Fair Share strategy endorsed by NCTCG, sort of

The North Central Texas Council of Governments’ Clean Air Steering Committee voted to send a letter to TCEQ asking them to adopt a watered down version of the Fair Share for Clean Air campaign.

Downwinders At Risk describes this move as a small victory. They have a lot more detail about the meeting and the TCEQ in the NEWS PLUME.

All in all, not bad. Citizens and local governments put enough pressure on the local regional air quality planning process to get it to address the issue of reducing Shale pollution in this air plan, signing-off on a letter that basically, after a lot of pussyfooting around, endorses the Fair Share strategy outlined in the resolutions passed by Dallas County, DISH, Flower Mound, and Bartonville, with others to come. This seems more impressive when you realize it’s a total reversal since December, when basically this same body voted against making any recommendations about improving air quality to the state, or EPA, about anything.

So, maybe, just maybe, we can meet the smog standard that “W” found unhealthy. Now, that’s what I call progress. /sarcasm

UPDATED:
For those who live in Denton, here’s my favorite part of the Plume:

And then there was the mystery of Mayor Cluck, who in the space of 45 seconds made the following points in this order: 1) we do have an air quality problem here in DFW, 2) we should only use voluntary measures to control gas field air pollution, and BTW, the threat of such pollution is exaggerated, and 3) we’re about to toughen gas drilling regulations in Arlington. Try wrapping your mind around those intellectual contradictions and then meet us in the bar. It was his first meeting since the Sub-Committee was formed.