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I'M A CHIEF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN ENJOYING, UM, SO FAR, LIKE A DAY AND A HALF OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES AND, AND WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, UM, BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON UNDER, UM, UH, MAYOR TURNER'S, UH, ADMINISTRATIONS AND WITH OUR PARTNERS.
AND SO, UM, YESTERDAY WE HEARD ABOUT SOLAR POWER AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING AND, UM, UM, USE OR FINDING WATER FOR THE FUTURE FOR OUR DRINKING WATER AND TODAY, UM, AND TOPICS LIKE THAT.
AND TODAY WE'RE FOCUSING ON MORE THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, SAY, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION MONITORING FOR POLLUTION AND, UM, THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF, OF HEALTH AND, UM, WILDLIFE AND PARKS AND COMMUNITIES.
SO, UM, JUST, UH, THE, AT NOON WE'LL HEAR, UM, DR.
BOB BULLARD TALK ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN HOUSTON.
UM, WE'LL HAVE, UH, SOME MORE ENGAGING TALKS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING.
AND THEN FROM TWO TO FOUR, WE HAVE A WORKSHOP ON THE EJ, UH, SCREEN, UH, TOOL THAT TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY RANK IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES, UM, UH, COMPARED TO THE STATE AND ACROSS, UM, THE UNITED STATES.
AND, UM, BUT TODAY'S SESSION IS ACTUALLY ABOUT SOME CHALLENGES AND SOME, SOME WAYS THAT WE HAVE BEEN FACED WITH CHALLENGES AND WE'VE PIVOTED AND WORKED ON SOLUTIONS EVEN THOUGH, UM, A LOT OF THIS IS NOT WITHIN OUR DIRECT CONTROL.
IT'S NOT ACTUALLY IN THE CITY'S JURISDICTION.
SO YOU HAVE HERE, UM, SOME REALLY, UM, EXPERTS AND, AND PARTNERS OF OURS THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH, UM, DURING THIS ADMINISTRATION AND ACTUALLY FOR MANY YEARS.
AND I WANNA INTRODUCE THEM AND THEN, UM, TURN IT OVER TO THE MODERATOR, UM, WHICH IS DR.
SO, UM, LET ME START WITH, UH, ALAN LEVINE.
UH, ALAN IS THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE ENTIRE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT.
AND, UM, WE WORK ALONGSIDE HIM ON MANY ISSUES.
HE'S ACTUALLY IN AUSTIN, BUT, UM, HALES FROM HOUSTON.
AND, UM, HE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, LAWYER THAT ACTUALLY DRAFTED EARLY, UM, TEXAS ANTI-POLLUTION LAW.
SO HE'S GONNA TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT, UM, ABOUT SOME WORK THAT WE DO TOGETHER WITH HIM.
HE'S ACTUALLY THE SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS AND POLICY SPECIALIST IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
UM, HE WORKS IN, UH, LEGISLATION AND, UH, I WORK WITH HIM REALLY CLOSELY ON, UM, EPA GRANTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES, UM, AND, AND BILLS AND ORDINANCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT RELATE TO, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.
AND THEN NEXT WE HAVE, UM, WE, WE HAVE ROY, UH, RODNEY.
HE'S A MANAGING PARTNER, UM, AT RODNEY AND EDER.
AND THE CITY WORKS WITH, UH, ROY'S LAW FIRM, UM, ON MULTIPLE ISSUES.
HE HAS EXPERIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES, AND WE REALLY NEEDED HIS EXPERTISE ON SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY, WHICH IS THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD SITE.
AND THEN, UH, JUST WRAPPING IT UP HERE WITH, UM, UH, INTRODUCTION OF DR.
ALINA CRAFT, WHO IS, UH, THE SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CLIMATE AND HEALTH AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND.
AND HER EXPERTISE IS AN HEIR AND CLIMATE CHANGE TRANSPORTATION.
AND WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND ON MANY PROJECTS HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, AND ALINA IS GONNA TALK ABOUT ONE THAT, UM, IS, I GUESS IN THE MIDST.
UM, AND SO, UH, JUST, UH, TO TURN IT OVER TO THE MODERATOR, I WANT YOU TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY SPECIAL MODERATOR TODAY.
WE FLEW HIM IN FROM WASHINGTON, DC UM, MATT DDA IS THE, UH, DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL ES AT EPA.
SO HE IS LITERALLY THE EXPERT ON EJ, AND SO YOU'LL HAVE TIME TO ASK HIM QUESTIONS, BUT HE'S GONNA LEAD THIS DISCUSSION.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MATT.
VERY HAPPY TO BE BACK, UH, HERE IN HOUSTON, UH, ONE OF, ONE OF ONE OF THE PLACES I HAVE CALLED HOME, UH, AND THE PLACE WHERE, UH, I REALLY, UH, FIRST LEARNED, UH, HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, HOW TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, HOW TO WORK IN WITH AND FOR COMMUNITIES.
UH, IT WAS, IT WAS HERE IN HOUSTON THAT, THAT, UM, I LEARNED MANY, MANY HARD, EXTRAORDINARILY HARD LESSONS ABOUT, UH, ACTUALLY DOING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
UM, AND WE HAVE A, A WONDERFUL PANEL HERE, SO I'M GONNA GET OUTTA THE WAY AND, UH, AND HAND IT OVER TO OUR PANEL MEMBERS.
THEY ALL HAVE EXTENSIVE ON THE GROUND EXPERIENCE WORKING IN WITH AND FOR COMMUNITIES HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA ON ISSUES OF EQUITY AND JUSTICE.
UM, HIGHLIGHTING THIS IN THE HOUSTON AREA,
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I THINK IS, IS TREMENDOUS FOR SEVERAL REASONS.UH, I THINK WE'RE REALLY IN, UH, UH, HISTORIC TIME.
UH, AND I THINK I'M THE ONLY HISTORIAN ON THE PANEL.
I SEE LAWYERS AND SCIENTISTS
UH, BUT AS A HISTORIAN, I ACTUALLY THINK WE ARE LIVING IN A HISTORIC TIME FOR EQUITY AND JUSTICE WHERE, UM, BOTH FROM, FROM THE SWELL OF, UH, SOCIETALLY, PEOPLE LIFTING UP THESE GENERATIONAL ISSUES OF INEQUITY AND INJUSTICE THAT STILL PERVADE OUR SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO ACTUALLY HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION IN THE WHITE HOUSE WITH MANY, UH, CHAMPIONS IN CONGRESS, UM, PUTTING FUNDING INTO, UH, CORRECTING GENERATIONAL INEQUITIES OF DISINVESTMENT AND DUMPING UPON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND INDIGENOUS AND LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
UH, AND TO DO IT IN HOUSTON, WHICH I TRY NOT TO BE BIASED, BUT I STILL THINK HOUSTON, UH, PART OF THE PRIVILEGE IS MY JOB, IS I GET TO, UH, TRAVEL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
I STILL THINK HOUSTON HAS SOME OF THE TOUGHEST, UH, EQUITY AND JUSTICE CHALLENGES, UH, IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
UH, AND, AND, AND I SEE ONE OF MY GOOD COLLEAGUES HERE IN THE FRONT ROW, NOT JUST HOUSTON, BUT THE TEXAS GULF COAST, REALLY, UM, ALL THE WAY FROM, FROM CORPUS UP TO PORT ARTHUR, UH, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, I THINK REALLY, UH, HAS A HISTORIC ROOT HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA, AS WE'LL HEAR FROM PROFESSOR BULLARD HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT TO HAVE THESE, THESE PANELISTS JOIN US TODAY, UM, TO REALLY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE ISSUES IS, IS, UH, A WONDERFUL TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF THE MAYOR'S EARTH DAY, UH, CELEBRATION HERE.
