Environment Texas Research & Policy Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. We are dedicated to protecting our air, water and open spaces. We investigate problems, craft solutions, educate the public and decision-makers, and help the public make their voices heard in local, state and national debates over the quality of our environment and our lives.

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Too Close to Home: Nuclear Power and the Threat to Drinking Water

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which took place in March 2011, delivered a reminder to the world that nuclear power comes with inherent risks. Over a period of several days, three Japanese nuclear reactors suffered meltdowns. A large amount of radioactive material escaped into the environment over the ensuing months.

Among the risks demonstrated by the Fukushima crisis is the threat of water contamination – including contamination of drinking water supplies by radioactive material. In the wake of the Fukushima accident, drinking water sources as far as 130 miles from the plant were contaminated with radioactive iodine, prompting cities such as Tokyo to warn against consumption of the water by infants.

In the United States, 49 million Americans receive their drinking water from surface sources located within 50 miles of an active nuclear power plant – inside the boundary the Nuclear Regulatory Commission uses to assess risk to food and water supplies.

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Too Close to Home: Nuclear Power and the Threat to Drinking Water

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News Release | Environment Texas

Building Officials Approve Major Increase in Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Commercial Buildings

AUSTIN—Largely unnoticed in the shadow of upcoming midterm elections, the International Code Council—a body of building officials from local and state governments across the country—convened in Charlotte, North Carolina during the last week of October to make what is arguably the most significant energy policy decision of 2010. The Council meets every three years to consider updates to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the standard by which new homes and businesses are built, and this year, they voted overwhelmingly for stronger energy efficiency standards.

News Release | Environment Texas

Clean Cars Would Save Texans over $16 million on Thanksgiving Travel

AUSTIN — As Texas families prepare for one of the busiest travel holidays of the year, a new Environment Texas report finds that more fuel efficient cars would save Texans over $16 million at the gas pump this Thanksgiving holiday alone. The report was released as new federal fuel efficiency and global warming pollution standards for cars and light trucks are being developed.

News Release | Environment Texas

Statement of Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger on New Austin Facility for SunPower

AUSTIN-Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger issued the following announcement upon news that solar company SunPower will establish a new U.S. operations center in Austin, creating at least 450 jobs.

News Release | Environment Texas

Environment Texas Helps Texans Plug into Clean Energy for Earth Day

AUSTIN—On the eve of Earth Day, Environment Texas released a new guide to help Texans improve the energy performance of their homes and workplaces. The renewable energy and energy-saving measures proposed by Environment Texas’s Plug into Clean Energy Guide promise to lower energy bills and reduce pollution from power plants across the state.

News Release | Environment Texas

San Antonio Power Plant Expected to Be Retired

SAN ANTONIO – Environment Texas hailed the expected announcement today by San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro that the city-owned CPS Energy will retire the polluting Deely power plant by the year 2018 and replace its power with additional investments in solar energy. According to research by Environment Texas, in 2009, the Deely plant emitted 3657 tons of nitrogen oxide, a key precursor to smog pollution. The two Deely smokestacks join with the two “Spruce” units to make up the Calaveras Power Station, which an April Environment Texas report found ranked 11th out of the state’s 20 power plants for mercury pollution. And according to a study by the Clean Air Task Force, power plant pollution in Bexar County is linked to 282 asthma attacks and 11 deaths every year. Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger released the following statement:

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News Release | Environment Texas

Building Officials Approve Major Increase in Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Commercial Buildings

AUSTIN—Largely unnoticed in the shadow of upcoming midterm elections, the International Code Council—a body of building officials from local and state governments across the country—convened in Charlotte, North Carolina during the last week of October to make what is arguably the most significant energy policy decision of 2010. The Council meets every three years to consider updates to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the standard by which new homes and businesses are built, and this year, they voted overwhelmingly for stronger energy efficiency standards.

News Release | Environment Texas

Clean Cars Would Save Texans over $16 million on Thanksgiving Travel

AUSTIN — As Texas families prepare for one of the busiest travel holidays of the year, a new Environment Texas report finds that more fuel efficient cars would save Texans over $16 million at the gas pump this Thanksgiving holiday alone. The report was released as new federal fuel efficiency and global warming pollution standards for cars and light trucks are being developed.

News Release | Environment Texas

Statement of Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger on New Austin Facility for SunPower

AUSTIN-Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger issued the following announcement upon news that solar company SunPower will establish a new U.S. operations center in Austin, creating at least 450 jobs.

News Release | Environment Texas

Environment Texas Helps Texans Plug into Clean Energy for Earth Day

AUSTIN—On the eve of Earth Day, Environment Texas released a new guide to help Texans improve the energy performance of their homes and workplaces. The renewable energy and energy-saving measures proposed by Environment Texas’s Plug into Clean Energy Guide promise to lower energy bills and reduce pollution from power plants across the state.

