CONGRESSWOMAN JOHNSON ADDRESSES GOVERNOR PERRY’S CRITICISM OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY’S (EPA) POLUTION PERMIT PROCESS

Washington, DC (Thursday, June 03, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) responsibility is to ensure that 15 million Texans breathe clean air, and that the Texas air permitting program fully complies with the federal Clean Air Act. Governor Rick Perry expressed opposition to this decision, a decision that could affect dozens of major refiners, power plants and chemical facilities in the state.  

“We should not attack the EPA for doing its job required by law to enforce the Clean Air Act and protect the public health in Texas.  Public health advocates, environmentalists, and citizens across Texas want the EPA to do even more to ensure TCEQ is effective and its goals are achieved,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “It is true that Texas air has drastically improved over the last ten years. However, it would be a mistake to assume it has improved to protect the health of 18 million of Texans.  We need as much as twice those reductions in ozone to truly have clean air in our State. Texas has had 123 ozone violations since March and a hot day of summer has not even arrived.  As of June 1st, six major urban areas Austin, Beaumont, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and North East Texas have already suffered bad air days with high ozone.  Our school children should not have to stay inside during recess on sunny days because the air is so bad.

Congresswoman Johnson continued, “Texas has one of the worst air quality and ozone problems in the country, part by refusing to follow the Clean Air Act in Texas.  We should not allow industrial polluters to emit high levels of dirty air pollution. EPA is responsible to enforce the Clean Air Act in Texas and must ask the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to stop allowing these dangerous levels of pollution in Texas.”

Congresswoman Johnson continues to be a strong advocate for the Clean Air Act, both at the federal and state level.


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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a senior member of the Science Committee. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which, includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Oak Lawn, Turtle Creek, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, & South Oak Cliff; all of Balch Springs, DeSoto, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Ferris, Glenn Heights and Ovilla.