CEC:AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS UPDATE =AD 2/13/04
__________________________________________________ _______________________=


LOCAL
(1) Local utility supports cap on CO2 emissions
(2) Public comment begins, hearings scheduled on TCEQ enforcement

THE WEEK'S EVENTS
(3) Lecture on Austin=B9s green power
(4) UT Engineers without frontiers meeting
(5) Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory Workshop
(6) Green by Design workshop
(7) Permaculture Celebration and Potluck
(8) Sustainus Austin meeting
(9) Austin Ishmael weekend

IN THE NEWS
(10) Austin American Statesman
(11) Austin Chronicle
(12) Austin Business Journal
__________________________________________________ _____________________

LOCAL

(1) LOCAL UTILITY SUPPORTS CAP ON CO2 EMISSIONS
by Erika McDonald

Austin Energy joined five other electric power companies this week to
become the first in the US to support a mandatory cap on carbon dioxide
emissions.
The decision was a response to the World Wildlife Fund=B9s campaign to
enlist the help of power companies in an effort to slow global warming
trends. =

In addition to supporting CO2 limits, the WWF PowerSwitch Challenge
calls
on the utilities to convert 20 percent of energy sold to renewables,
increase energy efficiency by 15 percent, or retire half of coal
generation,
all by 2020. Under commitments to WWF, renewable sources of energy may
include solar, wind, sustainably harvested biomass, low-impact
small-scale
hydropower, geothermal, and methane recovery from landfills or farms.
Energy
efficiency efforts may include improving efficiency in power production,
upgrading distribution technologies, transmission optimization efforts,
or
reducing overall demand from customers in a service territory as part of
a
strategy to diminish the need for new electricity generation capacity.
Joining Austin Energy were the Burlington Electric Department, the FPL
Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL), the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and
Waverly Light and Power.
WWF vice president Ginette Hemley said she hoped the companies=B9
commitment
to clean energy would be a stepping stone to legislative action.
"Now energy companies and the World Wildlife Fund are calling on the
US
Congress to limit carbon dioxide pollution," she said. "The survival of
(more than) a million species and many of the world's most biologically
rich
natural areas may hang in the balance, depending on whether we act
responsibly now or continue to ignore global warming."

(2) PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINS, HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR TCEQ ENFORCEMENT
REVIEW
by Erika McDonald

Under a directive from the 2003 legislature, the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality is currently conducting a review of its
enforcement
practices.
The review will focus on how to improve the agency=B9s criteria for
pursuing
enforcement actions, use of compliance history, and consistency across
regions and programs.
For years, Texas environmentalists have criticized the TCEQ for lax
enforcement. A study released by the Alliance for Clean Texas examined
TCEQ
enforcement policy and data between 1996 and 2002. The report revealed a
decline in the number of inspections of air and water quality,
agricultural,
and waste management violations. The report also found declines in the
number of violations assessed and the amounts of fines and penalties.
"We want to ensure that we are enforcing our environmental laws fairly
efficiently and swiftly," TCEQ spokesman Terry Clawson said. "We want
input
from the public, the regulated community (industry) and any special
interest
groups that have an interest in what we do."
The public will be able to weigh in on the enforcement review process
during a preliminary public comment phase, after which the agency will
issue
draft recommendations. The public will then have a chance to comment on
the
recommendations. A series of hearings is scheduled for next month
throughout
the state, in Houston, Midland, Harlingen and Arlington.
Texas Public Interest Research Group=B9s Luke Metzger said he hopes to
see a
large number of Texans take part in the review process. "Texas polluters
have been getting off the hook for far too long," he said. "The public
should seize this opportunity to tell TCEQ we're serious about cleaning
up
pollution and want illegal polluters held accountable."
One improvement environmentalists will be requesting is that the TCEQ
remove the economic incentive for polluting. In many cases, polluters
find
it more profitable to break the law and pay a minimal fine than to spend
the
money it costs to comply with regulations.
"We need to send a clear message to environmental lawbreakers in
Texas: if
you're going to pollute illegally, you're going to pay; if you keep
breaking
the law over and over again, you're going to lose your permit," Metzger
said.
The initial public comment phase will close March 21. To add your
voice to
TCEQ=B9s enforcement review process visit
http://www2.tceq.state.tx.us/enfs/index.cfm
__________________________________________________ _______________________=


THE WEEK=B9S EVENTS =


(3) LECTURE ON AUSTIN=B9S GREEN POWER

Date: Fri, Feb 13 =

Time: 7 pm
Location: Welch Hall on the UT Campus.
Contact: For more information on the lecture, parking, and webcast see:
http://www.geo.utexas.edu/esi/outreach/lectures.html

