Jim Blackburn
Op-ed Section

THE FAILURE OF TEXAS AIR POLLUTION CONTROL: A CITIZEN’S PERSPECTIVE
September 2006· In 2004, while certain aspects of air pollution in Texas have improved, the overall situation is still very bleak for those living near industrial sources of air pollution. Children and adults suffering from asthma must endure episodes of ozone air pollution. They are exposed daily to releases of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide from refineries and a wide variety of toxics from chemical plants, refineries and storage and shipment facilities. Ports, a major source of fine particle air pollution, are not regulated by the State. Welcome to Texas.

Errors & Omissions (presented at the 2004 Rice/Fotofest Water Conference)
February 2006· The tension between growth and natural production is very real in Houston and on the Texas coast. Other states may protect natural habitat such as wetlands but Texas does not. We don’t even give our counties authority to regulate land development relative to wetlands. As a state, our policy is growth regardless of what natural value is lost in the process.

An Environmental Perspective on Texas Coastal Issues
November 2005·Compared to the coasts of other states, the Texas Coast is a relatively unregulated part of the United States. The primary regulatory presence on the Texas coast is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The secondary regulatory presence is the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The General Land Office of the State of Texas has control over the bottoms of the bays and over the barrier beaches outward three leagues. Although Texas has been admitted into the federal Coastal Zone Management Program, there is no effective coastal management program at this time. Counties in Texas lack general regulatory authority and cities control relatively little of the Texas coast. Welcome to the Texas frontier.