Texans Urge Trump’s EPA to Back Off of Regional Haze Rules

Dallas - More than 1,000 people and 10 organizations have submitted comments urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to rethink plans to weaken regional haze pollution standards in the Lone Star State. Regional haze impairs visibility in natural spaces and is produced when large industrial sources, especially coal-burning power plants, emit harmful pollution that mixes with sunlight. Last month, EPA announced intentto withdraw its own strong regional haze rule for Texas, finalized during the Obama administration, and to approve an extraordinarily weak plan from the Texas government. If finalized, these moves would allow wealthy coal polluters, like NRG and Luminant, to release more toxic emissions into the air, making people sick and clouding the skies across Texas.

In response to this proposal, Texans across the stateas well as 10 local, state, and national organizations told EPA that such actions would "ruin Texas skies" and urged officials to put "humanity above profit." EPA data shows that haze in Texas has not improved over two decades. While international conditions like Saharan dust occasionally contribute to haze a few days a year, monitoring shows that the majority of haze-forming chemicals are emitted by coal plants.

States get to propose their own plans for reducing regional haze, and if those aren't adequate, EPA can enforce its own federal plans. In Texas, haze plans from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) have consistently been so weak they would do nothing to reduce haze in any meaningful way. Trump's EPA is seeking to undo a previously strong federal plan and approve a do-nothing plan from TCEQ, whose commissioners have all been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Today is the deadline for the public to submit input on this proposal.

Statement from James Perkins, Sierra Club Beyond Coal organizer based in Dallas

"Haze pollution hangs heavy over my home state of Texas, and its impact on the public's enjoyment of our natural spaces is unacceptable - especially in a state that prides itself on wide-open skies and sweeping landscapes. That's exactly why Congress called for reductions of haze pollution four decades ago. Haze-forming chemicals also make communities living near Texas's 13 coal plants sick, so why is Trump's EPA seeking to boost wealthy energy corporations while harming normal people across the state? If EPA allows TCEQ to set the rules, it will open the door to worsening pollution. Texans everywhere know all too well that the commission consistently fails to stand up for the people - whether it's dealing with concrete batch plants, landfills, petrochemical facilities, or mega-polluting coal plants. We urge EPA to reverse course and listen to Texans who have spoken out, clearly and passionately, against the proposal."

Statement from Cary Dupuy, National Parks Conservation Association Texas Regional Director

"Every year, millions of people come to Texas from all over the world to discover the wonders of our national parks. Visitors to Guadalupe Mountains National Park deserve to gaze out over Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas, and see hundreds of miles of beautiful, desert landscape. If the administration continues dismantling the Regional Haze Rule, gorgeous national park viewpoints like Guadalupe Peak will continue to be hazy. Communities across Texas and the Southwest will struggle to breathe filthier air. Without strong protections against air pollution, parks and people suffer.

"We join advocates across the country in calling on the EPA to work together with Texas communities to enforce commonsense air regulations, rather than approving risky haze plans that will have serious consequences for our parks. It's not too late to hold Texas and haze polluters accountable."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit https://www.sierraclub.org.