UH, AND I'M GONNA TAKE A, A, A BIT OF PRIVILEGE, AND WE'RE GONNA START TO MY RIGHT.
UH, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS COMING UP IN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC HEALTH FIGHTING HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING.
AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT ALINA KRAFT WAS HIRED TO DO THE SAME JOB, MORE OR LESS AT THE SAME TIME.
AND WE BOTH LOOKED AT EACH OTHER ABOUT 16 YEARS AGO.
I WAS LIKE, WHAT ARE WE DOING
WHAT DO WE DO? UM, AND SO WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AS WE WALKED IN.
I WAS LIKE, WE'RE BOTH BACK IN HOUSTON TODAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME.
UM, SO I'M GONNA START WITH MY GOOD FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, ALINA, WHO'S GONNA SHARE SOME OF WHAT SHE HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UH, FOR THESE MANY YEARS IN THE HOUSTON AREA, UH, FROM HER POSITION AT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND.
IT IS, UM, REALLY NICE TO BE IN HOUSTON.
I COME HERE I THINK, MORE REGULARLY THAN, THAN MATT THESE DAYS.
BUT, UM, OUR WORK IS, UH, CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK, UM, THE WORK THAT WE DO IN HOUSTON SERVES AS A MODEL FOR WORK THAT WE CAN DO IN OTHER PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGES THAT I THINK OUR NATION FACES.
IF WE COULD HAVE THE SLIDES, UM, OH, IS ROY SUPPOSED TO GO FIRST? YEAH.
YOU WANNA SWITCH? WELL THEN I'LL TAKE MY PRIVILEGE BACK.
ROY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO KICK US OFF?
MY NAME IS ROY RODNEY AND I'M A, A LAWYER, UM, SORT OF AN EVERYDAY LAWYER IN THE SENSE THAT WHAT I DO IS, UM, LITIGATE THESE CASES, UH, AND, UM, HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN PRETTY MUCH ALL SIDES OF THIS.
IN THE SENSE OVER A 40 YEAR, UH, CAREER, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN REPRESENTING PEOPLE IN ISSUES REGARDING WATER, UH, TOXIC, UH, TORTS, UM, PUBLIC HOUSING, CLASSIC ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES WITH POOR COMMUNITIES LOCATED IN INDUSTRIAL CORRIDORS, AND, UH, EVEN RAILROADS FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME.
I HAVE TO SAY I'M REFORMED FROM ALL OF THAT
AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, WORK WITH A COUPLE OF LAW FIRMS AND, UH, HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO COME IN AND MAKE A, HOPEFULLY MAKE A CONTRIBUTION ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SIDE OF IT AND THE COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT SIDE OF IT.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S SOME STATUTORY BASIS FOR THAT AND WITH REGARD TO, UH, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PLANS AND, UH, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUPS.
AND SO, UH, TAKE THAT PART OF IT VERY SERIOUSLY AND ENJOY IT QUITE, QUITE A BIT.
SO MY PRESENTATION TODAY IS HARD TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE UNION PACIFIC SITE IN, UH, SEVEN MINUTES, BUT IT'S GONNA BE MORE GEARED TO THE ISSUE OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
UH, AND, UH, I HAVE TO SAY, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I
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TRY TO DO WITH REGARD TO EVERY CASE, AND OF COURSE CASES LIKE THIS IS, IS TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE SITE.SO, THE VERY FIRST DAY THAT, AT THAT TIME, IT WAS A, I THINK A FIRM WAS CALLED BEVERAGE AND DIAMOND, WHO ASKED ME TO COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND SO THE, THE VERY FIRST DAY IS, UH, I WENT DOWN TO THE SITE AND, UH, AS, AS YOU KNOW, MATT KNOWS IT'S THE CLASSIC SITUATION.
IT'S IN THE FIFTH WARD OF HOUSTON, AND IT'S LOCATED NEXT TO A FORMER C SOUL PLANT.
I'M GONNA GET TO THAT IN IN A MINUTE.
BUT TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE COMMUNITY GROUP.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT IN ALL OF THIS TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE THINGS, I'VE NEVER SEEN A COMMUNITY FUNCTION AT SUCH A HIGH AND COHESIVE LEVEL WITH REGARD TO THIS PARTICULAR THREAT.
AND I WAS BOWLED OVER BY THE ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, UH, INCLUDING OUR LAST DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, MORATORIUMS ON BUILDING IN THE AREA, RELOCATION, SUBSEQUENT USES, AND ALL OF THAT SORT OF THING.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UM, LET ME SORT OF GET INTO THIS IF I, IF I CAN.
SO THE FIFTH FLOOR CASHMERE GARDEN SITE, UM, DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT OR? SURE.
SO, UH, THIS, UH, UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD FACILITY, A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF THE CASHMERE GARDENS, BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY IN CASHMERE GARDENS, BUT IT IS IN THE FIFTH WARD.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE A STRONG FEELING THAT THE CASHMERE GARDENS AND SURROUNDING TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, GEOGRAPHY MAY VERY WELL BE IMPACTED BY THIS.
BUT THE FACILITY WAS OPERATED BY A COMPANY CALLED UNION SPECIFIC RAILROAD BETWEEN 1911 AND 1984 AS A WOOD TREATMENT FACILITY.
AND WHAT THEY DID IS THEY TREATED RAILROAD TIES IN THE SAME WAY THAT THEY TREAT RAILROAD TIES, TELEPHONE POLES, AND THEY USE A SUBSTANCE CALLED, UM, CSO, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY NASTY.
BUT ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THIS SITE IS THAT THEY ALSO, UM, WELL, LEMME SAY THIS, THE REASON WHY THEY USE CREOLE IN TIMBERS IS TO PRO, UH, PRESERVE THE RAILROAD TIES TO STOP INSECTS FROM EATING THEM, FROM THEM DETERIORATING SO QUICKLY.
BUT, UM, CREOLE IS PARTICULARLY NASTY, UM, UH, SUBSTANCE, BUT IN THIS CASE IT'S MADE SO MUCH WORSE BECAUSE WORSE, WHAT THE FACTUAL, UH, IN HISTORY IS TELLING US IS THAT THEY USE WHAT'S CALLED CSO EXTENDERS.
AND CREOSOTE EXTENDERS IS BASICALLY A CHEMICAL BATH THAT THEY USE THAT WHERE THEY TAKE WASTE MATERIALS FROM OTHER FACILITIES LIKE MODA AND OTHER DIXIE OIL PROCESSORS AND OTHER WELL-KNOWN TOXIC FACILITIES IN AND AROUND HOUSTON.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE CREOLE, THEY PUT THE CREOLE EXTENDERS ON THERE.
AND WE KNOW VERY WELL THAT THE CREOLE EXTENDERS INCLUDES DOXINS AND, UH, ALL SORTS OF, UH, NASTY, UH, STUFF.
IN FACT, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING BECAUSE IT IS THE WASTE PRODUCT OF OTHER PRODUCTS.
SO, SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S CONTAMINATED WITH CRISO.
WE KNOW THAT IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA THAT THERE'S BEEN A CANCER CLUSTER THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THERE.
UH, IT'S BEEN THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS FOUGHT VALIANTLY TO BRING ATTENTION TO IT.
UH, THERE'S ACTUALLY A CANCER TOUR THAT SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS HAVE PUT TOGETHER THAT THEY WILL BE HAPPY TO SHOW, UH, ANYONE.
UH, BUT THE, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT STATISTICALLY, UH, THE, UH, CANCER RATES THAT ARE OBSERVED, UH, IN THIS AREA ARE FAR BEYOND, UH, ANY ACCIDENTAL, UH, OR BENIGN OR BACKGROUND STANDARDS FOR CANCER.
SO WE PUT TOGETHER THIS MAP HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, LARYNX, LIVER, UH, TO SOME EXTENT, I BELIEVE, UH, ESOPHAGAL, UH, CANCERS ARE PREVALENT IN THIS AREA.
