Media Contact: Cassandra Casados-Klein
[email protected] | 713.623.1457
HOUSTON – Air Alliance Houston has been made aware of a change of practice by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Previously, as long as a state elected official requested a public meeting on an air permit, that meeting was granted, as outlined in the Texas Health and Safety Code.
In late 2024, Texas Senator Carol Alvarado submitted a request for a public meeting regarding a renewal of an air quality permit for a concrete batch plant in a community that is already overburdened by air pollution. On January 2, 2025, TCEQ responded that they do not have an obligation to hold public meetings on a renewal air permit if the air quality model supplied by the applicant does not forecast a change in emissions. Click here to see their letter.
Air Alliance Houston’s AirMail program and community mobilization efforts have brought the TCEQ practices and lack of transparency to the forefront. Rooms have been filled with community members expressing their concerns for health and demanding more protections from our state regulators. Air Alliance Houston feels that this current decision is a retaliation for the public participation that has been brought to them.
Jennifer Hadayia, Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston had this to say:
“TCEQ has been told by the Environmental Protection Agency and their own 2023 Sunset Review that their public participation process is lacking. We are proud to have helped record numbers of Houstonians weigh-in on air permits in their neighborhoods, even if it has been hard for the TCEQ to hear or has required their additional time and resources, which is their role as a public agency. We are truly disappointed in this step away from public participation.”
Senator Carol Alvarado provided the following comment as well:
“This is the first time my office has been denied a request for a public hearing by the TCEQ. I have advocated session after session for greater public participation in the permitting process. This session, I will be looking into legislative solutions to ensure that the community is never again excluded under these circumstances.”
We call on the TCEQ to reverse this new practice and to use its appointment of a new Chair as an opportunity to improve access to environmental decision-making for all Texans.
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About Air Alliance Houston: Air Alliance Houston believes everyone deserves to breathe clean air. We support communities as they advocate for clean air and their health. For decades, we have championed clean air through research, education and advocacy. www.airalliancehouston.org