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CEC ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS UPDATE 3/19/04 - HOUSTON CEC NOTES EARTH DAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED NOW Earth Day is only a month away, and the CEC is gearing up to plan the next Houston Earth Day event, to be held on April 10th, 2004. There are many exciting new projects in the works and the Earth Day Committee is looking for enthusiastic people to help with the planning of this wonderful event. If you believe that Houston deserves a large-scale, environmentally sustainable Earth Day celebration, come help CEC make it a reality. Send an email to Alesha Herrera, Houston Earth Day chair, at events@cechouston.org to help make this year's Earth Day the best ever. COALITION NOTES CLEAN HOSTS FMR CLINTON ENERGY SECRETARY The Citizens' League for Environmental Action invite you to celebrate the publication of “The Hype About Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate” with author Joseph J. Romm, executive director of the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions and former assistant Secretary of Energy. Romm's new book argues that a push toward hydrogen cars will not stop global warming. The event is scheduled for Monday, March 22, 5-7 pm, at 3362 Del Monte. Please RSVP to Geoff or Charles at (713) 524-3000. LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN TO HELP SAVE THE ARCTIC WILDLIFE REFUGE A film-viewing and letter-writing session is scheduled for Monday, March 22, 5:30-6:30 pm at the Houston Environmental Center Conference Room, 3015 Richmond (between Kirby and Eastside), 2nd Floor. The goal is to help convince lawmakers to preserve the Tongass Forest and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from logging and petroleum exploration by watching and discussing a short video, then writing a letter during this public comment phase. For information, contact Sarah Sullivant at scts@rice.edu. MFCA HOSTS NEXT IN SPRAWL VIDEO SERIES The video “The Air We Breathe” traces the connection between suburban sprawl, our addiction to the automobile, air pollution, and disturbing increases in respiratory disease. Hosted by Mothers for Clean Air (MFCA) and co-hosted by Sierra Club's National Sprawl Campaign and the Citizens' Environmental Coalition, the video will be screened on Friday, March 26 at the Upper Kirby District Building, 3015 Richmond at Eastside. There will be refreshments at 6:15 pm, video screening at 7 pm, and discussion after the video. For more information, contact Jane Laping at (713) 526-0110 or mfca@mothersforcleanair.org. MARCH MART 2004 AT MERCER NEXT WEEKEND March Mart is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27, from 8 am-4 pm at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westfield Road. March Mart is one of the region's largest plant sales and features plants such as daylilies, gingers, herbs, Louisiana iris, natives, roses, shade plants, trees and shrubs, tropicals, vegetables and vines. The Bluebonnet Café will be serving up fresh food. Information booths will feature local garden clubs and horticultural and environmental organizations, and an author's booth will give the opportunity to meet local authors such as Kathy Huber, Ann and Joe Liggio, and Brenda Beust Smith and to purchase their books. For more information, contact (281) 443-8731 or http://www.cp4.hctx.net/mercer. LOCAL MOTHERS MAD ABOUT MERCURY PROTEST OUTSIDE DALLAS EPA OFFICE In an attempt to raise awareness about planned regulatory rollbacks on mercury emissions by the US Environmental Protection Agency, citizens protested outside the agency’s regional office on Saturday. A Dallas public hearing on the changes was preceded by a rally held outside the Region 6 EPA office organized by environmentalists and mothers concerned about the effects of eating mercury-contaminated fish. A Bush administration plan to remove mercury from the EPA’s consideration as a toxic substance would allow companies that emit mercury, primarily from coal-fired stacks, to trade pollution credits. The cap-and-trade plan is a favored technique of the administration that will reduce the nation-wide totals of emissions but leave hotspot communities vulnerable. Mercury is a heavy metal that enters the food chain bioaccumulating in fish consumed by humans. Serious permanent health effects can result including brain damage, learning disabilities and developmental disorders in children. Representatives from Public Citizen and The Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Coalition whose members organized the rally said they want tougher mercury laws and investment in clean energy technologies such as wind and solar. There are currently two proposed coal-fired plants with permits before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. One is in Waco, the other in San Antonio. Leti Guerra, an expecting mother from San Antonio said she was concerned about the effects of mercury on her unborn child. “ The mercury pollution would make the power plant site in San Antonio the largest mercury emitter, in the worst mercury polluted state in the nation” she said. “I hope the EPA will listen to our concerns (and) reverse it's current course.” For now, outreach efforts like the one in Dallas have had some success. The EPA agreed to extend public the comment period from late March to the end of April. The two coal burning power plants could be subject to contested case hearings if the TCEQ grants activist's requests. TCEQ IMPROVES OZONE WARNING SYSTEM FOR GALVESTON-HOUSTON State regulators, in conjunction with city of Houston and Harris County officials have developed a more precise system for alerting the public to high levels of ozone that can endanger health. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced today a reduction in the levels required to trigger air monitors that detect ozone spikes in the Houston-Galveston area. Lower trigger points mean fewer misses and fewer false alarms. The previous trigger points were based on a one-hour standard that recorded ozone spikes but failed to reflect higher levels indicated over an eight-hour period. At times, warnings to limit outdoor activity were triggered after an ozone event ended. The Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention’s John Wilson called the new standard a step in the right direction toward protecting public health. Wilson was on the committee that recommended the trigger-point reduction to TCEQ. “This is a more health-protective standard, because the state is now covering greater exposure,” he said. “It won’t be 100 percent effective, but it’s the best TCEQ can do with available technology.” The trigger points went into effect this week. Three new ozone monitors were installed this week and three more are expect to be installed in April. The agency is also considering adopting a similar approach to monitoring particulate matter. Governor
boosts plan for research on Gulf, 3/19/04 Opening
day delayed for Westpark Tollway, 3/19/04 Crude
oil prices hit 13-year pinnacle, 3/18/04 High
oil prices not going away anytime soon, 3/18/04 Budget
crunch forces City to delay projects, 3/18/04 Budget
crunch forces City to delay on projects, 3/18/04 Commuters
spend more time in traffic, 3/16/04 Galveston UTMB lab to handle world’s deadliest viruses, 4/14/04 Stricter
runoff rules could stretch outside City limits, 3/15/04
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 David Gresham at david@cechouston.org. Phone: 713-524-4232 Fax: 713-524-3311 |
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