AND WE KNOW THAT THESE CANCERS ARE VERY, UH, WELL CONNECTED TO, UH, CHOA.
SO, BECAUSE WE ALSO KNOW THAT CHOA SO VAPORIZES AND CAN BE TRANSPORTED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, THIS SITUATION HAD BEEN PERSISTING FOR QUITE SOME TIME BEFORE THE TCEQ.
I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD OF THEM.
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AND IT WAS IN A POSITION WHERE I, MOST PEOPLE WHO LOOK AT THIS WOULD THINK THAT IT WAS, UH, INCREDIBLY PASSIVE RESPONSE TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING HERE.AND, UM, ALTHOUGH IT WAS A CRA UH, ACTION, BASICALLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS SORT OF MONITORING THE SITUATION AND UP, UH, CAME IN AND ASKED FOR A CHANGE IN THAT.
AND MAYOR TURNER AND THE CITY SORT OF SPRUNG TO ACTION ON THIS ISSUE.
FIRST, WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN IT AS AN INTERESTED PARTY IN A CONTESTED, UH, CLAIM, AS A PROCESS BY WHICH YOU CAN PARTICIPATE AND BE INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT IT BECAME REALLY CLEAR AS A RESULT OF WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE BY OTHERS, UM, BCI, JIM BLACKBURN, LONE STAR AND A, AND A LOT OF REALLY INCREDIBLE ADVOCACY, UH, AND COMMITTED LAWYERS AND OTHERS THAT, UM, RESULTED IN A NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE.
AND WE WANTED TO HAVE A NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE BECAUSE WE WANTED TO EXPAND THE CLAIMS TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT.
UH, NOT JUST THE REMOVAL, UM, BUT ALSO THE ISSUES OF CONTINUING HEALTH, HEALTH MONITORING, UM, RELOCATION, BOTH TEMPORARY, PERMANENT, UH, THE WHOLE, UH, PANOPLY OF RES OF, OF RESPONSES.
SO, AS A RESULT OF THAT, UM, SITUATION, BCI, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO FILED FIRST.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN BCI AND THEN THE CITY.
AND THEN THERE WAS A GROUP OF PLAINTIFF'S LAWYERS, UM, WHO HAD ALSO FILED A CASE FOR PERSONAL INJURY, AND THEY FILED A NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE.
UH, AND THEN THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHERS.
SO, AS A RESULT OF THIS, UH, WE ARE ASKING THAT THERE IS A FULL REVIEW OF, UH, THE ENTIRE AREA.
I THINK THE EPA, UH, HAS EXPANDED THE AREA NOW TO BE AT LEAST THREE BLOCKS FROM THE SITE.
UH, IT ALSO INCLUDES ALL OF THE SCHOOLS, ALL OF THE PARKS, UH, AND ENTIRE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE LIST.
WE THINK OF, UH, PCLS AND WHATEVER.
AND IN FACT, UM, I HAVE TO SAY, UM, THE ADMINISTRATOR, MICHAEL REGAN HAS MADE A POINT TO COME TO HOUSTON, UH, AS WELL AS TO OTHER PLACES THAT I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH, LIKE NEW ORLEANS AND JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, THAT SUFFER FROM THE SAME SORT OF CLASSIC, UH, EQUAL, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES.
SO THE FACT THAT HE'S BEEN HERE AND CONTINUED TO WORK ON IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE CASE IS THAT UNION PACIFIC, UH, HAS AGREED TO VOLUNTARILY ENGAGE IN AN ENFORCEMENT ACTION, A REMOVAL ACTION, UH, TO COMPREHENSIVELY TEST, UH, AND TO BE INVOLVED, UH, IN, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER AND WORKING WITH THE CITY AND OTHERS TO TALK ABOUT, UH, A RESPONSIVE PLAN.
OF COURSE, IT'S GONNA BE BASED UPON, UH, THE TESTING.
AND SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ROLES.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THIS SORT OF THING, I WOULD SAY THERE ARE REALLY TWO GREAT SOURCES OF INFORMATION.
ONE, THE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS AN INCREDIBLE WEBSITE THAT'S UP, AND YOU CAN GO RIGHT THERE TO, UH, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, PLUG IT IN, PUT IN ANY BROWSER, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, CASHMERE HEALTH DEPARTMENT UP, UM, LAUREN HOPKINS IS HERE, UH, AND OTHERS WHO DIRECT YOU.
SO MANY WILL DIRECT YOU TO THE SITE.
THEN THE EPA ALSO HAS A WONDERFUL SITE, AND YOU CAN GO TO THOSE, UH, SITES.
SO I WANT TO END BY SAYING THAT I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.
THERE ARE SO MANY WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS.
UH, I'M SO, UH, ENCOURAGED AND MOTIVATED EVERY TIME I GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET ALL OF THE, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, UH, AND TO UNDERSTAND IT MOST ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE LAWYERS THAT WE WORK WITH.
UH, TIM WILKINS FROM, UH, BRACEWELL, UH, UH, MR. BLACKBURN, BRIAN FRENCH, UH, BEN WILSON, ALL OF THE LAWYERS FROM THE CITY, UH, SUZANNE, UH, CHAUVIN, BRIAN AND MISS, UH, WIN COLBERT.
SO MANY, I KNOW I'M GONNA LEAVE OUT A LOT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS, UH, PROJECT.
IT'S A CLASSIC ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION.
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UPS, UH, AGREEMENT TO VOLUNTARILY ENGAGE UNDER WHAT'S CALLED A SECTION 1 0 4 OF CIRCLE, THE SUPERFUND LITIGATION WILL RESULT IN THIS AREA BEING ADDRESSED MORE RAPIDLY THAN WHAT WE HAVE UNDER AN ORDINARY LITIGATION PROCESS.AT THE SAME TIME WE STAY INVOLVED, I PUT THIS LITTLE CHART TOGETHER WHERE THE CITY, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH STEPHEN WILLIAMS AND DR. HOPKINS, HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY PROACTIVE IN ALMOST E EVERY ASPECT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH REGARD TO THE TESTING AND THE PLANNING.
SO I HOPE THAT GIVES YOU A GOOD BRIEFING AS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING AT UNION PACIFIC.
AND NEXT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ROY.
UH, AND I, AND I BELIEVE WE'LL BE TALKING SOME MORE POTENTIALLY ABOUT, UM, THE FIFTH WARD UP SITE, AT LEAST IN, IN TANGENT TO SOME OF THE TRAININGS WE'LL HAVE, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, SO VERY HAPPY TO HAVE ROY WITH US.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME TIME AS WELL FOR SOME QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THIS PANEL.
I BELIEVE NOW WE'RE GONNA PASS IT ON TO DESMOND, UH, WHO IS GOING TO SHARE, UH, SOME ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE.
THANK YOU DR. HOPKINS FOR HAVING ME.
UM, SO I KIND OF WANNA JUST PAINT THIS PICTURE.
UH, AS DR. HOPKINS STATED IN HER, UH, REMARKS EARLIER TODAY, THE CITY IS VERY LIMITED IN WHAT IT CAN DO, UH, IN DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES.
SO WE HAVE COME UP WITH ALL THESE CREATIVE WAYS, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU MATT, AND TO THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FOR ITS INVESTMENT IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES, WHICH HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR CITIES AND STATES TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO ISSUES THAT ARE SPECIFIC, UH, TO THEIR NEEDS.
OH, AM I GOING THE RIGHT WAY? YES.
SO I JUST WANNA PUT THIS THOUGHT IN YOUR HEAD BECAUSE EVERYONE BREATHES ARE YOU AIR AWARE, MEANING AT THE VERY BASIC ELEMENT OF LIFE, MOST, AND EVERYBODY HAS TO BREATHE TO BE ALIVE.
