Photo Credit: Sierra Club, Sarah Sharif - Wichitas Mountains, OK
Our national parks and wildlife refuges are American treasures that have long provided adventures and memories for many locals and visitors to Texas. But thick smog from haze pollution is clouding our state’s remarkable vistas and dramatically reducing visibility. Hikers who enjoy trekking to the top of mountains might think twice about taking scenic photos – that is, unless they want a heavy gray filter added. What can you do?
Tell the Environmental Protection Agency you don’t want haze to cloud the horizon. This month, the EPA is holding hearings in Austin and Oklahoma City on haze. Many people plan to testify – property owners near Big Bend, tourism and national parks employees, health professionals, faith leaders, parents, and more. You can join them by RSVP’ing today!
There’s a lot more at stake than national parks when it comes to haze pollution. It is a serious public health threat too. For years, polluting companies in Texas have been releasing alarming amounts of haze pollution into the air – more than 365,500 tons of sulfur dioxide emitted in 2013 alone, according to EPA data.
Texas must be a good neighbor
Coal plants in Texas emit more pollution than coal plants in any other state, but our pollution blows over state lines into Oklahoma and Arkansas too, affecting their wilderness areas and obstructing views. Even though the Clean Air Act requires states to address haze pollution, the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) submitted a do-nothing plan in 2009 that would have taken 140 years to achieve clear skies over Big Bend.
The EPA rightly rejected that plan and proposed to cut Texas’ coal-burning pollution by more than 228,000 tons, almost two-thirds of the total amount of sulfur dioxide emitted by all the state's power plants. This will protect natural visibility in our beloved parks and refuges (as well as those in Oklahoma and Arkansas), and it’s an important protection for our health.
While the rule is good, we are still evaluating it. There are several improvements that could be made. The Sierra Club will file official comments that include ways to improve it.
It’s time to send the EPA a clear message: We want clean, visible air. Please join us at the EPA Public Hearings in Austin on Tuesday, January 13. If you live closer to Oklahoma City, there is an identical hearing there on Thursday, January 15.
We are arranging free transportation and refreshment for volunteers, with buses and vans from Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Alpine, and Little Rock. We can also accommodate additional transportation to ensure that all volunteers from any region that would like to participate can attend, just let us know!
Event logistics/transportation/materials can be found here: http://content.sierraclub.org/coal/texas/regional-haze/epa-public-hearings
Please formally RSVP with the Sierra Club here:
http://action.sierraclub.org/AustinHazeHearing
http://action.sierraclub.org/OKCHazeHearing
If you have any questions or can offer assistance, please contact:
Sarah Sharif
Lead Organizer on Regional Haze, Sierra Club
(650) 862-8779