81R24851 BPG-D
By: Watson S.C.R. No. 60
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The arrival of the 2009 ozone season brings critical
challenges for Central and South Central Texas, where rapid
population growth threatens to compromise air quality by raising
ozone-forming emissions; and
WHEREAS, High levels of ground-level ozone can be a health
hazard, especially for children, seniors, and people who suffer
from lung disease or are active outdoors; studies link excessive
ozone exposure to lung irritation and inflammation, breathing
difficulties, headaches, nausea, aggravated asthma, reduced lung
capacity, and increased susceptibility to such respiratory
illnesses as pneumonia and bronchitis; chronic high-level exposure
can cause permanent lung damage; and
WHEREAS, To protect the health and well-being of the public,
the Environmental Protection Agency strengthened its National
Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone in 2008;
monitored ozone levels in the Capital Region, which includes
Travis, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, and Williamson Counties, and in
the Alamo Region, which includes Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, and
Wilson Counties, slightly exceeded the new standards in 2006-2008,
putting the area at risk of receiving a "nonattainment" designation
when the EPA makes its final determinations in March 2010; this
designation would trigger federal requirements for transportation
and industry that could in turn increase costs for businesses and
delay regionally significant transportation projects; and
WHEREAS, The Capital and Alamo Regions can avert the
nonattainment designation if they decrease ozone levels to 77 parts
per billion or less and 78 parts per billion or less, respectively;
an unprecedented level of regional cooperation is needed to meet
this goal; consequently, the Central Texas Clean Air Coalition, the
Air Improvement Resources Committee, local governments in the two
regions, the Capital Area Council of Governments, the Alamo Area
Council of Governments, and the CLEAN AIR Force of Central Texas
have created an initiative called the Big Push to build on voluntary
efforts already in place; and
WHEREAS, In support of the Big Push, the Central and South
Central Texas regions are implementing an outreach campaign to
encourage everyone to be an Ozone Action Hero and to pledge to do
what they can to voluntarily reduce ozone-forming emissions from
April through October 2009; and
WHEREAS, Because many small actions can combine to produce a
significant result, the coalition is asking all area governments,
agencies, businesses, and citizens for their assistance;
individuals can help through such measures as driving less, idling
their vehicles less, and waiting until evening to fuel vehicles or
use gas and diesel yard equipment; many area employers have
committed to join this effort by establishing policies to reduce
their vehicle and operational emissions and by implementing such
measures as ozone watch/warning programs and assisting employees in
reducing the impact of their commutes through teleworking,
carpooling, using mass transit, bicycling, or scheduling a
compressed workweek; and
WHEREAS, The largest employer in the Central Texas region is
the State of Texas; state agencies can play a vital role in the Big
Push by conducting evaluations of fleet usage, providing secure
bike racks and preferential parking for ride sharing and
low-emissions vehicles, choosing to teleconference, limiting use
of gas and diesel equipment early in the day and on ozone
watch/warning days, and enacting other policies to reduce harmful
emissions; and
WHEREAS, State agencies can also contribute to the endeavor
by publicizing the Texas State Employee Commute Solutions Fair,
which is to be held from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22,
2009, at the Stephen F. Austin State Office Building, and by
encouraging employees to attend the fair; and
WHEREAS, By joining the Big Push to reduce ozone-forming
emissions in Central and South Central Texas, the state can protect
the health of residents and help avoid a nonattainment designation
from the EPA, thus preventing enforcement of burdensome regulatory
requirements that would add to the cost of doing business in Central
and South Central Texas; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby direct all state agencies to initiate emission reduction
policies and programs in order to help Central and South Central
Texas meet the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standard for
ground-level ozone; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
copy of this resolution to the executive director of each state
agency.