BUT AS WE'VE KIND OF HEARD FROM ROY, AND, AND WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM OTHERS, THERE ARE CERTAIN COMMUNITIES THAT DEAL WITH, UH, EXACERBATED HEALTH ISSUES BECAUSE OF CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS, ROCK CRUSHING, UH, FACILITIES, UH, TOXINS BEING ADMITTED INTO THE AIR BECAUSE OF THE, UH, SHIP CHANNEL THAT WE ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND SO IN 2020, THERE WAS A CONCRETE BATCH PLANT, UH, PER PERMITTING PROCESS GOING ON IN THE ACRES HOME COMMUNITY.
IT WAS ACTUALLY CALLED THE SOTO CONCRETE BATCH PLANT ON DESOTO STREET.
AND THAT PARTICULAR CONCRETE BASH PLANT WAS LITERALLY FENCE LINED TO A BASEBALL FIELD AND TO A NEIGHBOR, A NEIGHBORHOOD, EXCUSE ME.
AND SO, UH, MY PREDECESSOR, ACTUALLY, NICK ANDERSON, WHO WAS A POER, UH, PRIZE WINNER, CREATED THIS POLITICAL CARTOON BASICALLY SAYING, IT'S NOT SAFE HERE.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS ARC AND BECAUSE OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISM, BOTH THE CITY AND COMMUNITY WERE ABLE TO BASICALLY FORCE THE CORPORATION TO WITHDRAW ITS PERMIT.
SO THINKING ABOUT THAT CREATIVE ELEMENT AND HOW PEOPLE CAN GET ENGAGED WITH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
IN 2021, THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION THROUGH THE EPA PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIES TO APPLY FOR GRANTS TO BASICALLY TELL THE STORY OF COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, UH, THAT THEY DEAL WITH.
AND SO THE CITY OF HOUSTON APPLIED AND WE RECEIVED IT, AND WE NAMED THAT PARTICULAR GRANT, THE HOUSTON INSPIRA OR HOUSTON INSPIRES GRANT.
AND THIS GRANT, AS YOU CAN SEE, DEALS WITH FIVE SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES, CASHMERE GARDENS, A LEAF, WESTWOOD, NEAR NORTH SIDE SECOND WARD, AND ACRE HOME, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ARE THE FIVE MOST IMPACTED COMMUNITIES IN HOUSTON PROPER.
UH, THERE ARE OTHER AREAS LIKE EAST ALDEAN, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON ARE ALSO IMPACTED SEVERELY.
BUT THESE FIVE IN PARTICULAR IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S JURISDICTION.
AND SO WE BASICALLY REACHED OUT TO ARTISTS ACROSS THE CITY, AND ALL OF THESE ARTISTS CAME FROM COMMUNITIES, UH, THOSE FIVE THAT I MENTIONED.
AND THEY WERE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS, UH, THE, UH, EXCUSE ME, AIR ALLIANCE, HOUSTON, THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND, HOUSTON WILDERNESS, JUST TO NAME A FEW AND SO MANY OTHERS.
AND BASICALLY TO GO OUT AND LEARN FROM COMMUNITY OF THE IMPACTS OF THESE CONCRETE BASH PLANTS THAT WE KNOW EMIT PARTIC MATTER 2.5 AND BENZENE, WHICH ARE SO FINE THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE 'EM, BUT THE IMPACT IN YOUR LUNGS BY BREATHING THAT EVERY DAY CAUSES CANCER, CARDIAC ARREST, ASTHMA, AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT I'M, I WILL ADD DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT PEOPLE OF COLOR,
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AFRICAN AMERICANS AND HISPANICS, UH, SPECIFICALLY.SO IN ALL OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, ALSO, THE MAJORITY OF THE RESIDENTS IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS FALL INTO THOSE DEMOGRAPHICS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER, UH, PIECE THAT NICK PUT TOGETHER.
I DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL, UH, ALL OF THE PIECES THAT THE ARTISTS PUT TOGETHER.
BUT THERE IS ONE INFRA, SPECIFICALLY FROM THE AKER HOME GROUP, UH, AND THEY WERE THE HOUSTON HOUSING DEFENDERS, AND THEY PUT TOGETHER THIS COMIC BOOK, WHICH TELLS A STORY OF TWO NATIVE AMERICAN TWINS WHO MOVED FROM THEIR RESERVATION, WHO WERE IMPACTED ALSO BY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES.
AND, AND THAT ISSUE WAS EXACERBATED BY COVID-19.
AND AS A RESULT OF THE TWO, THEY LOST THEIR PARENTS AND MOVED TO AKERS HOME WHERE THEY MET OTHER INDIVIDUALS LIKE THEMSELVES, WHO HAVE BEEN FOR YEARS BATTLING THESE ISSUES OF INJUSTICE, DEALING WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO THAT LEADS TO WHAT I DO WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND AS WE HAVE REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES, THE CITY IS VERY RESTRICTED ON WHAT IT CAN AND CANNOT DO.
SO WE HAVE TO TURN TO THE EPA AND OUR PARTNERS TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO TELL THE STORY OF OUR RESIDENTS AND FIGHTING FOR, AND FIGHTING THROUGH LEGISLATION OF WAYS TO FIX THESE ISSUES.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE EPAS, YOU KNOW, INTUITION OR WHAT, BUT AROUND THE TIME THAT THE GRANT FOR HOUSTON AND SPEAR WAS ANNOUNCED WAS ALSO DURING THE SAME TIME THAT THE TCQ IS UNDER ITS SUNSET REVIEW.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, THE CITY OF HOUSTON THROUGH SB 1397 AND HOUSE BILL 1505, WHICH WE TOTALLY SUPPORT THE CONTI CONTINUATION OF TCEQ.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SPECIFIC THINGS FROM THAT REVIEW THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WANTS TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION, UH, OF THE LEGISLATOR.
ONE EXTEND EXPEND, EXCUSE ME, EXTENDING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO 36 HOURS AND ALLOWING THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE MORE TIME FOR PUBLIC INPUT, LOOKING AT PERMIT APPLICATIONS TO BE POSTED ONLINE SO THAT COMMUNITIES ARE MORE AWARE OF THESE PERMITS AND WHERE THEY ARE IN, UH, PROXIMITY TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
PUBLIC NOTICE, AGAIN, ON PER OF, UH, PERMIT APPLICATIONS, COMPLIANCE OF HISTORY, ESPECIALLY FOR, UH, COMMUNITIES LIKE ACRES HOME LIKE CASHMERE GARDEN, SECOND WARD, NEAR NORTHSIDE, AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO CONTINUOUSLY ARE BEING, UH, IMPOUNDED BY THESE CONCRETE BATCH PLANS AND THE HEALTH IMPACTS THAT IT HAS ON ITS RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS PERIODIC REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW RECOMMENDATIONS, BI BIENNIAL REPORT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW STANDARDS, BUT WHAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TCQ SUNSET REVIEW.
AND DR. HAWKINS, WE THANK YOU AGAIN PUBLICLY, UH, WHO PRESENTED TESTIMONY, UH, TO BOTH, UH, THE HOUSE BILL AND THE SENATE BILL, ASKING FOR THE ELIMINATION OF ECONOMIC INTEREST FROM THE TCE Q'S MISSION, ALLOWING COMMISSIONERS TO DENY A PERMIT BASED ON CONSIDERATIONS OF EQUITY AND JUSTICE, CONSIDER CUMULATIVE IMPACTS IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND ESTABLISH AN OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
SO THESE ARE ADDITIONAL BILLS THAT HAVE BEEN FILED THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH OUR PARTNERS LIKE AIRLINES, HOUSTON ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND, AND SO MANY OTHER TO PUSH THROUGH THROUGH THIS 88TH LEGISLATIVE, UH, UH, SESSION.
