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Environmental News Update 11/2/01 CEC NOTES Thanks for Synergy A special thanks to all those who made Synergy 2001 a success. More than 120 folks from the environmental community showed up to the annual event, held on Tuesday, October 2 at the Crowne Plaza in the Medical Center. LOCAL Environmental Impact Statement Required The Surface Transportation Board has determined that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be prepared for the San Jacinto Rail Limited and The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway’s proposed railway project. The Galveston Bay Conservation and Preservation Association and others are concerned that this 12.8 mile rail extension, which would run near plastics and chemical production facilities located in the Bayport Industrial District, would adversely affect the quality of life in the area. Although project organizers say only one train will run on the tracks each day, opponents fear that many more may use the route if the Bayport container port facility is constructed. Public scoping meetings will be held as part of the EIS process. Meeting dates and locations will be announced at a later date. For more information, call 1-888-229-7857. Citizen Air Monitoring Pilot Project Launch The Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services Pollution Division, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announce the Houston Citizen Air Monitoring Pilot Project. You are invited to a public meeting to learn more about air quality measurement and to discuss participation in the development of a citizen based air quality sampling project. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 16, 2001, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Houston Bureau of Air Quality Control located at 7411 Park Place Blvd. For more information, please call William Rhea at 214-665-6767. Study Shows Unacceptable Benzene Levels at BP Facilities A state air-quality study shows for the last five years that at least two Texas City BP facilities have been releasing benzene levels more than three times the acceptable government guidelines, according to a recent report in the Texas City Sun. Benzene is a known cancer-causing chemical that has been linked to leukemia. The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission tracked the level of benzene and other chemicals for a total of 10 days between August 1995 and November 2000. A 9-page interoffice memorandum to TNRCC's Region 12 director, Leonard Spearman, was acquired by the Texas City Sun. The summary report shows benzene levels ranged between three and almost six times acceptable guidelines. http://www.texascitysun.com/NF/omf/tcsundaily/story.html?[rkey=0004583 Back Bay Breeze 2001 On Saturday, October 13, the Houston Happy Hikers and the Seabrook EcoToursim Committee will jointly host Back Bay Breeze 2001, a walk through old Seabrook and along the city’s hike and bike paths that connect some area parks. Walkers may begin anytime between 9 am and noon from Robyn’s Café at 1402 Fifth Street. The total walk is about 10 km, but participants may walk any distance they choose. The date coincides with Back Bay Market Day and Oktobayfest. The walk is free, but donations are appreciated. For more information, contact Charles Christal at 281-498-1365 or visit http://www.seabrook-tx.com. Place, Spirituality, and Activism Presentation Environmental lawyer Jim Blackburn will give a presentation on Place, Spirituality and Activism on Thursday, October 11 at 7:70 pm at Rothko Chapel, 1409 Sul Ross at Yupon off Montrose. There is no charge, but seating is limited. To reserve your spot, call 713-524-9839. NATIONAL Cincinnati A Nonattainment Area, Again Reversing a decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal appeals court ruled that metropolitan Cincinnati's air is still too dirty to qualify for clean-air status. More than 20 years ago, EPA designated the metropolitan area as an ozone nonattainment area. The nonattainment designation triggered pollution control requirements for Cincinnati under the Clean Air Act. Last year, the EPA signed documents redesignating the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky region as an attainment area for the one-hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. The Sierra Club challenged this decision in court, arguing that the area still has an air pollution problem and does not meet all of the legal requirements for redesignation including air pollution controls for chemical companies, furniture manufacturers, and aviation and aerospace industries. The appeals court agreed, holding that the EPA could not lift Cincinnati's nonattainment label until all of these controls are adopted. The court's decision means tougher limits on new industrial pollution and restrictions on rolling back existing controls. http://enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/10/10022001/cincinnati_45119.asp ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION CEC Environmental News Update is a weekly publication by the Citizens' Environmental Coalition, a 501(c)3 dedicated to fostering dialogue, education and collaboration about environmental issues in the Houston-Gulf Coast Region. Visit the CEC online at www.cechouston.org. To subscribe or unsubscribe, or to suggest items for inclusion, send your request via e-mail to Sarah Doss at sarah@cechouston.org. |
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