Ambient Air Quality Needs to be the Basis for Emissions from Industrial Plants

WHEREAS urban regions in Texas are consistently out of compliance with federal and state Ambient Air Quality environmental regulations;

• More than 5 million people in the urban regions in Texas live daily in poor to toxic air quality;
• Air pollution is known to aggravate respiratory congestion and impair the immune system in as little as seven (7) hours of exposure;
• Emissions from industry, dust, heavy vehicular traffic, and smoke comprise the factors contributing to poor regional air quality;
• Air quality management needs measurements and an appropriate baseline in order to monitor and enforce regulations;
• EPA, TCEQ, and cities have air monitors that measure specific pollutants.
• Health code regulations use an arbitrary basis/baseline for measuring emissions,
• Known toxic chemicals occur commonly at much higher levels in the atmosphere than health limits allow as a direct result of an arbitrary basis/baseline;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Texas State Democratic Party:

Supports ambient air quality as the basis/baseline for air emission levels from industrial plants in regions of Texas that are not in compliance with federal and state ambient air regulations.

Prepared by: The Environmental Initiative of the Houston Region Democrats 2.19.06