TOXIC AIR EMISSIONS MAY BE UNDERREPORTED
by Sarah Morgan

Houston's air may be three times more toxic than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has accounted for with plants and refineries emitting as much as 116 million pounds of toxic pollutants compared to the 37 million pounds that was reported, according to a study released this week.

Nationwide, at least 16 percent of toxic air emissions have gone unreported, according to the report conducted by the Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention, a local air quality group, and the Environmental Integrity Project, an environmental group based in Washington D.C. and founded by a former EPA director.

The report, "Who's Counting? The Systematic Underreporting of Toxic Air Emissions," is based on the findings from an earlier study conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality which "actually quantifies the extent to which refineries and chemical plants in Texas underreport certain toxic emissions," the report states. The findings from TCEQ's study are applied to national data to develop an estimate of just how much toxic pollution is going unreported nationwide. These adjusted calculations move Texas from number three to number one for highest toxic air emissions, and Harris County from second place to first place with more than 44 million pounds of toxins going unreported in the county in 2001.

Critics of the study question the report's validity by pointing out that the underreporting in Texas does not necessarily mean that emissions in other states are going unaccounted for. The report counters this by stating that studies in other parts of the country show underreporting as well, but Texas is the first state to quantify the problem.

"EPA and states have known for more than a decade that emissions are systematically underreported," the report states, questioning the validity of the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory, or TRI, which was also released this week for 2002's emissions.

The problem with the TRI, according to the report, is that it relies on the individual industrial facilities to report their emissions according to calculations that are "often outdated and inaccurate." The report takes this methodology to task, calling for better monitoring systems and improved emission calculations nationwide.

The EPA has issued a statement in response to the accusations made saying, "Regarding the question of emissions date made available by EPA, the Agency provides the American public with data on chemical emissions and releases in many formats and from many sources, of which TRI is just one." The statement goes on to say that the EPA is currently reviewing the report and cannot comment on its validity until the methodology supporting the report is reviewed.

The study focused on only ten chemicals, all of which are volatile organic compounds, or VOC's, which the study states can cause serious health problems including respiratory, reproductive, developmental, and eye problems as well as cancers including leukemia.

"The public deserves to know the true extent of toxic pollution in the air," the report says.

For more information, visit:
http://environmentalintegrity.org/pub205.cfm

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION RESTRICTED, HEALTH RISK INCREASED, SAYS REPORT
by Sarah Morgan

Previously public information regarding a variety of environmental concerns has been quietly disappearing from government Web pages, and an information advocacy group is pointing the finger at the Bush administration in a report released this week.

"The administration has removed public information from agency Web sites, issued executive orders that empower agencies to withhold public information, and drafted legislation that allows companies to hide basic health and safety information," states the Working Group on Community Right-to-Know. The group is a nonprofit organization based in Washington D.C. and committed to defending and improving the public's rights to information on environmental and public health concerns.

The Department of Energy, for instance, has removed information from its Web site regarding hazardous material transportation and environmental impact statements related to nuclear power plants, according to the group who cites an information inventory created by the Office of Management and Budget Watch group. This inventory, initiated shortly after September 11, chronicles the removal of information from government Web sites including sites of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, and NASA, as well as the responses of each group to information requests granted under the Freedom of Information Act.

Other information removed includes pipeline mapping data that allowed communities to find hazardous pipeline routes, removed from the Department of Transportation site, and Risk Management Plans which could help communities identify nearby chemical hazards, removed from the EPA site, according to the OMB Watch group.

"It's really hard to tell when it was removed and how much was removed," said George Sorvalis, outreach coordinator for the Working Group on Community Right-to Know. "A lot of it was in response to 9/11," said Sorvalis who noted that the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research group, also conducted a study on the increased secrecy of some information in the name of national security. However, RAND's conclusion was that having this information posed little or no risk to security issues.

The Working Group states: "Agencies have already removed more than 6,000 public documents, according to the Center for American Progress. As a result, the public is now less able to hold government and industry accountable, and less able to make informed decisions affecting lives, families and communities."

For the full report, visit:
http://www.crtk.org/detail.cfm?docID=722&cat=information reform

ARMAND BAYOU NATURE CENTER AND CLEAN HOST THEATER-BASED WORKSHOP

A community environmental theater project sponsored by The National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch will address the community about toxic exposure and how it affects our lives, health, and genetics. In working together with Citizens' League for Environmental Action Now, the theater project's focus is environmental health and the connection between toxic exposure and the human body. The three-day event at Armand Bayou Nature Center, will educate local residents with workshops that concentrate in scientific techniques and ideas using Brazilian Augusto Boal's image theater techniques. Events begin Friday, June 25 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, and run through the weekend, culminating in a performance Sunday, June 27 at 7pm.

