Environmental Toxins: Lawmakers Could Sabotage Houston Efforts to Clean Up

Houston Mayor Bill White has diligently been working to clean up Houston's air. White and the city council have been devising a plan that would allow Houston to fine any industrial plant in the area that produces unhealthy amounts of certain pollutants. However, Representative Wayne Smith and Senator Mike Jackson are working to make it illegal for any municipality to create an ordinance that could affect those outside its borders.

Legislation Could Derail Houston Efforts to Clean Up Pollution

The legislation would block municipalities from using a nuisance ordinance in order to reduce air pollution from outside their boundaries. Smith says that air pollution controls "should be addressed by those that have responsibility," such as federal and state environmental agencies, and not by city governments. "We wouldn't be doing this ... if the city of Houston wasn't trying to impose its regulations and ordinances on other surrounding cities and counties," Jackson added.