AND HOPING THAT THE STORIES FROM BOTH OUR ARTISTS THAT REPRESENT COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON WILL HELP KIND OF TELL THAT STORY AND PAINT THE PICTURE.
THERE'S A MAJOR, MAJOR ISSUE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SPECIFICALLY IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES THAT UNFORTUNATELY ARE REPRESENTED BY MINORITY.
AND LASTLY, A CULMIN, A CULMINATION OF ALL OF THAT WORK.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE WERE DOWN IN AUSTIN.
WE TOOK OUR ARTISTS, WE TOOK OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTNERED WITH THOSE ARTISTS, UH, AND WE TOOK ACTUALLY SOME COMMUNITY, UH, RESIDENTS AS WELL TO GO DOWN, SHARE THE, THE PIECES, UH, FROM THE INSPIRA PROJECT.
WE HAD, AS YOU SEE THIS COMIC BOOK, WE HAD TWO ORIGINAL PIECES.
ONE OF OUR ARTISTS WAS, UH, CAM FRANKLIN, WHO IS A, UH, RENOWNED ARTIST FROM, UH, THE GROUP, THE SUFFERERS HERE IN HOUSTON.
UM, WE HAD A, UM, A INTERACTIVE, UH, E-MAGAZINE PRODUCED JUST TELLING THE INDIVIDUAL STORIES OF RESIDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALLOWED THEM TO SPEAK FACE TO FACE WITH MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATOR SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT FROM A PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, UH, AS THEY MOVE FORWARD IN TRYING TO CORRECT THESE ISSUES OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD FROM ROY ABOUT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CHALLENGES HERE IN THE HOUSTON REGION THAT GO BACK GENERATIONS.
WE JUST HEARD FROM DESMOND ABOUT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CHALLENGES HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA THAT ARE STILL HAPPENING TODAY.
THEY'RE FRESH, RIGHT? THESE ARE NOT THINGS THAT ARE, WE'RE JUST ADDRESSING HISTORICAL INEQUITIES.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT PERSIST TODAY IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE HOUSTON AREA.
[00:30:01]
I'M GONNA WELCOMEWELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR COMING TODAY.
UH, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRIKES ME ABOUT THIS PANEL IS THE, UM, THE SHEER NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT THE CITY HAS TO DEAL WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
AND I CAN'T THANK DR. HOPKINS ENOUGH FOR ALWAYS BEING, UM, ON THE OTHER END OF A PHONE, UH, WHEN IT'S NEEDED TO DEAL WITH SOME SORT OF PRESSING MATTER FOR ANY ONE OF THE MYRIAD ISSUES THAT, THAT YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT AND THAT YOU WON'T HEAR ABOUT.
THINGS THAT ARE, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO TALK, TALK THROUGH.
ONE THING I WANTED TO SHARE ABOUT, UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, AN ONGOING ISSUE AND HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, IS, UM, A PROJECT CALLED PROJECT 11.
THE NAME PROJECT 11 IS NOT THE MOST INNOVATIVE NAME.
IT BASICALLY IS REFERENCING THE 11TH LARGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT TO HAPPEN ON THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL.
AND BASICALLY THAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT INCLUDES DREDGING 52 MILES OF THE SHIP CHANNEL OVER 170 FEET.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S NEEDED AND THE ACTIVITY AROUND THAT KIND OF, OF A MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
WE, UM, GOT INVOLVED INITIALLY AROUND THIS PROJECT BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE EMISSIONS THAT WERE GOING TO BE GENERATED FROM THE DREDGING EQUIPMENT THAT'S USED TO, UM, TO DREDGE THE CHANNEL.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE SHEER NUMBERS OF EMISSIONS, PARTICULARLY OF NITROGEN OXIDES, YOU SEE THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY THE EQUIVALENT OF ADDING A NEW INDUSTRIAL FACILITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SHIP CHANNEL.
SO AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF EMISSIONS THAT WERE NOT GOING TO BE OFFSET AT ALL.
THEY WERE NOT REQUIRED BY THE STATE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY TO OFFSET THOSE EMISSIONS.
WE FOUND THIS AT EDF PARTICULARLY PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES THAT THE REGION HAS WITH REGARD TO OZONE, ONE OF THE CRITERIA OR POLLUTANTS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO ASTHMA, UH, CARDIO RESPIRATORY DISEASE AND SO FORTH ACROSS THE REGION.
AND THE FACT THAT THE REGION IS ACTUALLY, UM, AT THAT TIME WAS ON THE CUSP OF BEING BUMPED UP IN TERMS OF SEVERITY FOR ITS NON-ATTAINMENT FOR THE FEDERAL HEALTH BASED STANDARD FOR, FOR OZONE.
SO IT WAS A, A SERIOUS PROBLEM, A HEALTH PROBLEM, UM, THAT WAS COMING TO LIGHT.
WE HAD A NEW SOURCE OF EMISSIONS THAT WAS HAPPENING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AREA OF THE CITY, AND WE HAD A STATE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY THROWING THEIR HANDS UP AND NOT REQUIRING ANY KIND OF PROTECTIVE MEASURE, UH, FOR THIS ACTIVITY.
AND I THINK AS WITH MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT, UH, IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO, TO TRY TO ADDRESS THESE, THESE ISSUES.
AND SO WHILE WE WERE WORKING ON THE EMISSIONS PART, WE WERE ALSO HAVING, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITIES ABOUT OTHER ISSUES RELATED TO THE DREDGING PROJECT THAT WERE ALSO, UM, OF CONCERN.
UM, THOSE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE, WHERE DO THEY PUT THE DREDGE MATERIAL? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ESSENTIALLY THE SEDIMENT THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF ONE OF THE DIRTIEST CHANNELS IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, AND THE DREDGE SPOIL SITES, THAT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED, DREDGE SPOIL MATERIAL.
UM, WERE BEING PLACED LITERALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THOSE DREDGE CONTAINMENT AREAS HAVE ACTUALLY HAD BREACHES WHERE THAT MATERIAL HAS, UM, RUN OFF AND, AND LEAKED INTO THESE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO WE HAVE CONCENTRATIONS OF, UH, CONTAMINANTS THAT SHOULD NOT EXIST IN THESE, IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, UH, THE OTHER, UM, UH, ISSUES WITH REGARD TO, TO THIS IS JUST A, A VISUAL OF THE PROJECT ITSELF.
IT'S BROKEN UP INTO SIX DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
THAT FIRST, UH, SEGMENT IS THE, UH, ONE THAT'S, UH, STARTED FIRST, UM, AND ENCOMPASSES ABOUT 11 AND A HALF MILES.
THE PROJECT ITSELF, WHILE IT'S CON, UM, OVERSEEN BY THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, IT'S ACTUALLY A PROJECT THAT'S SPONSORED BY PORT HOUSTON.
SO IT'S REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE IN THIS, UH, MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL, UH, SITUATION WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS SOMEONE SAYING, WELL, IT'S NOT US WHO CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
IT'S THE OTHER PERSON, OR IT'S THE OTHER AGENCY THAT YOU NEED TO TALK WITH.
[00:35:01]
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH, UM, WITH COMMUNITIES, UH, WITH THE PORT HOUSTON, WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ABOUT, LOOK, WE HAVE LOTS OF ISSUES WITH REGARD TO THIS PROJECT, AND WE REALLY NEED SOMEBODY, UH, TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.THE THE OTHER ISSUES THAT, THAT CAME UP, UM, WITH REGARD TO THIS PROJECT, WHICH I THINK MADE IT, UH, AN ENORMOUS, UM, INJUSTICE TO, TO THE CITY, WAS THAT ESSENTIALLY THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UM, WORK THAT WAS DONE BEFORE THIS PROJECT WAS APPROVED WAS ESSENTIALLY FAST TRACKED.
