AIR POLLUTION GOVERNANCE IN HOUSTON: A NEED FOR A HOLISTIC

APPROACH IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

TAF 6 CITIESHAYLEY FRANK

AIMS

Initial task : examine the impacts air pollution governance in Houston in the transportation sector

• What is the structure of air pollution governance in Houston and how is it implemented?

• Who are the stakeholders in the area’s transportation sector and how do they interact?

• What are the priorities of Houston’s federal, state, and private organizations, and how are they determined?

Hayley Frank, 2015

METHODS

1.Profiling both government organizations and NGOs in the federal, state, and local level

2.Annotating research papers

3.Reviewing news articles

Determine priorities among these organizations and their methods of governance Compare the recommendations of scientific researchers, government organizations, etc. Assess public opinion on air pollution events and governance

Hayley Frank, 2015

FINDINGS

1. Significant Cross-Scale Conflict

VS. 2. Narrow Approach

VOCs

Industry

Vehicle Emissions NOx

Ozone

Hayley Frank, 2015

Tightening the country’s smog standard would be too costly and is not a necessity for public health.

TCEQ ChairmanBryan Shaw

: The new standard

would result in industry costs of $1.4 billion annually by 2025, while the health benefits would range from $2.9 billion to $5.9 billion.

STATE OF TEXAS VS. EPA

Hayley Frank, 2015

County/City Level Organizations

• Harris County Pollution Control Services

• Bureau Of Pollution Control And Prevention

Transportation Management Organizations

• Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership

• Trek Houston

• Central Houston - Downtown in Motion

TEXAS VS. HOUSTONo BCCA Appeal Group fights Houston for their right to enforce air quality ordinances, claims its an interference to TCEQ enforcement powers.

o Testimony by City of Houston to the EPA to increase the ozone standard.

Hayley Frank, 2015

TXDOT Less than 1% of TxDOT’s $8 billion biannual budget was allocated to the support of public transportation

The Texas Department of Health and Human Services

devotes almost 3 times the resources

Hayley Frank, 2015

Hayley Frank, 2015

FOCUS ON OZONE

CITY OF HOUSTONEMISSIONS REDUCTION PLAN

1. Initiate a regional stakeholder process to develop and finalize a regional air

plan.

2. A reduction of 65% of nitrogen oxides by the year 2007

3. Reduction of 15% of volatile organic compounds by 2007

4. Reduction in the level of pollution from cars, trucks, and buses.

5. Use of ‘cleaner diesel fuel’

6. Further reduce air emissions from industrial facilities in the region

especially from older facilities.

7. Public education to inform citizens of challenges and need for progress.

8. Increase scientific understanding of pollution formation and health

consequences.

9. Implement Houston Air Excellence and Leadership Program (HAXL)

10. Executive Order to reduce air pollution in city operations. Hayley Frank, 2015

MAYOR’S TASK FORCE

Hayley Frank, 2015

As we look for cost-effective solutions, it is imperative to understand and acknowledge that air pollution is a by-product of our culture and our way of life. It is produced as a direct result of choices we make, both individually and collectively, about energy sources, technologies, economic activities, and lifestyles. While the relative contribution of a particular source or source category may vary from placeto place, it is the blending together of combined emissions from numerous point, mobile, and area sources that makes Houston’s air quality unhealthful. Thus, control efforts should be directed toward all sources since focusing on a single type of source, no matter how obvious or obnoxious, is unlikely, by itself, to solve the problem.

“

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Hayley Frank, 2015

o Community survey with response from 30% of Households

o No private practices in Galena Park and 56% of residents are unaware of the City’s public pediatric clinic

o16% of adults and 24% of children have asthma or another respiratory disease, while the across the state of Texas only 12.7% of adults are affected

o Cancer risk due to diesel exposure in Galena Park exceeds 1 in 10,000

GALENA PARK

Hayley Frank, 2015

QUESTIONS?

Hayley Frank, 2015

REFERENCES Air Alliance Houston. Air Pollution and Public Health in Galena Park, Texas. Global Community Monitor, July 2014.

Carroll, Susan. Obama Administration Issues Rules to Curb Ozone, Houston Chronicle. 2015.

Carroll, Susan. City of Houston Fights for Right to Keep Enforcing Air Quality Ordinances, Houston Chronicle. 2015.

City of Houston. Testimony on behalf of the City of Houston Regarding Proposed Revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for Ozone, The City of

Houston Office of Sustainability. September 2007.

Goodman, Barry. The Growing Demand for Public Transportation in Texas’ Large Urbanized Areas. RAIL Magazine, 2010.

Maret, Isabelle, L. King, B. Sexton, and R. Arscott. Air Quality Planning in the Houston-Gaveston Region. Texas Southern University. 2004.

Sexton K, Linder S, Delclos G, et al. Mayor’s Task Force on the Health Effects of Air Pollution. A closer look at air pollution in Houston: Identifying priority health

risks. Houston, Texas: University of Texas School of Public Health, Institute for Health Policy; 2006.

Texas Department of Transportation. “Chapter 3: Goals Objectives and Measures.” http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/tpp/2040/plan/chapter-3.pdf Accessed October 7, 2015.

Hayley Frank, 2015