Commentary
Strength In Numbers: An Environmental Town Hall
Last week, we saw over 200 people fill University of Houston Downtown’s White Oak Ballroom. The chance to voice observations, complaints, hopes and concerns to a power packed panel proved to be too tempting to pass up. The panel, comprised of Mark Vickery, Larry Soward, Representative Jessica Farrar and Stephen Linder, Ph. D, listened, responded and sometimes apologized for issue after issue. From landfills and injection wells to toxic neighbors and breakdowns in the ability of agencies to professionally and effectively communicate with citizens, almost no stone was left unturned as voice after voice was heard for almost two hours.
The town hall’s underlying purpose was that, as we approach the Sunset Review of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, organizations such as Air Alliance Houston would give citizens a way to make their voices heard
What we saw on the night exceeded our hopes. Not only did we have a turnout that resulted in standing room only for much of the evening but we witnessed a roomfull of strangers from all corners of the Houston region – from Conroe to distant Bay City – share, relate and support one another. The voices blended throughout the evening to reinforce the message that the Houston region cares about its environment and needs to see improvements in key areas. The fact that the TCEQ Executive Director and key regional staff were present and listening was crucial. Beyond the Sunset review of the TCEQ, such interactions between agency and citizen are tremendously powerful, not only for a person who needs to be heard but for the regulator who needs to hear. We trust that the evening was as positive for those who came before the panel as it was for those sitting on the panel. Having such dialogue – honest, impassioned, respectful dialogue – is something that has been sorely lacking in the Houston region. If there is any lasting result of the night, it is our hope that we can start to have much more such dialogue and see our conversations bear real results in environmental improvements. For those who couldn’t make it, and for those who wish to listen again, enjoy the download below.
White Stallion Energy Center Update
The last day of August marked a possible turning of the tide in Matagorda County. At a No Coal Coalition public meeting focused on water use by the proposed White Stallion coal plant, County Judge Nate McDonald opened the evening’s events by dropping a bombshell. After months of dialogue and a bit of brinksmanship with White Stallion’s backers, plus recent discussions with other Matagorda County commissioners, Judge McDonald announced to the assembled public that the County was not in support of the White Stallion coal plant. Although the County does not have the immediate authority to stop construction of the coal plant, such a statement of non-support is a definite victory for the people of Matagorda County and the rest of the Houston region.
Over the summer, Judge McDonald and White Stallion’s backers had engaged in a staring contest. The Judge had requested specific answers from and legally binding commitments to be made by White Stallion Energy Center by certain deadlines. White Stallion fired back, demanding that the County officially issue statements of support for the coal plant to permitting authorities such as the TCEQ and the Army Corps of Engineers by August 15. The demands of neither were met, which led Judge McDonald, in his public statement, to announce that he did not feel confident that White Stallion was in Matagorda County’s best interest.
Overwhelming public opposition to the plant now matched by local political opposition begs a fundamental question: can a local authority such as a county stop a major industrial facility such as a coal plant? County commissioners can, as any elected official, write a letter to authorities such as the TCEQ voicing their concerns about or opposition to a permit application. A formal expression of opposition, one of the fundamental tools available to citizens, will certainly carry more weight if penned by local elected officials and we sincerely hope that Judge McDonald and his colleagues will issue such a letter. But local elected officials cannot, of course, stop a state or federal agency from issuing a permit.
If a plant such as White Stallion was to receive all the necessary state and federal permits, are there any other avenues for a county to block the construction of a new facility? Could a county refuse to issue any necessary building or utility permits? Would the Matagorda County officials be willing to deploy such a tactic if it were available to them?
Needless to say, the fight to stop construction of the White Stallion coal plant in Matagorda County is far from over. We are still waiting to see what impact the negative decision by the State Office of Administrative Hearings on White Stallion’s air permit application will have when the permit finally comes before the TCEQ. The Lower Colorado River Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers have yet to issue their final permits and State Senator Glenn Hegar, Chair of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, has also raised concerns over the coal plant and water use. But leadership at the county level – from dedicated citizens like those organizing the No Coal Coalition and now Judge McDonald – can make all the difference in protecting the health and environmental quality of Matagorda and entire Houston region.
Executive Director Matthew Tejada speaks with Fox 26 News
Matthew Tejada, executive director of Air Alliance Houston, speaks with Fox26 on the recent, overnight decision by the City of Houston to explore potential natural gas wells beneath three parks on the city’s east side.
