The Lone Star Sierran - February 2015

Director's Message

Despite the current arctic front affronting Texas, Spring is definitely in the air and emerging from the ground. I'm wearing a sweater and coat right now, but I was out in a t-shirt last Saturday witnessing my first daffodil bloom. Unfortunately, Spring is not the only thing in Texas' air. Smog puts a serious damper on the seasonal re-awakening. Houston and Dallas both rank in the top 10 for most smog-polluted cities in the country and not enough is being done to protect public health and the environment.

So what exactly is going on with smog in Dallas? The recent headlines about ozone/smog limits may be a bit confusing. Are we doing better? Are we doing worse? What's the plan to improve? Is it a good plan? The essential takeaway is that the DFW area still has bad air, and polluters need to clean up their act so children and the elderly can breathe easier.

The Sierra Club is working on multiple fronts to reduce smog in DFW. Last month, we partnered with Downwinders At Risk to file official comments pressuring the TCEQ to come up with a better plan to reduce smog locally. We educated and organized scores of Texans who made the trip to Arlington to tell the EPA to improve the ozone standard nationally and sync it with what science indicates we need to protect public health. We also intervened legally when the EPA did not hold polluters responsible when DFW air quality deteriorated in 2013. The latter has to do with making sure the EPA follows the law and properly designates the DFW area as a "severe non-attainment" area.

By the way, you have until March 17 to add your voice in support of stronger smog standards. Click here to tell the EPA you want clean air!

Texas Legislature 2015

February Update - Fast and Furious: Budget Battles Press On, Multiple Legislators Seek to Strip City and Citizen Rights

Month two of the legislative session saw both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance Committee rev up their hearings and their decisions in anticipation of a state budget that will include increased funding for roads, education, clean air programs, local parks, and yes - tax relief. It also saw a smattering of bills filed on environmental issues, many of which were aimed at limiting the power of local government to implement or enforce environmental safeguards, and the power of citizens to contest permits to pollute.

Action Alert

Texas House and Senate Take Up the Budget Bill and Get an Earful From Sierra Club!

Hundreds of you have sent emails to your State Senator and Representative urging them to support full funding of important clean air, water management, and parks and wildlife budgets. To date, 2,700 emails have been sent to the Legislature during a critical point in the development of the next budget. Thank You! The work is not over, however. Though the only required public hearings on Article VI (TCEQ, Texas Water Development Board, Texas Parks & Wildlife, et al) are complete, the "mark up" phase is underway and we need to keep the pressure on the Capitol! If you haven't done so yet, please take a minute to send an email to your representatives in Austin and let them know these programs need to be funded fully!

Drink, Dance, and Donate on Amplify Austin Day - March 5-6

We are excited! The Sierra Club is once again participating in Amplify Austin Day, a 24-hour period of giving in the Austin area. Amplify Austin is an easy and fun way for the entire Austin community to give together and help hundreds of nonprofits that are meeting critical needs. If you live in the area, come to our Amplify Austin Day Happy Hour event at the Hard Luck Lounge, March 5, 6-9pm! Come out and enjoy live performances by local Austin musicians, delicious barbecue, and good times! Click here to learn more about our work in Austin and Central Texas and schedule your donation today! Amplify Austin Day will begin March 5 at 6pm and run until March 6 at 6pm. If you can't make it to the Hard Luck Lounge, you can donate online here (why not schedule it now?), then spread the word! Share why you support the Sierra Club on Twitter (use #AmplifyATX and tag us @TexasSierraClub) and Facebook (be sure to like us and tag us in your post!).

Raising Hell in Bayou Vista

Something is not right in Bayou Vista. On January 13, a notorious oil refinery owned by Marathon Petroleum spewed "catalyst dust" for nearly 24 hours, which coated the lawns, cars, and houses of this small community two miles from Texas City. Residents were not informed what was going on, but eventually Marathon fessed up to the incident and offered residents $400 to wash away the innocuous sounding substance, which is not so innocuous the more one reads about it. Catalyst is used to refine crude oil into gasoline, and can include aluminum, fine sand, and other heavy metals.

Most folks know that "out of sight, out of mind" is not a best practice, and the residents of Bayou Vista are getting fed up with the answers, or lack thereof, from Marathon and state officials about why this happened and what should be done about it.

Sierra Club Urges More Funding for Major Repairs, Invasives Control in Parks & Wildlife Budget

In the Texas Legislature, the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations are the two committees responsible for passing the state's biennial budget. Comprised of 15 and 27 members respectively, these committees already held their one and only required public hearing on Article VI, the section of the budget that includes Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), and the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife (TPWD). This is a critical moment for the health of beneficial programs within these agencies. Sierra Club intern Nikki Whitehead took a closer look at Parks & Wildlife, and the efforts of Evelyn Merz, Conservation Chair of the Lone Star Chapter, who spoke at the House Appropriations Committee hearing on the proposed budget for TPWD.

What Happened At The EPA Smog Hearing In Arlington?

On January 29, the EPA held three hearings nationwide (DC, Texas, and California), taking comments on new ozone (aka smog) standards. Scores of citizens from Texas and the surrounding region showed up in force in Arlington to deliver a clear message: improve the smog standard to protect our health! Sierra Club member (and superb photographer) Al Braden captured the event in photos and video, and urged everyone who hasn't already spoken up to send EPA their written comments by March 17 urging them to lower smog limits.

President Obama to Get Every Kid in a Park

A walk in the woods will change a child's life. That is, if she ever makes it to the trailhead. On February 19, President Obama unveiled the "Every Kid in a Park" initiative to connect children and their families with the great outdoors, ensuring millions of kids, regardless of where they live, will have an opportunity to take that first step in nature. The initiative will provide free entrance to our nation's treasured public lands for every fourth grader in America -- oh, and they can take their families, too. Jackie Ostfeld, Nearby Nature Director or the Our Wild America Campaign, has more.

Outings Across Texas

• The Lower Rio Grande Valley group is doing fantastic work and informative writing to raise awareness of the potential negative impact of LNG terminals near Brownsville and Port Isabel. Their latest piece focuses on the risk of harming the decades of work that have gone into habitat restoration of the Bahia Grande if LNG terminals and infrastructure are built.
• Ten faith leaders gathered from all over Austin at the Sanctuary on February 8 for Austin's 2nd Annual Preach-Off on Climate Change. The leaders spoke on their faith's perspective and response to the climate crisis. Click here to watch the full video.
• The Cross Timbers Group is reforming and will serve residents in Denton and Collin counties. Member as well as residents who are interested in joining the Sierra Club are encouraged to come to a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at the yellow house next to the Diggin It store in McKinney at 507 N. Tennessee Street, just north of the downtown square area.
• The Lone Star Chapter's own Jennifer Walker, Water Resources Coordinator, will be a part of the 2015 Gulf Coast Water Conservation Symposium, March 4, 2015 in Houston. The Sierra Club is co-sponsoring this important event for water providers. Attendees will learn the results of a statewide poll focused on public attitudes and perceptions on water supply and how to promote water conservation in addition to many other water conservation topics.
• The First-Friday Film Series in Austin presents DamNation on March 6th.The award-winning 2014 film produced by Patagonia moves through rivers and landscapes altered by dams. The film illuminates the sea change in our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders, to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. Sierra Club's own Jennifer Walker, Water Resources Coordinator, will be a guest speaker at the Q&A following the film screening.