Legislative Advocacy
Every two years, the Texas Legislature convenes for a 140-day regular legislative session. During each legislative session, we
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advocate for policies that reduce air pollution and their related health inequities, and
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defend against bills that threaten to roll back the progress achieved to date.
In the interim period, we continue to work with elected officials, allies and community members to inform the upcoming legislative agenda.
87th Legislative Session
Below is a list of bills Air Alliance Houston supports and opposes:

Building Healthy Communities
Concrete Batch Plant Buffer Zones and Permitting
Air and noise pollution from concrete batch plants pose health risks to people residing in nearby neighborhoods. Harris County houses over 150 concrete batch plants, more than any county in Texas, and a number of Houston neighborhoods have multiple facilities in close proximity to residents. With the numbers projected to increase as Houston grows, we must work to protect our communities from the health threats, especially vulnerable groups like children and older adults.
Chemical Safety
Above-ground Chemical Storage Tanks
The design and operation of above-ground storage tanks used for housing petroleum products are currently poorly regulated. Recent disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, have revealed their vulnerability to failure during storms and flooding, leading to large spills and emissions events. More recently, the ITC and KMCO fires and the Port Neches explosion at TPC have highlighted yet again the lack of adequate performance standards.

Sustainable and Equitable Transportation
Texas Emissions Reductions Plan (TERP)
The Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) provides funding to vehicle and equipment upgrades and supports programs to encourage the use of alternative fuels. TERP programs are accepted by the EPA as emissions reductions actions, which is key as the TCEQ estimates 50 to 80% of NOX emissions are due to mobile sources in areas with air quality worse than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Transportation Funding
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice is, according to the EPA, “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” A 1994 Presidential Executive Order directs federal agencies to take steps to identify and address disproportionate environmental or health impacts on minority and low-income populations. However, at the federal, state, and local level there is no clear definition of what an environmental justice community is, which weakens potential implementation of the executive order. Meanwhile, a large body of literature and data show that race is the best predictor of how close you live to air pollution, including research based in Houston by Dr. Robert Bullard.