On this Web page, we answer questions you may have about the
role of the TCEQ with respect to domestic terrorism.
What is the TCEQ’s role in homeland security?
House Bill 9 of the 78th Texas Legislature made the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality one member of the
state’s new Critical Infrastructure Protection Council.
As a member of this council, we provide a communications link
between the Governor’s
Office of Homeland Security 
and the facilities we
regulate to reduce their vulnerability.
Of the facilities we regulate, the most widely distributed that
are of concern with respect to homeland security are:
How is the TCEQ filling this role?
Our staff communicates frequently with the owners and operators
of the facilities we regulate. As part of this communication, we
share information that we have, especially information passed along
from the Governor’s
Office of Homeland Security.
At the same time, we listen to them. They share what they are
doing to ensure the security of their facilities and anything they
have noticed that might have a bearing on homeland security. We
relay their insights and concerns back to the Governor’s
Office of Homeland Security.
To make this process work efficiently, we have established clear
lines of communication within our agency on matters related to
homeland security.
Can the TCEQ respond to a terrorist act?
Yes, to the extent that the terrorist act causes a concern that
a hazardous material is contaminating the environment. The TCEQ has
contracted with emergency management companies who can respond to
incidents involving unknown contaminants.
Many larger Texas communities have their own
“hazmat” teams. For these communities, the local
“hazmat” team provides the first response, and the TCEQ
will provide support on request.
What is being done about dam safety?
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, river authorities, U.S. Bureau
of Reclamation, and other entities have increased surveillance at
and reduced access to key areas of dams they control. The TCEQ
expects several hundred Texas dams will be inspected for structural
integrity according to a contract with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.
What is being done about water supplies?
The TCEQ is working with the EPA, water utilities, and
water-related interest groups to share information and to ensure
that water systems consider their vulnerabilities and take what
action they can.
Water systems that serve populations of 3,300 to 10,000 can
assess their vulnerability to both international threats and
natural disasters using the free Security Vulnerability Self-Assessment
Guide published by the Association of State Drinking Water
Administrators, the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), and
the U.S. EPA.
What is being done about air contaminants?
In applying for an air quality permit, an applicant must
consider the worst-case operating scenario for a release of
contaminants from the planned facility. The facility must include
features to reduce both the likelihood of a release under that
scenario and the severity of any release that could occur.
Typically, applicants satisfy this requirement by reducing the
amount of potentially dangerous chemicals at the facility, by
protecting key areas of the facility against damage of any kind,
and by adding instruments to quickly detect the release of a
hazardous substance and bring it under control.
Our investigators check these disaster mitigation measures when
they inspect the facility. And, to reduce their own liability, many
facility operators go beyond these measures.
What is being done about hazardous waste?
The conditions written into the state authorizations, or
permits, for facilities that generate or store hazardous wastes
call for those facilities to be secure.
When they inspect these permitted facilities, our investigators
ensure that wastes are appropriately secured.
What is being done about wastewater facilities?
Wastewater systems that want to analyze their vulnerability to
both international threats and natural disasters can order free software to do their own vulnerability
assessments from www.VSATusers.net, a Web site set up by
the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) and funded
by the U.S. EPA.
Also, the TCEQ is making sure that basic information on plant
security is available to wastewater treatment plant operators. We
may add plant security as a topic for the mandatory training of
plant operators.
What should I do in a crisis?
Call 911. Your local authorities will contact
us if needed.
