Environment Texas Blog

What a difference four years makes. In the last gubernatorial election in 2002, nary a word was mentioned by the candidates about Texas' significant environmental challenges. This time around, Texas' poor air quality, struggling parks system and dependence on dirty energy are getting lots of attention by the leading candidates.

First, independent Kinky Friedman toured the state to examine environmental problems and opportunities, touting his plan to make big investments in clean energy sources like wind and biodiesel (and his plan to make Willie Nelson a clean energy czar). Then, Democrat Chris Bell announced a strong environmental agenda that would get tough on polluters, require 10% of our electricity come from renewable energy, and end the fast-tracking of 17 proposed new coal-fired power plants. Yesterday, Comptroller Carole Strayhorn, also running as an independent, joined the chorus calling for more careful review of the coal plants and promised to appoint a "clean air advocate" to the TCEQ.

Goveror Perry has yet to announce an environmental agenda and instead has just defended his executive order fast-tracking the new coal plants which, if constructed, would be a disaster for our environment, pumping out 30% more global warming pollution from a state that already leads the nation in emissions and severely damaging the efforts of the Dallas Fort Worth area to meet federal air quality standards for smog.

Overall, Perry has a pretty poor record on the environment. In 2004, bowing to his polluting contributors, Governor Perry worked to exclude seriously polluted Ellis County, home to the infamous Midlothian cement plants, from the Dallas/Fort Worth clean air plan. EPA rejected his efforts. 

When the State Auditor issued a report exposing weak enforcement at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Perry defended the agency's poor performance to the press and criticized the auditor for "trying to make statements on public policy. That's not the state auditor's function in my humble estimation."

His appointed Chair at the Commission, Kathleen Hartnett White, is now working with the oil and chemical industry to block reforms to the enforcement program being pushed by the agency's staff and executive director and a wide coalition of environmental, religious, sportsmen and civic groups.

His record's not all bad, but one of his most notable actions does seem to have been spurred more by politics than policy. When a wealthy contributor, WalMart heiress Alice Walton, complained of illegal water pollution fouling her land, Perry sprung to action getting TCEQ Chair White to launch a successful enforcement initiative against unauthorized rock quarries – including a helicopter tour of the Brazos River watershed.

OK, now to the positive things about the Governor's record. In 2004, he convened an energy task force that recommended Texas double its commitment to renewable energy. When the Legislature failed to pass the renewable energy bill in the regular session, he added the issue to the call of one of the special sessions and got it passed. This law has led to a boom in wind energy production in Texas.

He also appointed an environmental champion - Larry Soward - to the TCEQ in 2002. Soward has spearheaded a charge for reforms to the enforcement program (unfortunately reforms which are being blocked by Chair White, as previously mentioned).

Governor Perry also issued an executive order establishing an advisory committee to deal with the issue of "environmental flows" (making sure industry and agriculture don't suck all the water out of our rivers, leaving just puddles for us and wildlife).

Hopefully we get more from Perry on the environment than a lump of coal in our stockings. He should join the other candidates in issuing a plan on the environment, a plan which should at a minimum include 1) a moratorium on new coal plants, as Idaho has done 2) tougher enforcement efforts at the TCEQ and 3) increased funding for our state parks. He should also continue his leadership in the area of renewable energy, with more incentives for solar power, better transmission planning for wind energy, and greater requirements for efficiency measures.

I'm excited that the environment is emerging as a major campaign issue. Candidates keep it up, and give Texans something to be excited about.