Community Notes 12-08-2010
- TCEQ Sunset Commission Staff Report. The Texas Sunset Commission will hold its official public hearing on its review of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on December 15 at the Capitol in Austin. Use the following link to download the report (124 pages): http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/82ndreports/tceq/tceq_sr.pdf. Noteworthy recommendations include:
- The agency’s enforcement process lacks visibility and statutory authority. Penalty caps should be increased and the agency should be authorized to assess penalties for dam safety violations.
- TCEQ needs more authority to protect surface water availability in time of drought and shortage. The Executive Director needs clear authority to curtail water use and require implementation of drought management plans when necessary.
- The Petroleum Storage Tank Remediation Fee should be reauthorized and previous tank owners and operators should be required to share responsibility for leaking tanks. The use of the Remediation Fund should be expanded to allow removal of noncompliant tanks that pose a risk.
- The statutory cap on air emissions fees should be raised.
- The responsibility for regulating water and wastewater utilities should be transferred from TCEQ to the Public Utilities Commission with adjustments in the Water Utility Regulatory Fee necessary to pay for the transfer.
- There should be clarification in what the Office of Public Counsel considers in setting priorities for becoming involved in cases.
- The existing uniform standard for determining compliance history is too rigid and a different model for assessing compliance should be developed.
This is a critically important hearing that will hopefully lead to improvements at the agency most responsible for protecting both the public health of all Texans and the environmental integrity of our state. The hearing will also cover reviews of the Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Railroad Commission (responsible for drilling in the state) and the Public Utility Commission. The report can be found at  www.sunset.state.tx.us. Rarely have we seen so many state agencies critical to our state’s environmental condition be reviewed at one and the same time.
Air Alliance Houston and Texas Campaign for the Environment are working together to get as many citizens from the Houston region out to Austin on the day to testify. Houston area residents will be meeting at 7 a.m. in the rear parking lot of 3100 Richmond to caravan/carpool together to Austin. If you are interested in going out to Austin to attend the hearing or would like more information, please contact Matthew Tejada at tejada@airalliancehouston.org or at 713-528-3779.
- TCEQ Public Comment and Public Hearing. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has proposed an environmental flows rule that affects the well-being Galveston Bay. The public has the opportunity to voice its opinion by submitting public comments online or by attending the public hearing at 10am on December 16th in Austin, TX. For more information, visit http://galvbay.org/advocacy_inflows.html. For the public hearing, Houston area residents will be meeting at 7 a.m. in the rear parking lot of 3100 Richmond to caravan/carpool together to Austin.
- 2011 Quality of Place Symposium. Registration for the 2011 Quality of Place Symposium is now open. The event provides an opportunity to hear from experts on Water Quality, Water Supply, and Green Buildings in the Greater Houston region. Visit http://centerforhoustonsfuture.cmail1.com for more information.
- A Morning in the Country. On December 11, 2010, from 10am to 2pm, the Blackland Educational Land Institute will be hosting an event centered on the use of organics. The use of organics is one of the strongest trends globally and the Houston region is one of the greenest areas in America. Mike Serant is featured at this event and has been at the forefront of the conversion to Organics and can break it down very simply. To learn more about the event, visit www.blackwoodland.org.