Texas Congressmen to EPA: Don’t Mess With Texas Air.
Four Texas Republican Congressmen visited the Houston Ship Channel last Friday to see the latest air monitoring gear, tout the state’s record of improving air quality and unite against the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Standing next to the Battleship Texas, Representatives Joe Barton (R-Arlington), Kevin Brady (R-Conroe), Pete Olson (R-Sugar Land) and Ted Poe (R-Kingwood) used military terminology to explain their position.
“The EPA is at war with Texas,” Poe said.
Poe has introduced legislation that would cut funding for the EPA’s monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions from oil refineries and power plants. It passed in the House, but stalled in the Senate.
The congressmen showed off a van that's equipped to be a mobile environmental monitoring station. Staffers from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality demonstrated a camera that can “see” and analyze airborne but invisible chemicals and report the results to TCEQ.
Barton said “Texas air quality is good. It’s getting better and we don’t need the national EPA to come down and mess with Texas when we are doing a good job." Olson, Brady and Poe agreed.
This event was held to show support for the lawsuit the State of Texas has filed against the EPA takeover of the state's permitting process for refineries and factories.
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