HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2003-002
RESOLUTION NO. 2003-002
WHEREAS, air quality impacts the public health as well as the economic health of our
entire state; and,
WHEREAS, federally designated non-attainment areas and near non-attainment 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 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 non-attainment areas; and
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WHEREAS, failure of these SIPs and the lack of potential reductions in the near non-
attainment 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 NORTH RICHLAND
HILLS, TEXAS:
Section 1.
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:
Section 2.
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;
Section 3.
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 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.
Section 4. 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 non-attainment areas;
and 2) air quality planning activities in the state's near non-
attainment areas, including those activities necessary to support
voluntary SIP submittals, ozone flex programs and early action
compacts.
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. Approve legislative appropriations to the Houston-Galveston-
Brazoria and Dallas/Fort Worth Quality Research Initiative to carry
out air quality research in support of the mid-course review with
regard to those region's SIPs and to support the development of
early attainment plans in these regions for the new ozone and
particulate standards.
Section 5.
Affect a change in building codes relative to roofing standards in urban
areas in order to improve the state's "urban heat islands."
Section 6.
Support an investigation of and, if merited, development of a pilot "pay as
you save" program to encourage implementation of permanent energy
efficiency improvements.
Section 7.
In light of existing emission reduction gaps and the advent of the new
federal 8-hour and five 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.
AND IT IS SO RESOLVED.
PASSED AND APPROVED on the \6t~ day of Jð--N\UU't.t
,2003.
CITY OF NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS
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Patricia Hutson, Cfty..,SèCfé1ary
By:
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Oscar Trevino, Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
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