News Release | Environment Texas

San Antonio Power Plant Expected to Be Retired

SAN ANTONIO – Environment Texas hailed the expected announcement today by San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro that the city-owned CPS Energy will retire the polluting Deely power plant by the year 2018 and replace its power with additional investments in solar energy. According to research by Environment Texas, in 2009, the Deely plant emitted 3657 tons of nitrogen oxide, a key precursor to smog pollution. The two Deely smokestacks join with the two “Spruce” units to make up the Calaveras Power Station, which an April Environment Texas report found ranked 11th out of the state’s 20 power plants for mercury pollution. And according to a study by the Clean Air Task Force, power plant pollution in Bexar County is linked to 282 asthma attacks and 11 deaths every year. Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger released the following statement:

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Result

Victory for the Christmas Mountains

In September, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson abandoned plans to sell the Christmas Mountains to private interests and instead agreed to transfer the property to the Texas State University system. Now, geology, archaeology and biology students at Sul Ross State, Sam Houston State, Lamar University and other Texas State campuses will get to explore the mountains, expanding our knowledge of this unique natural treasure. Further, the mountains will remain open to the public, with access directly from Big Bend National Park. And conservation easements in place guarantee the property will remain wild and undeveloped.

Report | Environment Texas Research & Policy Center

Summer Gas Prices: Beating the Heat with Clean Cars

Rapidly rising gas prices across the country are shining a spotlight on the dire consequences of America’s dependence on oil. Our continued use of oil puts our environment, our health, and our national security at risk, and with prices across the country exceeding $4 per gallon, it is putting an incredible burden on our economy and on American families.

Report | Environment Texas Research & Policy Center

Danger in the Air

All Americans should be able to breathe clean air. But pollution from power plants and vehicles puts the health of our nation’s children and families at risk. Ground-level ozone, the main component of smog, is one of the most harmful and one of the most pervasive air pollutants. According to the American Lung Association, nearly half of all Americans – 48 percent – still live in areas with unhealthy levels of smog pollution.

Report | Environment Texas Research & Policy Center

America's Emerging Clean Energy Capital

In recent years, Houston has emerged as a nationwide leader in expanding its production and use of clean energy. The City of Houston has adopted strong, energy-saving building codes, ramped up purchases of clean, renewable energy, and begun laying the groundwork for widespread adoption of electric cars – all steps that have jump-started the area’s transition toward a clean energy economy.

Report | Environment Texas Research & Policy Center

What Else is Swimming in Your Favorite Texas Swimming Hole?

Pollution continues to plague many Texas waterways, putting the health of Texans at risk. An investigation by Environment Texas’ Research and Policy Center found that some popular Texas freshwater swimming spots exceeded state or federal health standards at least once in 2010. Furthermore, our research found that the state of Texas’s health standards, testing systems, and public notification protocols are inadequate to properly protect human health, while polluted swimming holes often go unreported to the public, who may continue to swim in unsafe waters.

Featured Staff

Tessa McClellan

Field Associate

Tessa McClellan is currently leading Environment Texas' efforts to protect Galveston Bay and to improve energy efficiency in buildings.

Read more about our staff

Research & Policy Results

Reducing Mercury Pollution

On December 21, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first-ever nationwide standard for mercury and air toxics pollution from power plants. A record 907,000 Americans submitted comments on the standard, which is expected to cut toxic mercury pollution from power plants by 90 percent. Environment Texas Research and Policy Center worked for more than a decade to win this rule and we are very excited by the victory.

Cleaning up our air

On June 30, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro announced that the city-owned CPS Energy will retire the polluting Deely power plant by the year 2018 and replace its power with additional investments in solar and other clean sources of energy. According to our research, in 2009, the Deely plant emitted 3657 tons of nitrogen oxide, a key precursor to smog pollution, and is a major source of mercury pollution.

Attacks on public health defeated—for now.

The coal lobby and their allies are trying to block the EPA from protecting public health, but we’ve held the line against some of their worst attacks: In March, the U.S. Senate rejected a bill that would have blocked standards for soot, mercury and carbon pollution. In April, the Senate defeated four more bills that would have blocked the EPA from cutting air pollution.

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Environment Texas Research & Policy Center gratefully accepts bequests, beneficiary designations of IRAs and life insurance, and gifts of securities to support our work. Your gift will assure that we can continue to protect Texas' air, water and open spaces for future generations.

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Environment Texas Research & Policy Center works closely with Environment Texas, a 501 (c)(4) organization. Click here to visit the Environment Texas website.