I hate to admit it, but when I used to hear that “air quality” was one of the top issues facing the North Texas region, my ears would shut off, my eyelids got heavy, and my mind would drift to the e-mails and phone calls I needed to return. But through the haze of initially confusing terms like NOx emissions, “non-attainment” areas, and parts per billion, my eyes are opening to a problem with serious consequences for Dallas—and a potential solution.
Long story short, the nine counties that make up North Texas have dirty air. Besides the fact that you and your children and grandchildren are breathing that dirty air, why should you care? Because if we don’t do something about it, we stand to lose federal transportation dollars, not to mention the fact that Dallas-Fort Worth will face a huge public-relations problem in attracting people and jobs. Most important, though, we will have failed in a 21st-century fundamental: “going green,” and leaving our world a little bit better, and cleaner, for the next generation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has designated North Texas a non-attainment area, which basically means our air pollution exceeds federal standards—we’ve been deemed to have “moderately bad air.” When I find myself sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, that doesn’t seem so surprising. Last May, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality submitted a plan on our region’s behalf to the EPA outlining how we would reduce our emissions and meet the federal standard. The feds said it didn’t include enough emission reductions to ensure that air-quality monitors—they’re placed strategically around the region to monitor the allowable pollution limit—won’t be triggered. So now the clock is ticking. We basically have a little more than six months left to submit a plan the EPA will accept.
What’s the alternative? According to former Dallas County Judge Margaret Keliher, the Houston area agreed to a designation of “severe bad air” to give themselves more time—until 2019—to come up with an acceptable clean-up plan. “Severe bad air” is not exactly a banner most chambers of commerce are anxious to wave. So Keliher, Container Store co-founder Garrett Boone, real estate developer Trammell S. Crow, and Hotels.com co-founder David Litman are leading Texas Business for Clean Air—a nonprofit group that started life as a political action committee of business leaders fighting TXU’s coal-plants proposal. The organization’s Web site makes the case for uniting the causes of business and the environment. “There is no conflict between promoting clean air and business interests,” the site says, “but rather a natural alliance for the long-term health and economic benefits that clean air will bring to Texas.”
The coalition of business leaders is acting as a clearinghouse of sorts to help businesses make more environmentally friendly choices that save money and help the non-attainment problem. “Everybody benefits from clean air,” Keliher says. “Most of the improvements businesses are making make great economic sense, and they get to be a good steward by cleaning up the air in the process.” She cites Southwest Airlines’ decision to rework its flight patterns to tweak idle time and equipment care at Dallas Love Field. Keliher says that, when it did that, the company reduced its emissions and significantly lowered its fuel costs.
A recent effort by Keliher, Boone, Crow, and Litman has their group literally making cold calls seeking help. Through the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (www.TERPgrants.org), the state is providing funds for small and big businesses and local governments to replace diesel vehicles—primarily those manufactured in 1989 or before. “Seventy-four percent of our air-pollution problem comes from on- and off-road vehicles,” Keliher says. “The EPA has said if we can get 4,500 off the road, that would take more emissions off than anything, and [that would be the biggest enticement for them to] accept our plan.” As a result, Keliher’s team acquired a list of every small business in North Texas that owned those older diesel vehicles. Now it’s calling them to request they take the state’s money and get the cars and trucks off the road.
Meanwhile, the Greater Dallas Chamber is working with larger businesses, and Keliher says the city of Dallas has emerged as a shining example among local municipalities. While few local governments in North Texas have applied so far for TERP funds to replace their diesel-powered vehicles, the city of Dallas has included hybrids in its fleet for the better part of this decade and is aggressively attempting to be even more green.
Texas Business for Clean Air can and will play a significant role in the solution to the non-attainment problem. And the popularity of “going green” seems to be giving the group some much-needed wind at its back. The biggest breath of fresh air, though, is seeing business leaders adopt a practical approach to addressing our environmental problems.
Crayton Webb is manager of government relations for Mary Kay Inc. Previously, he was chief of staff to Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and an investigative reporter for CBS 11.