UM, THE PUBLIC MEETINGS WERE HELD IN THE TWO TO FOUR WEEKS IMMEDIATELY AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY, WHEN NO ONE COULD BE EXPECTED, UM, IN TERMS, UH, OF COMMUNITY, UH, TO, TO PARTICIPATE TO VOICE CONCERN ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
ANOTHER PROBLEM WAS, UM, THE LACK OF TESTING THAT WAS DONE ON THE MATERIAL IN THE CHANNEL BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN GOING TO PUT IT IN THESE DREDGE, UH, SITE LOCATIONS.
THE THRESHOLDS THAT THEY WERE, UM, UH, THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT, THESE TOXICITY VALUES WERE ACTUALLY FROM MARINE ORGANISMS, NOT HUMAN HEALTH, UH, NOT HUMANS.
AND SO HERE YOU ARE PUTTING IN THIS MATERIAL THAT YOU CAN'T BE ASSURED IS NOT GOING TO CAUSE SOME SORT OF ADVERSE HEALTH OUTCOME IN HUMANS.
UM, THERE WAS, UH, A FLAWED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ANALYSIS.
UM, THE ACTUAL, THE EIS STATEMENT LITERALLY SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE NO ADVERSE IN IMPACT TO, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES THAT WAS SIMPLY, UM, FLAGRANTLY FLAWED, UM, JUST BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT THEY HAD NOT DONE THE, THE TESTING, UM, TO DETERMINE THAT.
AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, ONE OTHER THING WAS THAT, UM, THIS ALL HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HARVEY.
AND SO THE FLOOD MAPS WERE, HAD NOT BEEN UPDATED IN MANY, MANY YEARS, AND THEY COULD NOT, UM, THEY COULD NOT BE ASSURED, THEY COULD NOT ASSURE RESIDENTS, UM, THAT THE MATERIAL WAS NOT GOING TO, TO LEAK INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES.
ALL OF THESE ISSUES WERE OUTLINED, UM, IN A LETTER THAT WAS SENT TO THE ARMY CORPS, UH, BY LONE STAR LEGAL AID AND AMY D'S TEAM THAT REALLY WENT, UH, WENT POINT BY POINT ON ALL THESE ISSUES THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY IGNORED.
AND SO THAT LEFT US WITH REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN DO? I THINK IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO WORK ON ALL THESE ISSUES.
IT TAKES EVERYONE HAVING A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS, UH, BEEN ABLE TO DO, UH, TO ASSIST WAS TO IS, HAS BEEN TO BROKER MEETINGS, UM, WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES, UM, THAT HAVE COME UP WITH REGARD TO THIS PROJECT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE, THE YELLOW PIECES, THE YELLOW COLORED AREAS, THOSE ARE THE AREAS, UM, WHERE THE DREDGE MATERIAL, THOSE ARE PORT OWNED AREAS, AND THOSE ARE THE DREDGE PLACEMENT, UM, AREAS.
THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO COMMUNITIES.
AND IF YOU SEE, UM, RIGHT NEXT TO PLEASANTVILLE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THERE'S A VERY LARGE DREAD SITE THAT HAS BEEN, UM, BREACHED.
WOULD YOU MIND TAKING A COUPLE OF PHOTOS? JUST A COUPLE.
ONE OF, OF THE THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE AS A RESULT OF THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, PORT HOUSTON ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS ESSENTIALLY, UM, A COMMITMENT TO USING THE CLEANEST DREDGING EQUIPMENT THAT'S OUT THERE.
WE'D LIKE TO SEE A SUPPLEMENTAL EIS UH, BE CONDUCTED ONE THAT'S FAIR, ONE THAT'S RIGOROUS, ONE THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITIES.
WE'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE, UM, THE, THE CITY, UM, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES IN THEIR EFFORTS, UM, TO HAVE THEIR CONCERNS HEARD.
I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE REVIEW PROCESSES THAT DON'T ALLOW FOR, UM, UH, COMMUNITY INPUT THAT'S, THAT'S MEANINGFUL OR IN A TRUNCATED TIMEFRAME, UM, THAT'S NOT MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY INPUT.
SO WE'D LIKE TO SEE ALL OF THOSE THINGS ADDRESSED, AND WE'D LIKE TO SEE, UM, THE CITY SUPPORT, AND I THINK THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE DONE THIS, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION'S, UM, COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THROUGH THE JUSTICE 40 INITIATIVE.
AND SO UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, THAT THE BENEFITS OF PROJECTS LIKE THIS REALLY NEED TO BE REALIZED IN THOSE AREAS WHERE, UH, WE KNOW THERE IS THE HIGHEST, UH, LEVEL OF VULNERABILITY.
[00:40:01]
REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR HOUSTON, UM, TO USE THIS PROJECT AS A, UM, AS A CASE STUDY TO SHOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN WE BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER TO TRY TO SOLVE THESE, THESE TOUGH CHALLENGES.UM, NO ONE HAS SAID THAT THEY DON'T THINK THE SHIP CHANNEL NEEDS TO BE DREDGED.
UM, WHAT THEY'VE SAID IS, WE WANT TO DO THIS IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY, AND IN A WAY, UH, THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT MEANINGFUL, UM, PUBLIC, UM, PUBLIC INPUT.
SO, AND, AND WITH, WITH, UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF FORMS OF JUSTICE, RIGHT? ABOUT CORRECTING HISTORIC INEQUITIES, ACHIEVING BETTER OUTCOMES IN OUR PRESENT DECISIONS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY TOOK FROM ALINA'S, UH, TALK AMONGST ALL THE OTHER CALL OUTS IS THIS IDEA OF PROCEDURAL JUSTICE, RIGHT? SO OFTEN IN SO MANY PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY BIG PROJECTS, EXPENSIVE PROJECTS, THERE'S A PUSH FOR EFFICIENCY.
THERE'S A PUSH FOR GETTING THE PROJECT DONE.
AND I THINK IN A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES EXPERIENCE, NOT ONLY DOES THAT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, LEAD TO POORER QUALITY PROJECTS THAT ARE MORE OPEN TO CONTROVERSY, TO LITIGATION, TO CAUSING REAL FRUSTRATION AND SLOWING DOWN OF THE ACTUAL PROJECT IN THE END, AND POOR RESULTS.
BUT YOU'RE NOT DOING JUSTICE BY DOING SO, RIGHT? THE PROCESS IS IMPORTANT.
THE ABILITY TO ENGAGE MEANINGFULLY WITH THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE A SAY IN THE PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THE BASIC PRIORITIES OF EQUITY AND JUSTICE.
SO, UM, REALLY GREAT TO SEE THAT CALLED OUT.
NOW WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ELON LEVINE, UH, TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK OF ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT.
ILAN LEVINE, ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT.
UM, I HA I GREW UP IN HOUSTON.
JUST QUICK SHOUT OUT, GO CARDINALS,
UM, I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY, WHEN YOU GROW UP WITH A FUNNY NAME LIKE MINE, UM, IT'S, UM, I ANSWER ANYTHING, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST CONFERENCE I'VE EVER BEEN TO WHERE THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT SPELLINGS OF MY NAME IN THE CONFERENCE MATERIALS
SO, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY PROJECT.
WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
OUR MISSION IS TO ENFORCE, TO PROMOTE ENFORCEMENT OF OUR NATION'S ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.
UM, WHY ARE WE SO INTERESTED IN ENFORCEMENT AND STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH ANTI-POLLUTION LAWS? BECAUSE WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT LAWS ARE REALLY JUST SUGGESTIONS.
UM, LET ME, UM, I KNOW WE'RE PRESSED ON TIME.
I'M GONNA GO, I HAVE TWO SLIDES TO SHARE WITH YOU, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY.
