TCEQ Terry Clawson. Meet EPA Gina McCarthy

Your job for my health.

Fair trade?

 

Today, Rick Perry’s TCEQ issued the following press release by Terry Clawson. This is grandstanding and pure political theater performed by the TCEQ puppets under the direction of their puppet master, Rick Perry to counter the bad press he received in the Dallas Morning News, Perry’s warning of Texas job losses from EPA action fell flat.

EPA’s rules cost 500 Texas jobs
Reaction to today’s Luminant announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 12, 2011
Contact: Terry Clawson
Phone: 512-239-0046 Pager: 512-657-0738

Today’s announcement that Luminant will cut 500 jobs in Texas because of the EPA’s new Cross-State Air Pollution Rule is a sad confirmation of the TCEQ’s previous statements. These rules, imposed on Texas without adequate notice and without adequate scientific justification, will kill jobs, put the brakes on economic growth, increase energy costs and impair our energy security—all with little or no positive environmental effects. The new rules will not lead to cleaner energy, but rather to significantly less energy. These rules are shutting down electrical generating plants, after a summer when the state came very close to suffering serious, widespread power shortages.

Rick Perry and your puppet theater, meet Gina McCarthy:

Today, Luminant issued a press release which may generate calls to your office. In response, EPA Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy has issued the following statement.

“The Cross State Air Pollution Rule will prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths and thousands of asthma attacks by ensuring Americans do not have to breathe pollution emitted by facilities in other states.

Prior to announcing this important rule, EPA did extensive outreach to industry to ensure there were an array of compliance options, and in recent weeks, we have continued to work specifically with Luminant, making the Administrator, Deputy Administrator and EPA technical staff available to assess their needs and continue to ensure they have options to meet these important new standards – including exploring additional flexibility for the company and encouraging more reliance on technologies the company has already installed. As recently as yesterday EPA offered to share additional information that shows the potential for a no-shut down, no-layoff solution for statewide compliance. It is unfortunate that company leadership rushed to a decision that needlessly puts their workers’ jobs at risk.

This administration agreed with the previous administration’s 2005 decision that these facilities threatened the health of Americans living downwind, and this action by Luminant represents an abrupt change of direction. Since the Bush Administration, these facilities have made business decisions to comply with a rule that is very similar to what we announced in July – staying within pollution limits without needing to make serious investments in pollution controls at several facilities . Today, rather than continuing their previous efforts at complying with important health safeguards, and despite EPA’s repeated pledges to work with them in finding an agreeable path to cutting pollution, they made the choice to lay off workers and idle facilities.

It is not EPA’s role to tell private corporations which business decisions to make, but we firmly believe that there are better alternatives for Luminant. We remain committed to working with them, and sharing additional information, to find ways forward that protect health and save the jobs of Luminant’s workers.”

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Dear Readers,

I would like to remind you that Rick Perry is the head of the TCEQ. The same Rick Perry who refused to fund education in Texas so thousands of public school teachers lost their jobs. The same Rick Perry who slashed and burned the volunteer fire fighters budget so they don’t have the protective gear they need to fight our wildfires. The same Rick Perry who put Texas On The Brink.