04 Nov Austin TCEQ Sunset Town Hall Meeting

The elections this week mean big changes in Congress and at the Texas State Legislature.
Nonetheless, Austinites still want clean air and water.
 
We are still holding polluters accountable.
And we want the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) — our state agency responsible for protecting the environment to do its job a lot better.
 
Make Pollution History at the Austin TCEQ Sunset Town Hall Meeting!
Wednesday, November 17, 7-8:30 PM
Bass Lecture Hall, LBJ School of Public Policy, UT Austin
 
This year, Texans like you and I have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to make changes at TCEQ through the Sunset Review process.  The Sunset Commission is currently re-considering TCEQ’s mission and functions in a thorough review.  Part of that process is to listen to you and other residents across the state.
 
Together with our partner groups in the Alliance for a Clean Texas, Sierra Club is co-hosting a series of a almost a dozen TCEQ  Sunset Town Hall meetings across the state.  So far, almost a thousand Texans have shown up in Sunset Town Hall meetings in Houston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, El Paso, and Beaumont. 
 
State Senators and Representatives, including Senator Hegar, the Chair of the Sunset Review Commission and Representative Allan Ritter, the Chair of the House Naural Resources Committee, have attended.  They’ve heard hundreds of Texans describe the problems that poor regulation by TCEQ have meant in their communities — heavy air pollution from coal plants, new coal plants being permitted despite the wisdom of state judges, ground and surface water contamination and air pollution from oil, gas, and chemical industries.
 
There’s been a message echoed in these Town Hall meetings — these are environmental crimes and our state can do better. Our families deserve clean air and water.  It’s the law.  And we want TCEQ to enforce that law.
 
We know that Austinites care deeply about our environment.  Now is the exact time when we need you to come forward and help make much-needed changes at TCEQ!
 
Come tell your story.
 
On Wednesday, November 17, from 7-8:30 pm at the Bass Lecture Hall in UT’s LBJ School of Public Affairs (ample parking at the corner of Red River and 26th Street), ACT invites you to MAKE POLLUTION HISTORY at Austin’s TCEQ Sunset Town Hall Meeting.
 
After the opening panel of about 20-30 minutes, we’ll open the microphone for your comments, information, and questions.
 
Eva Hernandez with Sierra Club will moderate the panel oif speakers.
Robin Schneider of Texas Campaign for the Environment wlll describe the Sunset Review process and talk about waste disposal and recycling in Central Texas.
Dr. Elliott Trester of Austin Physicians for Social Responsibility will talk about health impacts from coal plants.
Local officials including the new State representatives are being invited.
 
We look forward to seeing you there!
 
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Donna Hoffman
Communications Coordinator
Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club
512-477-1729 ofc
512-299-5776 cell

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