News Release | Environment Texas Research & Policy Center

President Obama & EPA Protect Public Health, Announce Landmark Mercury Standard for Power Plants

AUSTIN– Today, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first-ever nationwide standard for mercury and air toxics pollution from power plants. A record 907,000 Americans submitted comments on the standard, which is expected to cut toxic mercury pollution from power plants by 90 percent.

Report | Environment Texas Research & Policy Center

Danger in the Air

All Americans should be able to breathe clean air.  But pollution from power plants and vehicles puts the health of our nation’s children and families at risk.  Ground-level ozone, the main component of smog, is one of the most harmful and one of the most pervasive air pollutants.  According to the American Lung Association, nearly half of all Americans – 48 percent – still live in areas with unhealthy levels of smog pollution. 

Report | Environment Texas Research & Policy Center

Summer Gas Prices: Beating the Heat with Clean Cars

Rapidly rising gas prices across the country are shining a spotlight on the dire consequences of America’s dependence on oil. Our continued use of oil puts our environment, our health, and our national security at risk, and with prices across the country exceeding $4 per gallon, it is putting an incredible burden on our economy and on American families.

Headline

EPA says it will step in to regulate greenhouse gases in Texas

Accusing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of renegade behavior , the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it would take over the regulation of greenhouse gases at large industrial facilities and refineries, mostly along the Gulf Coast.

Result

Cleaning up our air

On June 30, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro announced that the city-owned CPS Energy will retire the polluting Deely power plant by the year 2018 and replace its power with additional investments in solar and other clean sources of energy. According to our research, in 2009, the Deely plant emitted 3657 tons of nitrogen oxide, a key precursor to smog pollution, and is a major source of mercury pollution.