UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE JOHN CULBERSON

Letter to the Editor

Sent to the Houston Chronicle

Wednesday, April 18, 2001

Tom DeLay is providing visionary leadership on Houston’s air quality challenge

By U.S. Representative John Culberson Congressman

Tom DeLay has earned the appreciation of Houstonians for his efforts to strike a strategic balance on air quality between environmental protection and economic well-being.

Rhetoric and rumor have driven much of the discussion regarding what to do about our challenge to improve Houston’s air quality. Congressman DeLay has supplied long-term vision in finding a common sense solution.

This is why the Chronicle’s April 14 editorial, "Signifying Nothing: Everyone wants clean air, but few want to sacrifice," was disappointing. It seemed to infer that Congressman DeLay wants business to thrive even if it means dirty air for Harris County and the region.

There are several important points the Chronicle overlooked in its criticism of Congressman DeLay.

First, Congressman DeLay is working hard to find the balance between our community’s economic interests and environmental needs. He believes, as I do, that there should be no conflict. Your editorial seemed to suggest that it is an either-or issue. Congressman DeLay and I believe the solution will not be found at the extremist fringes of the debate—on either side—but in a reasonable plan that sustains jobs, growth, and personal freedom, while improving air quality.

This is the heart of a plan presented by the Business Coalition for Clean Air (BCCA) as an alternative to the state implementation plan (SIP) put forth by the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (TNRCC) under pressure from the EPA.

That alternative plan would reduce point-source emissions by 80 percent without the draconian measures in the state implementation plan. Unlike the TNRCC plan, it would not implement a ban on construction and lawn service during certain hours that would put people out of work and stunt city-wide improvements. The alternative plan would keep the speed limit at 65 miles per hour rather than dropping it to 55 miles per hour.

I support the BCCA’s proposal, as do Congressman DeLay and Congressman Kevin Brady.

Economic studies comparing the Texas SIP to the BCCA SIP have determined that an attempt to achieve the goals of the state plan would place extreme strain on available resources. While I wholeheartedly support clean air for our region, I am not willing to sacrifice our vibrant economy to stringent environmental goals that are virtually unattainable.

I also recognize the need to keep traffic moving in Houston. My highest priority as a Member of Congress is to expedite Katy Freeway expansion. Since idling cars pollute more than moving ones, the sooner freeway congestion is reduced, the sooner we will see a further reduction of pollution in the Houston area.

It was Congressman DeLay who convened a summit of congressional, business, and scientific leaders on April 9 to examine these two plans and to find the strategic balance. It was Congressman DeLay who brought to our community Chairman Billy Tauzin of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Congressman Joe Barton, Chairman of the Energy Committee’s subcommittee on air quality.

It is Congressman DeLay who is seeking to mobilize leadership at the highest levels to help Houston find a solution to its air quality challenge.

Second, Congressman DeLay asks simply that good science be at the foundation of the solution for regional air quality. Thus, a major focus of the air quality summit was to enable decision makers to understand the complexities of the science and some of the flaws in attempting to measure Houston’s air quality.

The science is vital because it will be the basis of decisions on which regional and individual prosperity hinge.

Third, Congressman DeLay penetrates the subtle philosophical debate surrounding the air quality issue, that of re-engineering our society. This is perhaps what draws strongest fire against him. Congressman DeLay understands, as I and others do, that extremists are trying to redefine our living standards. We understand that a subtle new tyranny of regulation looms over Houstonians that would curtail personal freedom and alter our lifestyles.

In this regard, Tom DeLay should be applauded as a watchdog of liberty, not castigated as a villainous character that chortles over noxious air.

Like Congressman DeLay, I am a husband and father, and I want to protect the quality of life, including environmental quality, for my family. Yet, like Congressman DeLay, I want to ensure that goal is achieved through a proper balance with our economic well-being, is based on solid scientific data, and does not establish a new cadre of regulators who determine what "sacrifice" is for all the rest of us.

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