HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-1144 01-14-2003RESOLUTION NO. 03 -1144
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EULESS
URGING THE 78TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO ADOPT INITIATIVES
TO PRESERVE TEXAS AIR QUALITY, ENHANCE PUBLIC HEALTH
AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.
WHEREAS, air quality impacts the public health as well as the economic health
of our entire state; and,
WHEREAS, federally designated nonattainment areas and near - nonattainment
areas of Texas include thirty -eight counties, and all of the largest cities which represent
70% of the state's population; and,
WHEREAS, attaining compliance with the federal Clean Air Act is essential for
Texas to achieve long -term growth and prosperity and to continue to provide a high
quality of life for its citizens, and,
WHEREAS, air quality compliance continues to be among the most important
and difficult challenges facing Texas; and,
WHEREAS, given the integrated nature of the Texas economy, all parts of the
state will benefit when air quality compliance is achieved or will suffer if it is not; and,
WHEREAS, the Texas Legislature in 2001 enacted the Texas Emissions
Reduction Plan (Senate Bill 5 — TERP) to provide incentives to induce the voluntary
replacement or retrofitting of older and high polluting diesel and gasoline engines with
newer and cleaner ones; and,
WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accepted this strategy
to substitute for a construction time shift that would have kept heavy -duty construction
equipment from operating until 10:00 a.m. from May to October of each year and to also
substitute for a requirement that owners of heavy -duty equipment would have to
completely modernize their fleet by 2007 with new engines being introduced in 2005
and 2007; and,
WHEREAS, for the Dallas /Fort Worth area, the TERP was to be given credit for
reducing 16.3 tons per day of ozone causing emissions; and,
WHEREAS, no alternative strategy (ies) has been identified which could feasibly
or economically achieve this same level of reductions; and,
WHEREAS, the major funding source of the TERP was successfully challenged
in legal proceeding and therefore resulted in this strategy not reaching its full potential
and thereby not creating the emissions reductions intended; and,
WHEREAS, without the reductions, EPA has given notice that it will not approve
the Dallas /Fort Worth attainment demonstration SIP, will find that the previously
approved Houston SIP has failed, and will eliminate a future source of reductions in the
near nonattainment areas; and,
WHEREAS, failure of these SIPs and the lack of potential reductions in the near
nonattainment areas will trigger several sanctions in those affected areas that will
negatively impact the entire Texas economy.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF EULESS, TEXAS:
That the 78th Texas Legislature is hereby urged to adopt the following initiatives, in
priority order, to preserve Texas air quality, enhance public health, and promote
economic prosperity:
1 First and foremost, provide full funding for the next biennium for the Texas
Emissions Reduction Plan to make up for the shortfall in the anticipated funding
from last session;
2. Maintain the integrity of the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) by ensuring
that clean up legislation improves the effectiveness of the TERP programs by
accepting the Recommendations included in the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality's TERP Report to the Legislature and authorize the
following provisions:
• Enable gasoline, propane, and natural gas engines to participate in the
Emissions Reduction Incentive Grant program
• Include a simplified rebate program for low cost emissions control
technologies in the TERP programs
• Enable stationary engines to participate in the Emissions Reduction
Incentive Grant program
• Remove the funding floor in the Light Duty Purchase and Lease Incentive
program
• Establish one primary and four satellite regional emission testing centers
for heavy -duty vehicles and machines
3. Support state funding for research and air planning activities:
• Approve the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Legislative
Appropriations Request for the 2003 -2004 biennium, for 1) ozone
modeling research in the state's nonattainment areas; and 2) air quality
planning activities in the state's near nonattainment areas, including those
Resolution No. 03 -1144, Page 2 of 3
activities necessary to support voluntary SIP submittals, ozone flex
programs and early action compacts.
• Approve legislative appropriations to the Houston - Galveston - Brazoria and
Dallas /Fort Worth Air Quality Research Initiative to carry out air quality
research in support of the mid - course review with regard to these regions'
SIPs and to support the development of early attainment plans in these
regions for the new ozone and particulate standards.
4. Affect a change in building codes relative to roofing standards in urban areas in
order to improve the state's "urban heat islands."
5. Support an investigation of and, if merited, development of a pilot "pay as you
save" program to encourage implementation of permanent energy efficiency
improvements.
6. In light of existing emission reduction gaps and the advent of the new federal 8-
hour and fine particulate standards, consider other measures as they are
developed that have emission reduction potential. Some may include increased
energy efficiency programs, fuel cell programs and clean fleet and engine
improvements.
PRESENTED AND APPROVED on the 14th day of January, 2003, by a vote of
5 ayes, 0 nays, and 0 abstentions at a regular meeting of the City
Council of the City of Euless, Texas.
APPROVED:
'l fZt^
Mary Lib Saleh
Mayor
ATTEST:
Susan Crim
City Secretary
Resolution No. 03 -1144, Page 3 of 3