Washington, DC – Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30) and Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy outlining their concerns with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) proposed revision to the Dallas-Ft. Worth 2008 Eight-Hour Nonattainment Area Attainment Demonstration State Implementation Plan (SIP) for the 2017 Attainment Year. Dallas County Commissioner Theresa Daniel put a resolution on the Dallas County Court’s agenda for May 3rd that urges the EPA to use a Federal Implementation Plan if the agency decides that the TCEQ’s SIP revision is insufficient.
On Wednesday, the American Lung Association assigned letter grades to Texas counties in its “State of the Air” report. Dallas County and Tarrant County both received an “F” for their Ozone Grades. Ozone pollution is particularly harmful to children, older adults, and especially to the 26 million people who have asthma in this country.
“Unfortunately, TCEQ is not fulfilling its obligation to protect the citizens of DFW from the toxic human health and economic impacts of ozone pollution,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “The state’s current plan for addressing air quality in DFW is insufficient to meet the existing federal ozone standard. I sincerely hope that TCEQ will take the public comments it received by EPA, the Texas Medical Association and others into consideration and require additional emissions controls be included in the final SIP revision it submits to the EPA.”
I know I write on behalf of a lot of folks in DFW when I say thank you so much for urging EPA to intervene for cleaner air in North Texas. If we’re ever going to comply with the Clean Air Act, it will take strong federal action to overcome the stubborn hostility of our state’s current administration.