Agenda for Dallas

Every day, we see more heartbreaking evidence of the damage being done to our planet: climate change, plastic pollution, wildlife disappearing forever. But we also see the solutions all around us, practically begging us to adopt them: solar and wind power, electric cars and buses, a more walkable and “bikeable” city, reusing and repairing stuff instead of throwing it away, and on and on. We’ve prepared the following recommendations for the City of Dallas to take to protect our environment in 2021.

Clean Air

In 2018, Dallas experienced 108 days of degraded air quality and Dallas County remains in nonattainment with the Clean Air Act. Breathing polluted air increases the risk of premature death and can also trigger asthma attacks and other adverse health impacts. Climate change will worsen air pollution as rising temperatures speed up the formation of ozone. We urge the City to expand the use of electric vehicles, including in the city fleet, buses for DART and local school districts, and for the general public.  

2015 press conference with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins opposing efforts in the Legislature to preempt local control on fracking

Clean Energy

Texas is home to an abundance of clean energy options — the sun’s power, the mighty winds of west and coastal Texas, the earth’s heat, and even the energy leaking from drafty windows in our homes and businesses. By using energy more efficiently and tapping our vast renewable resources, we can move to energy that doesn’t pollute, doesn’t contribute to climate change, and never runs out. Environment Texas urges the City to:

• Implement solar and EV ready requirements for residential and commercial properties as part a broader shift toward net-zero energy buildings

• Create a pilot program to bulk purchase renewable energy for Dallas residents

• Adopt the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s SolarAPP to streamline the permitting process for residential solar

• Sign a power purchase agreement to generate 100% of the City’s electricity from renewable energy like Houston has done. A PPA would better incentivize renewable energy development than the use of Renewable Energy Credits currently purchased by the City.

2012 anti-fracking event outside City Hall

Clean Water

It’s unsafe to swim in the Trinity River, White Rock Lake and other Dallas-area waterways due to high levels of pollution. Our 2020 report Texas Stormwater Scorecard gave the city a grade of just 56% for its efforts to fight stormwater pollution. In addition, carcinogenic PFAS “forever chemicals” and lead in school drinking water pose risks to public health. Environment Texas recommends the City:

• Add nature-based infrastructure to the Dallas drainage manual

• Ban the use of toxic AFFF firefighting foam

• Work to get lead out of school and daycare drinking water

• Ban the toxic pesticides chlorpyrifos, neonicotinoids, and glyphosate

With then-EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Region 6 Administrator Ron Curry at a water conservation event at Nancy Cochran Elementary School in west Dallas in 2015.

Wildlife Over Waste 

Every day, people throw away tons of single-use cups, containers and other plastic “stuff.” Among the worst forms of plastic pollution is polystyrene foam (the stuff most of us call Styrofoam), which never fully degrades. Nothing we use for a few minutes should be allowed to pollute our oceans and rivers and threaten wildlife for centuries. While the Legislature preempts cities from bans on private property, cities can still stop the use of single use plastics on their own property. Environment Texas recommends the City:

• Ban single use plastics on city property, including at DFW Airport and Love Field
• Adopt an ordinance requiring businesses only offer single use plastic straws upon request