Environmental Groups Urge Perry to “Get White Out”
Find a Greener Chair to Replace Kathleen Hartnett White as Texas’ Top Environmental Advocate
July 2007
AUSTIN – Environmental groups in Texas recently announced a campaign to replace Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Chair Kathleen Hartnett White and to ask Governor Perry to appoint a more environmentally conscious TCEQ commissioner. They highlighted the urgent need for a new commissioner who will take steps quickly and decisively to tackle the serious air quality problems affecting Texans.
The organizations also unveiled a new bill board that was installed last Thursday near TCEQ headquarters in Austin calling for White’s replacement. The billboard, located at the southeast corner of Braker Lane and the I-35 access road, urges Governor Perry to “Get White Out”.
“Chairman White has failed to protect our health, economy and the environment. She has failed to enforce the law, failed to protect Texas babies from brain-damaging mercury and failed to plan ahead and protect Texans from upcoming problems, such as tighter smog, mercury and particulate rules and global warming,” said Tom “Smitty” Smith, director of Public Citizen’s Texas Office. “At a time when we needed strong leadership to reduce pollution, she has protected the polluters, not the people. That’s why we are urging Governor Perry to “Get White Out” and to green up the TCEQ by appointing a tough visionary and committed environmentalist to protect the people from pollution.”
White, a rancher from Valentine, Texas, was appointed to the commission on October 15, 2001, and confirmed by the Texas Senate on March 6, 2003. She was appointed chair of TCEQ on October 20, 2003. Her term will expire on August 31, 2007. However, Governor Perry has been known to leave appointees at their posts well after their terms are up. Environmentalists want to avoid that situation with Chairman White.
One of the most significant failures of White’s tenure is her lack of leadership on issues such as the climate crisis. Texas leads the nation in emissions of greenhouse gases and would profit most from efforts to reduce them because of the state’s enormous renewable resources. Twenty-eight states have taken action or developed plans to reduce the gases that contribute to global warming, most of them driven by the states’ environmental agencies.
“We call on Perry to appoint a commissioner who will commit to taking action within 60 days on this critical issue,” said Smith.
The groups called for a new TCEQ Commissioner who:
- is committed to protecting public health;
- has a record of environmental leadership;
- is free of ties to polluters;
- is able to anticipate environmental problems, such as global warming, air pollution and mercury contamination, and take action to avoid them;
- has a record of encouraging public participation in permitting and enforcement processes; and
- is committed to improving environmental quality in Texas.
“Ultimately each TCEQ commissioner and the governor will be held accountable by the public and by history for the actions and decisions taken on public health and the environment,” said Ken Kramer, state Sierra Club director. “In the appointment of a new TCEQ commissioner this summer, Governor Perry has an opportunity to put TCEQ on a course of action that will leave a legacy of a cleaner environment for Texas and as an agency protective of our people. We urge him to green up TCEQ.”
Over the last year White had several opportunities to make the air quality better by requiring an 80 percent reduction in pollution at cement kilns and rural power plants, which are the largest sources of pollution in the area. The local air quality advisory group developed 22 pages of recommendations on how to clean the air over the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Hundreds of citizens went to public hearings to express their opinions and ideas on how to clean up the air. Almost all of these ideas were ignored by White and her staff.
“Commissioner White has let the breathers in the DFW area down,” said Lauren Ice of Texas Campaign for the Environment. “She failed to protect North Texans and instead voted to worsen air quality by permitting the massive Oak Grove lignite plant that will add as much pollution as 350,000 cars.”
In one case causing particular concern, White issued a permit for the massively polluting Oak Grove power plant, reversing the recommendation of the judges who had actually heard the evidence. This plant alone will emit as much mercury as all eight of the other plants that energy giant TXU chose not to build. Mercury causes irreversible damage to the brains of infants.
“White had the opportunity to adopt the same tough limits to prohibit out of state mercury trading that 14 other states have adopted, but instead utilities in Texas can now buy their way out of mercury clean-up, ” said Karen Hadden of the SEED Coalition. “Instead of protecting our most vulnerable, White chose to help the power companies. It’s time to erase the damage done by getting White out.”
Read the Letter to the Governor
Visit www.GetWhiteOut.com for more information and to sign online petitions.
UPDATE:
According to Karen Hadden of the SEED Coalition, Chair Hartnett plans “to resign and not seek reappointment.” While good news, this decision will not halt Get White Out’s efforts. Its goal remains to pressure Gov. Perry to appoint her replacement immediately, and enlist a leader who will prove “stronger, more aware, (and) more visionary.” Rather than push for any particular candidate, Get White Out supporters insist that any qualified and conscientious person would satisfy the demand. Individuals have even suggested enlisting legislators to oversee the appointment, to ensure a leader of quality. And, citizens have begun writing legislators for help. What these activists do not want is another appointee who tends to favor the interests of industries rather than public health. Especially now, Hadden stated, it is “ridiculous” that the Chair of the TCEQ would not work to implement the cleanest technologies possible and stem global warming. (Updated 7/23/07 by Katie Shaw)
