveston Area Council is considering similar resolutions.

“I think there’s considerable interest in the Legislature to take available cost-effective measures to reduce air pollution,” she said.

Strawn said there also should be “considerable more interest” in reducing emissions by industrial facilities.

“We know from previous scientific work that the emissions are undercounted. We think if they’re fully accounted for, there are other control measures that can be used,” she said.

Strawn said California plants which have been required to implement “flare minimization” plans have shown reduced emissions as well as significant cost savings.

“So we’ve got some good examples out there of where emissions can be further reduced. I think TCEQ should be looking at those and requiring them,” she said.

A public comment period on the proposed SIP revisions begins Dec. 29 and lasts until Feb. 12. A public hearing date is tentatively scheduled in the Houston area on Jan. 29. To read the proposed rules, visit the Web site www.tceq.state.tx.us/rules/pendprop.html.

There’s your chance to affect the TCEQ if you choose to do so. I’ll post the hearing details when I know them.

Meanwhile, UH law professor Victor Flatt has a blog post about why the EPA should tell TCEQ to take its extension request and stick it. I see he too reaches for the lazy-student-who-expects-an-extension metaphor. Hey, if the shoe fits, and all that. Check it out.

UPDATE: Muse has more.

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