UM, YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT SO MANY DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS, UM, BETWEEN THE CITY AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, ACADEMIC AND UH, UH, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS.
UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M PROUD OF, UM, TO BE A HOUSTONIAN.
I'M PROUD TO SEE THE COMMITMENT THAT THE CITY HAS HAD GOING BACK NOW DECADES TO CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER, AND TO, UM, UH, HEALTHY, A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
UM, IN 2008, WE PARTNERED WITH, UM, A PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION IN THE CITY, MAYOR WHITE'S ADMINISTRATION, UM, TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO EPA DATA.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, BACK IN 2008, THE CITY PETITIONED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER, UM, A LAW CALLED THE DATA QUALITY ACT TO IMPROVE AND TO, UM, CORRECT SOME BAD DATA THAT EPA IS USING AND HAS HAD BEEN USING, UM, TO COME UP WITH, UM, HOW MUCH POLLUTION IS COMING FROM REFINERIES AND CHEMICAL PLANTS.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THE KIND OF DEEP DIVE INTO DATA THAT THE CITY, UH, HAS BEEN DOING AND CONTINUES TO DO.
UM, SO, UM, LET ME, UH, TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT THE CITY AND A LOT OF THE GROUPS THAT WE WORK WITH ARE, ARE PUSHING FORWARD ON THIS IS, UM, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AN AIR POLLUTION ISSUE.
I'M GONNA MENTION A WATER POLLUTION ISSUE, AND THEN I'LL WRAP IT UP.
[00:45:01]
HAS TO DO WITH AIR POLLUTION.UM, THIS IS, UH, ALONG THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL.
THIS IS DEER PARK, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN SEE, THERE'S A FACILITY THERE, UM, IN, IN BLUE, UH, IN THE, IN THE CENTER.
AND I, I, I BELIEVE THAT'S A LARGE REFINERY.
WHAT YOU SEE IS A, A BUNCH OF YELLOW, UM, DOTS AROUND, AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THAT.
WE AND THE CITY AND SO MANY OTHER GROUPS, MANY OF YOU WORKED HARD FOR YEARS TO GET EPA TO GRUDGINGLY.
UM, AND I SAY GRUDGINGLY BECAUSE THEY HAD SO MUCH PRESSURE FROM THE INDUSTRY, FROM THE REFINING SECTOR, BUT WE PUSHED FOR YEARS FOR EPA TO, UM, TO DO FENCE LINE MONITORING FOR TOXIC AIR POLLUTION AROUND REFINERIES AND CHEMICAL PLANTS.
AND IN 2015, UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, THAT RULE WENT INTO EFFECT.
AND WE NOW ARE BEGINNING TO HAVE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE DATA FROM REFINERIES, LIKE, LIKE THIS ONE ON THE SHIP CHANNEL.
AND THERE'S OTHERS TO SEE WHAT KIND OF BENZENE LEVELS BENZENE IS, YOU KNOW, IS A TOXIC AIR POLLUTANT.
IT'S A CARCINOGEN, CAUSES CANCER.
UM, AND THOSE YELLOW DOTS, AND THERE'S EVEN A COUPLE OF RED AROUND THAT PERIMETER.
THOSE ARE WHERE FENCE LINE MONITORS ARE, UM, HUNG ON THE FENCE AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE REFINERY.
THAT'S THE KIND OF DATA THAT THE CITY AND THAT OTHERS, THAT EPA USE AND THAT NEIGHBORS CAN USE TO SEE, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH AIR QUALITY.
I PICKED THIS, THIS PARTICULAR SITE, BECAUSE THERE'S A COUPLE OF, YOU SEE THE SQUARE RED DOTS.
THE SQUARE RED DOTS ARE THE CENTER, I'M SORRY, THE SQUARE, THE SQUARE RED, OR, UH, THE CENTER OF A FACILITY.
SO YOU SEE A BIG RED SQUARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTER THERE, THAT'S THE REFINERY.
BUT OVER TO THE LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT, YOU GUYS SEE THE OTHER SQUARES, THE RED SQUARES.
CHEMICAL PLANTS DON'T HAVE THE REQUIREMENT TO MONITOR FOR TOXICS AROUND THE FENCE LINE.
UM, SO IN THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, EPA WILL BE REDOING SOME RULES THAT ADDRESS, NOT REFINERIES, BUT CHEMICAL PLANTS, PETROCHEM, PLASTICS, FERTILIZERS, ALL THESE PETROCHEM FACILITIES.
AND WE WANT EPA TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THOSE YELLOW DOTS ON THE MAP THAT REPRESENT FENCE LINE MONITORS FOR CARCINOGENS LIKE BENZENE.
I WANT TO JUST SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF, UM, A WATER POLLUTION, UH, UH, TOPIC.
UM, EPA ADOPTS LIMITS FOR WATER POLLUTION.
UM, AND THEY ARE, UM, UNFORTUNATELY CALLED EFFLUENT LIMITATION GUIDELINES, BUT THEY'RE WATER POLLUTION LIMITS.
THOSE RED DOTS ON THE MAP
OKAY? AND YOU SEE THERE, THE HOUSTON AREA WITH, UM, LOT OF HUGE REFINERIES, UH, AND REFINERY PETROCHEM COMPLEXES, REFINERIES, AND CHEMICAL PLANTS, PETROCHEM, THEY ARE DISCHARGING POLLUTANTS DIRECTLY INTO WATERWAYS.
MANY OF THESE POLLUTANTS ARE NOT REGULATED, AND THE ONES THAT ARE REGULATED, THE RULES WERE PUT IN PLACE 40 YEARS AGO,
UM, A COURT HERE IN NEW ORLEANS, A VERY CONSERVATIVE COURT IN NEW ORLEANS, WROTE A VERY GOOD OPINION CRITIQUING, CRITICIZING EPA, POINTING OUT THAT THE RULES FOR REFINERY WATER POLLUTION, THESE LIMITS WERE ADOPTED THE SAME YEAR THAT ATARI CAME OUT.
UHHUH, UH, THAT WAS THE EIGHTIES
SO, SO WE SUED EPA, WE SUED EPA TO TRY TO GET THEM TO REDO, REDO THESE OLD, OUTDATED, OUTDATED REFINERY WATER POLLUTION LIMITS.
THESE WILL END UP IN POLLUTION LIMITS FOR THESE REFINERIES ON THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER FERTILIZER PLANTS ON THE MAP HERE.
UM, FERTILIZER PLANTS, LIKE MANY OTHER PETROCHEMICAL CHEMICAL PLANTS ARE ALSO POORLY REGULATED.
I INCLUDED A COUPLE OF FERTILIZER PLANTS ON THE MAP BECAUSE, UM, JUST LIKE REFINERIES, THEIR WATER POLLUTION LIMITS ARE OLD AND OUTDATED.
MONDAY, YESTERDAY WAS THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE WEST? THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION IN WEST TEXAS, A FERTILIZER PLANT EXPLODED.
THEY'RE VERY DANGEROUS CHEMICAL PLANTS.
[00:50:01]
TO TIGHTEN UP THOSE WATER POLLUTION LIMITS, NOT JUST FOR THE REFINERIES, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE PETROCHEM SECTOR.UM, THAT, THAT'S MY, UH, MY PRESENTATION.
AND I, I KNOW WE'RE WRAPPED WRAPPING UP, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TIME, MATT, FOR ONE QUESTION OR NOT.
YEAH, WE, I THINK WE WILL HAVE, UH, A TIME FOR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ANTHONY, I KNOW WE WE'RE A LITTLE LATE.
WE'LL TAKE A COUPLE JUST REAL QUICKLY.
UH, AND, AND I DO WANNA SHARE ANOTHER THING GOING BACK TO ALAN'S MAP OF THIS PARTICULAR REFINERY AND, AND THE, AND THE FENCE LINE MONITORS ON IT.
