E.P.A vs Texas?

Since the 1970’s, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has helped protect the environment by enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.  It conducts research, assessment and education in environmental matter. In conference with local governments, the EPA delegates the enforcement and monitoring of all regulations.   

Texas, which is rich in natural resources like oil and gas, has had a hard time complying with EPA’s regulations, which demand major modifications to existent energy generating facilities that function by burning fossil fuels like oil or coal.

Marco Castañeda, a Peruvian environmental lawyer currently acquiring a Masters Degree at the University of Texas, was eager to comment on this particular matter, for he believes protecting the environment while maintaining Texas’ thriving economy is a controversial issue. Mr. Castañeda also believes expecting Texas will comply with E.P.A’s regulations is somehow unrealistic; he finds some of these regulations could threaten the establishment of traveling companies from the state of California.

“I think that E.P.A is realistic enough to understand that they have enough challenge trying to develop environmental policies in Texas. That’s something that they are really struggling with, that there are a couple of environmental regulations that should be enforced in every state in the next two years, related to gas emissions and they are struggling to get Texas to comply with these regulations. That’s their main goal, I think that’s a realistic goal, just trying to get Texas to comply with federal regulation, but I don’t think that they can go further, like try to make that Texas develop a more strict environmental regulation.” (M. Castañeda)

            

According to Mr. Castañeda Texas is merely going to comply with these regulations, in other words, as long as the EPA stops bothering them with new standards, they will comply to get them off their backs and let them make money out of non renewable energy plants. For example, new regulations for the emission of greenhouse gasses were recently issued; in regard with this matter, these were Mr. Castañeda’s comments:

“Texas probably wont adapt its industries to the E.P.A regulations regarding the emission of greenhouse gasses, however, the regulations are flexible and they permit that, in order to fulfill the goals, you can purchase the pollution rights from other states, or you can work with other states to achieve the environmental goal together. Texas will probably try to pair up with another state that doesn’t have enough pollution so they may try to use this clean state to fulfill its environmental goals…”

          

On the other hand, there are other environmental protection measures that do not involve the burning of fossil fuels. For example, generating renewable energy through natural resources like the sun; in spite of its incredible solar potential Texas still generates more energy from dangerous, polluting sources. The fact is, incredibly, “Texas is the biggest wind energy state in the U.S, it generates more energy based in wind than any other state of the union, and this energy is employed in their state’s electric rate.” (Castañeda). So, Texas is in fact generating clean, environment-safe, renewable energy, maybe not solar, but they are actually making an effort in other ways.

            

Also, according to my previous post on recycling and reusable materials, Texas -or Austin at least- is making an effort in preserving the environment by developing clever and easy recycling measures; projects like “The Bag Ban” and “Rock and Recycle” are proof of this city’s efforts regarding the environment.    

            

So, is Texas really cooperating? Mr. Castañeda believes, since oil and coal are very valuable resources, thinking Texas is going to change the entire energy matrix based in environmental protection criteria is something that is not realistic. Nevertheless, he believes they are doing the best they can with the resources they have in hand (they are protecting the environment in other ways).

Also, he thinks that what should change in order to get Texas to cooperate more, is the implementation of additional environmental protection criteria of besides the federal regulation (which applies to every state in the union, and it ensures environmental protection in every state). In tune with the current ambiance circulating the city of Austin due to upcoming elections, I asked Ms. Castañeda what he would do if elected Governor of Texas, and these were his thoughts on the subject:

“Ok. Well, if I were governor of Texas, I would try to develop environmental development plans; plans to fulfill the conservation of species and also the development of industries. This is not something new in Texas, the environmental regulation, the endangered species act, in fact, considers the development of plans, of environmental plans when there is going to be a direct or indirect harm to one species listed as an endangered species. It is something that has already happened in Texas; in the Austin area the Cannyonland’s environmental plan has accomplished the development of western Austin, the Travis County, and also has assured the protection of endangered species. I think that this is a good method; the main problem with these plans is the funding of them, because most of the land in Texas is private land, so, if you have to do these plans you have to at least secure an area for the development of the species listed as endangered species, and you would need to buy this land from the owner, so I think that this is a good way to do it, you could use the money that Texas has because of the industrial development and the recent boom in oil and gas industry.”

Non-utopic, his ideas are realistic and simple. They are easy to achieve because Texas has the required resources and the capacity to do so. I believe that, if polished and systematized, these plans could be turned into actions that would help protect the environment and its species while maintaining an active economical activity in the field of energy and industrial plants.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS