One Hundred Speak Out for Clean Air at EPA Ozone Hearing in Houston
Sierra Club and the Sierra Student Coalition coordinated a partnership with the American Lung Association and other health and environmental groups and individuals to turn out 100 people who spoke in support of a new, National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone at an EPA hearing in Houston on February 2. EPA officials at the hearing remarked -- 'It was the largest number of people testifying at an air quality hearing in Houston in years.'
Read more about it here. And...
Watch the TV News of 14 year old Aaron Smith, a Houston teenager struggling with asthma. Aaron wants tighter ozone standards to help control his asthma and he spoke at a press event with Sierra Club's Ian Davis and Neil Carman plus other advocates in the Clean Air Texas coalition.
What's ozone have to do with Coal Plants? Annually, Coal plants produce about 35% of Texas' industrial sources of ozone from nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emissions. The easiest and fastest way to reduce ozone emissions and meet the new health-based standards is by going after 'single point industrial sources' like coal plants. Coal plants will soon have to install scrubbers and other equipment to significantly reduce ozone emissions and clear the air of this dangerous pollutant, ozone. This means that coal plant costs will rise signficantly. The technology is becoming obsolete.
At the same time...Texas has far more proposed coal fired power plants than any other state in the country -- 12. And, we have the most carbon dioxide and mercury from existing coal plants -- 17, than any other state in the nation. New EPA rules on ozone are coming as are new rules already proposed and in process on Carbon Dioxide, the principal global warming gas and sulfur dioxide two other, big air pollutants from coal plants. These new rules will help to bring an end to burning coal for electricity in our near future.
Here's the up side -- Texas is the leader when it comes to renewable energy production from wind and we can do the same with solar! We must stop building new coal plants and begin now to phase out the dirtiest old coal plants. 
At the same time, we are rebuilding our economy and energy infrastructure, creating clean power and green jobs; we're safeguarding both our health and our natural resources, and we're protecting the viability of Texas communities.
Sierra Club in the News
Before the EPA's hearing on ozone limits, the Houston Chronicle published a Guest Editorial 'Its Time to Weigh in on Smog Limits' by Sierra Club and our environmental partners.
After the heaing, KUHF, the National Public Radio affiliate in Houston and other public radio stations around the State carried reporter Carrie Fiebel's coverage of the EPA Ozone hearing. Television reporter Rosa Flores interviewed Aaron Smith for her story that aired during prime time on KHOU Ch. 11 in Houston and Ted Oberg reported 'EPA Looking for Answers to Ozone Problem', on Houston's KTRK Ch 13. The Houston Chronicle and MySanAntonio (the Express-News online version) published the Chronicle environment reporter Matthew Tresaugue's story, 'Latest fight over Houston's air hovers over new smog limit' Finally, The New York Times carried Houston bureau reporter Jim McKinley's story 'In Texas, Resistance Over Stricter U.S. Smog Limits'.
Reporter Forrest Wilder tells the story of the second wave of the Texas coal rush in his article "Coal Star State" from the bi-weekly Texas Observer.
Dallas Morning News (DMN) reports on the proposed EPA ozone rule and their Editors tell Governor Perry to get started on a serious ozone reduction strategy.
Sierra Club held press events in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Austin. Watch News8Austin video of the Austin event at the Texas Capitol. (Get ready to sit through the ad at the start of this clip. Its worth it!)
Press Releases
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Activist Resources
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Take Action
Stop the Coal Rush--EPA wants to hear from you!
Send your comment supporting ozone limits to the EPA online! The deadline is March 22 -- Why not click and send today!
The US Environmental Protection Agency is starting the New Year off with a sign that we may have cleaner air to breathe in Texas! The EPA announced a proposed improvement to the federal clean air standard, which will limit ground level ozone air pollution and help Texans to be healthier. With the required controls on ozone we stand to experience less asthma and respiratory illnesses and less heart disease and other health problems in Texas! This is great news and we thank the EPA for this proposal.
Click here to sign up to come to the hearing in Houston Tues. Feb. 2 or submit your comment online today!
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