SO I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ONE OF THE LITIGANTS ON THE LAWSUIT THAT FORCED EPA TO DO THIS, AND THEN WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO STAND OVER GINA MCCARTHY'S SHOULDER WHEN SHE SIGNED IT INTO RULE.
A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WERE AROUND BEFORE ME WROTE THAT LAWSUIT, AS ALLAN MENTIONED.
AND AS ALINA HAS MENTIONED, THERE'S A LOT OF PARTS OF THE GOVERNMENT THAT STILL HAVE TO DO A LOT OF WORK TO REALLY RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES, THE IMPACT OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
AND I SHARE THAT TO SAY, AGAIN, WE HEARD ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES THAT ARE STILL HAPPENING TODAY, AND SOME OF THOSE ARE BRAND NEW ISSUES.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES THAT GO BACK LITERALLY OVER A CENTURY GENERATIONS BEFORE US.
AND ONE OF THE HARDEST PARTS OF MY JOB IS WHEN I SIT DOWN WITH COMMUNITIES WHO ARE JUST GETTING INTO THIS ISSUE AND THEY WANT HELP NOW, THEIR CHILDREN ARE BEING IMPACTED.
NOW THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THEIR BABIES ARE GONNA GROW UP.
THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THEIR PARENTS ARE GONNA GROW OLD.
BUT THIS IS A GENERATIONAL FIGHT.
THESE ISSUES HAVE HAPPENED OVER DECADES AND CENTURIES EVEN.
BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW ACROSS THE GOVERNMENT FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, JUST TODAY FOCUSING IN ON THESE ISSUES.
THERE REALLY IS A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW TO TAKE HUGE STEPS FORWARD IN CORRECTING INEQUITIES AND INJUSTICES THAT STILL PERVADE OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, THAT STILL PERVADE OUR ECONOMIC STRUCTURE THAT UNDERLIES THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY.
UM, I'LL SEE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
MELANIE OLDHAM IN THE FRONT ROW HAS THE FIRST QUESTION.
I'M MELANIE FROM FREEPORT, TEXAS, AN HOUR SOUTH OF HERE.
WE'RE A ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY.
UM, 70% PEOPLE OF COLOR, LOW INCOME, AVERAGE INCOME, 32,000 A YEAR FOR A FAMILY.
UM, ALSO I'M THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSTON SIERRA CLUB.
UM, I NOTE MATT FOR A LONG TIME, HE, WHEN HE WAS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AIR ALLIANCE, HE TOOK THE TIME TO COME TO FREEPORT AND LOOK AT OUR, OUR ISSUES AND POLLUTION, BECAUSE I HATE TO SAY IT, IT'S JUST AS BAD AS THE EAST SIDE OF HOUSTON.
UM, SOME OF YOU UP THERE, ALINA AND OTHERS HAVE HELPED US IN THE PAST ARE LOCAL GROUP.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW MICHAEL REGAN CAME TO HOUSTON, BUT JOHN BEARD, WHO'S MY FRIEND, A COMMUNITY LEADER IN PORT ARTHUR, IS LIKE, WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID, BUT HE DIDN'T COME TO PORT ARTHUR.
BUT, UM, THE THING IS, I, THERE'S PROBABLY QUITE A FEW FRONTLINE LEADERS IN HERE.
YOU KNOW, WE WORK, WE HAVE REGULAR JOBS, AND WE JUST VOLUNTEER.
YOU KNOW, WE, LIKE, I'VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE OH EIGHT.
BUT, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF MATT'S GONNA SPEAK TO THE IRA.
WE'VE BEEN FRONTLINE COMMUNITY LEADERS FOLLOWING THAT.
AND THE THING IS, THE BIG CITIES, I MEAN, YOU'LL HAVE A WHOLE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT LIKE FREEPORT AND BRAZORIA COUNTY, WE DON'T HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT, OR WE DON'T HAVE LEGISLATORS THAT EVEN CARE ABOUT, UH, OUR POLLUTION.
AND WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS IN COMMON BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EPA JUST DECLARED BRAZORIA HARRIS COUNTY, SEVERE NON-ATTAINMENT FOR OZONE.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN MATT, WHEN YOU WERE ON ALLIANCE, YOU WERE ON, WENT TO THE HAC MEETINGS.
SO YOU INVITED ME A COUPLE TIMES AND WORKED ON THE SIP.
AND WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD GONE DOWN TO SIRIUS, NOW WE'RE BACK UP TO SEVERE NON-ATTAINMENT.
SO DO WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT? UM, BUT I APPRECIATE EPA BECAUSE TCQ UH, DOES NOTHING FOR US IN BRAZORIA COUNTY.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE EPA, WE WOULD HAVE EVEN MORE POLLUTION.
I'M A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL.
AND I GUESS, UM, HOW DO YOU, UH, FEEL, HOW CAN YOU ALL GET THE IRA MONEY AND THE MONEY THAT CITY OF HOUSTON GETS DOWN TO US FRONTLINE COMMUNITY PEOPLE? DOES ANYBODY ON THE PANEL WANNA TAKE A STAB AT
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THAT INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OR BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW? IF NOT, I'LL SAVE US.UM, SO, UM, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, BECAUSE THERE ARE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE IS AS TRULY HISTORIC LEVEL OF INVESTMENT AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND MOST OF THAT, THE VAST, LIKE 98% OF IT IS GOING TO BE FLOWING FROM THE TOP DOWN, RIGHT? IT'S GONNA BE COMING FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES, GOING TO STATE CAPITALS, GOING TO COUNCILS OF GOVERNMENT, LIKE MELANIE MENTIONED, HOUSTON GOV, ALLISON, UH, AREA COUNCIL, WHICH IS THE COG, WHICH SO MANY COMMUNITY LEADERS, LIKE MOST PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY DON'T EVEN REALIZE.
THEY HAVE THESE THINGS CALLED COGS.
COGS HANDLE SO MUCH OF THE MONEY THAT ACTUALLY THEN FLOWS THROUGH COMMUNITIES.
SO MUCH OF THAT MONEY, THOUGH, IS GONNA BE COMING FROM THE TOP DOWN.
AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED AND DESERVE IT THE MOST ARE GOING TO FACE ALL OF THE HISTORICAL INEQUITIES AND INJUSTICES IN THEIR SYSTEMS IN TERMS OF HOW THEY CAN RECEIVE THE MONEY THEY NEED AND DESERVE.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE FOCUSING ON AT EPA WAS WITH A LOT OF THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE, WE'VE RECEIVED A FAIRLY HISTORIC INVESTMENT OVER $3 BILLION TO REALLY WORK FROM THE BOTTOM UP AND TO PROVIDE RESOURCES DIRECTLY TO COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT STRUCTURES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO TRY TO PUT COMMUNITIES IN THAT PLACE WHERE THEY HAVE THE POWER AND THE CAPACITY TO RECEIVE THE RESOURCES FROM ACROSS ALL THE FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT THEY NEED AND DESERVE TO REALLY HELP START TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE GENERATIONAL INEQUITIES.
SO THINGS LIKE WHAT WE ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK AT EPA, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EJ THRIVING COMMUNITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS, ONE OF WHOM FOR THIS AREA IS GONNA BE LED BY THE DEEP SOUTH CENTER OUT OF NEW ORLEANS, BUT IS PARTNERED WITH TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY HERE IN HOUSTON, IS TO START TO PROVIDE A BACKBONE OF THAT SORT OF REAL INFRASTRUCTURAL CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES TO PUT COMMUNITIES INTO PLACE TO RECEIVE THOSE RESOURCES, UM, AS THEY'RE FLOWING OUT THROUGH THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
UM, IS WE GOTTA WRAP IT UP? WE GOTTA WRAP UP? YEP.