We did it!
Last month, the W.A. Parish team wrote and delivered Valentines to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) demanding a strong Regional Haze Rule for Texas. Alongside the Sierra Club, we wrote over 100 Valentines and delivered them to the EPA regional headquarters in Dallas on February 14th. Regional Counsel James McGuire accepted the Valentines on behalf of Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance and assured us they would be considered. In fact, Dr. Nance posted photos of herself reading our cards on the EPA’s social media page! We expect EPA to follow the law and issue a strong plan to bring Texas into compliance with the Clean Air Act’s Regional Haze requirements by the end of March. Read this article by the Sierra Club on the Valentine’s Day rally!
Tell Attorney General Ken Paxton: Texans want and deserve clean air!
While the Regional Haze Rule aims to protect our national parks, an additional Clean Air Act provision, the “Good Neighbor Rule,” requires states to address interstate pollution. W.A.Parish contributes ~16.3 million tons of CO2 pollution into the atmosphere each year. Each state must develop a State Implementation Plan (SIP) for how they plan to adhere to the “good neighbor” rule by preventing emissions that drift into neighboring states. On January 31, 2023, the EPA formally rejected Texas’ SIP because it was too weak and would not bring Texas into compliance with the law.
Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, has decided to challenge President Biden with a lawsuit because of the EPA’s disapproval of Texas’s State Implementation Plan (SIP). Texas needs a strong “good neighbor” policy because it allows a substantial amount of ground-level ozone, or smog, pollutants from power plants like W.A. Parish, and other industrial sources. The EPA projects that in 2026 this policy would prevent approximately 1,000 premature deaths and avoid more than 470,000 school absence days, among other public health benefits. A reduction in ozone levels also would improve visibility in national and state parks and increase protection for delicate ecosystems and coastal waters.
JOIN US: Write (contact form) or call (Constituent Affairs 800-252-8011) Ken Paxton’s office today! Let him know that his lawsuit is unwanted and frivolous, and show him that Texans want and deserve clean air! Download and use our ‘Reach out to Your Elected Officials’ template letter.
“Air pollution doesn’t stop at the state line.”
Our work building the movement has just begun! Together, we can #ShutDownParish. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@ShutDownParish) and sign our petition demanding clean air and water for our community!