For more information contact Sandy Peck at Armand Bayou Nature Center, (281) 370-1562, or John Sullivan at (409) 370-1562.

NATURAL LEGACY PROGRAM HELPS BRING AWARENESS TO LOCAL KIDS

Natural Legacy was honored with a new mural in the M.D. Anderson YMCA child-care area depicting the Gulf Coast wetlands. Natural Legacy focuses on building the awareness and education of youth in areas of land stewardship, nature education, and creative use of space. For complete article, visit:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/thisweek/zone11/news/2640643

METRO MAIN STREET RAIL EXTENSION STUDY

This Saturday, June 26, Houston Metro Solutions will hold a public meeting at Jeff Davis High School, 1101 Quitman, from 9am to 11am where METRO staff and consultants will describe the environmental and technical evaluation of the alignment of the North Corridor Light Rail, a segment that will run from the University of Houston Downtown, to Northline Mall. Consultants and METRO staff will be available to hear your concerns and respond to your questions. For more information call METROLine at (713) 635-4000 or visit:
http://www.ridemetro.org/latest/releases/pr060904_2.asp

TEXAS FOREST SERVICE 2004 URBAN FORESTRY PARTNERSHIP GRANT

The Texas Forest Service, the agency responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's forest resources, offers financial assistance in the form of challenge grants. The Partnership Grants are designed to start or improve a local urban forestry program or to educate the public about the importance of urban trees. Grant awards range from $1,000 to $10,000 and must be matched dollar-for-dollar (except for the application for a new professional staff position, for up to $30,000). Applicants may include any local or state government entity, schools, or nonprofit groups. Application deadline is July 15, 2004. To apply, e-mail the program secretary at lscasta@tfs.tamu.edu, or visit: http://www.texasforestservice.tamu.edu
Go to the Urban Forestry page and click the link for grants.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE OFFERING LAND PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

The Harris County Flood Control District and the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails, and Conservative Assistance Program have partnered to develop a strategic plan for multiple public uses of 30,000 acres of land in Harris County. To date, HCFCD has entered into over 150 multi-use partnership agreements to provide recreational, educational, and conservation uses of floodplains and detention basins. Now the program has expanded to allow partnerships with nonprofit organizations, water and utility districts, and governmental partners. If your group is interested in discussing partnership opportunities with HCFCD for the recreational and conservation use of this land, please contact them at (512) 916-5161, or email david@cechouston.org for a copy of the application. Application deadline is July 1, 2004.

CONSUMER GUIDE DETAILS ILLS AND ALTERNATIVES FOR COMMON PRODUCTS

A free online consumer guide published in March by the Worldwatch Institute describes the environmental, social, and health harms associated with a wide range of products, including appliances, baby products, DVDs, clothing, cell phones, and food. The guide takes a behind the scenes look at how products are made, and offers simple advice and alternatives that enable people to reduce some of the ills associated with the things they buy.
For each product, the guide also describes successful efforts by governments, businesses, and nonprofit groups around the world to reduce negative impacts associated with common products.
http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/goodstuff

NEW REPORT IN PARKS FOR PEOPLE SERIES

The Trust For Public Land’s Parks for People initiative works in cities across America to ensure that everyone--in particular every child--enjoys access to a park, playground, or open space. A new Parks for People report by Peter Harnik, director of TPL's Center for City Park Excellence, highlights the need for parks in Newark, New Jersey. The report's release follows by several months the publication of TPL's Parks for People white paper, which makes the case for new city parks nationwide. Upcoming Parks for People publications will focus on other US cities.
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cd.cfm?content_item_id=13843&folder_id=175

A HANDBOOK FOR ACTIVISTS

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Wilderness Forever has created a handy-dandy guide to taking action. Learn how to draft your own action letters, organize enjoyable activism events, and get in touch with local media.
To obtain your own tree-free version of the guide:
http://www.wildernessforever.org/action/index.html
Learn more about the Wilderness Act:
http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/Wilderness/act.cfm

SEASIDE CLUB BECKONS TO TEXAS TEACHERS

Texas A&M University's Marine Advisory Service (MAS) will be hosting two development workshops for Texas educators on the environment, and natural resources in Texas and the Gulf Coast. Participates who are teachers, science curriculum specialists, or department heads working in public and private schools are encouraged to register. Training sessions for elementary school educators are June 28-30; training for secondary school educators will take place July 7-9. For more information or to enroll, contact (979) 863-2940 or email lbeach@neo.tamu.edu.

EPA SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

The EPA Summer Opportunities for Students website is now up and running. The site provides a web portal through which students may enter to learn about EPA programs, offices, and summer employment opportunities. They also will be able to submit a job application directly to the EPA location where there is a vacancy.
http://www.epa.gov/ohros/student