Gov. Abbott Aims To Block Enforcement Of State Clean Air Act
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AUSTIN (1080 KRLD) - Governor Abbott's administration is trying to block cities from enforcing the State's Clean Air Act. The State Supreme Court will have to decide if cities can jump in when the State is not enforcing the standards.
A coalition of Industrial facility owners, including Exxon Mobil and Dow Chemical is trying to prevent Houston from enforcing violations to the State Clean Air Act. Robert Higgason argued for the city that Houston hasn't made any stricter emissions standards. It has adopted the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's regulations. So the standards are the same. "The motivating factor is clean air."
Evan Young argued on behalf of the companies that the cities were not intended to have enforcement power. "The cities that try to deviate from that and order their will without TCEQ's permission or involvement convert it into something very different from what the legislature envisioned." Dallas, San Antonio, Frisco and Corpus Christi have similar ordinances that would allow them to levy fines on pollution violators.
Governor Abbott filed a brief with the courts siding with the businesses.
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