(4) UT ENGINEERS WITHOUT FRONTIERS MEETING

Date: Tues, Feb 17
Time: 6 -7 pm
Location: CPE 2.212
Contact: For more details, visit http://www.geocities.com/ewfut

(5) HORNSBY BEND WORKSHOP:CULTURAL AND NATURAL HISTORY OF PURPLE MARTINS

Date: Fri-Sat, Feb 20-21
Time: Fri, 7-9pm; Sat, 9am-12pm
Location: The Center for Environmental Research at Hornsby Bend
Contact: Kevin Anderson at

(6) GREEN BY DESIGN WORKSHOP

Date: Sat, Feb 21 =

Time: 9am-4 pm
Location: Commons building of the J. J. Pickle Research Center, 10100
Burnet
Road
Contact: (512) 505-3700; registration deadline, Feb 17

(7) PERMACULTURE CELEBRATION AND POTLUCK

Date: Sat, Feb 21
Time: 5-9 pm
Location: 5509 Delwood Drive (near the old airport)
Contact: Colette Henricks and Selwyn Polit (512) 926-7876 or email


(8) SUSTAINUS AUSTIN MEETING

Date: Tues, Feb 24
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Austin Public Library Ruiz Branch (1600 Grove Blvd., on Grove
&
Riverside, east of I35)
Contact: For more details, visit web site
http://www.sustainus.org/austin.html

(9) AUSTIN ISHMAEL WEEKEND

Date: Sat-Sun, Feb 28-29
Time: Sat. 8:30 am-6 pm, Sun. 12:30 pm - 5 pm
Location: Casa de Luz, Cielo Room, 1701 Toomey Rd
Contact: For more details, visit web site
http://www.ishmaelswiki.org/wiki/index.php
__________________________________________________ _______________________=


IN THE NEWS

(10) AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN

EPA URGED TO TIGHTEN RULES ON COAL WASTE, 2/11/04
Group seeking prompt action to avert groundwater contamination.
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...tions/tuesday=
/me
tro_state_04820986b451104b000c.html

TAYLOR WATER PLANT WINS VOTER APPROVAL, 2/9/04
Brazos River Authority has offered to buy the facility for $5.1 million.
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...tions/sunday/=
met
ro_state_0452de16558022041060.html

PIPELINE INSURANCE CLAUSE GONE FOR NOW, 2/6/04
Austin's bold attempt to require pipeline operators to carry at least
$90
million in accident insurance died quietly Thursday.
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...tions/friday/=
met
ro_state_0432b495d500f1d6003c.html

(11) AUSTIN CHRONICLE

IDENTITY POLITICS COLOR COUNTY=B9S PRECINCT 1 RACE, 2/12/04
Candidate=B9s environmental credentials questioned.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issue...ols_feature4.=
htm
l

NAKED CITY, 2/12/04
Texas Campaign for the environment applauds H-E-B=B9s EZ-D pullout.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issue...ols_naked.htm=
l

(12) AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL

A PEACEFUL EXISTENCE, 2/12/04
Business, environmental leaders vow to talk again.
http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin...09/story4.html
__________________________________________________ _____________________

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

CEC Environmental News Update is a weekly publication of the Citizens'
Environmental Coalition, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to fostering
dialogue, education and collaboration relating to environmental issues
in
the Houston/Galveston and Austin regions. Visit the CEC online at
http://www.cechouston.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe, email To
suggest
items for inclusion or if you have news tips or story ideas, send your
request via e-mail to Erika McDonald at .

Phone: (713) 524-4232
Fax: (713) 524-3311



-- =

Celestial Habitats by J. Kolenovsky
2003 Honorable Mention Award, Keep Houston Beautiful
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal

see below

J Kolenovsky wrote:

CEC:AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS UPDATE ? 2/13/04
__________________________________________________ _______________________

LOCAL
(1) Local utility supports cap on CO2 emissions
(2) Public comment begins, hearings scheduled on TCEQ enforcement

THE WEEK'S EVENTS
(3) Lecture on Austin1s green power
(4) UT Engineers without frontiers meeting
(5) Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory Workshop
(6) Green by Design workshop
(7) Permaculture Celebration and Potluck
(8) Sustainus Austin meeting
(9) Austin Ishmael weekend

IN THE NEWS
(10) Austin American Statesman
(11) Austin Chronicle
(12) Austin Business Journal
__________________________________________________ _____________________

LOCAL

(1) LOCAL UTILITY SUPPORTS CAP ON CO2 EMISSIONS
by Erika McDonald

Austin Energy joined five other electric power companies this week to
become the first in the US to support a mandatory cap on carbon dioxide
emissions.
The decision was a response to the World Wildlife Fund1s campaign to
enlist the help of power companies in an effort to slow global warming
trends.
In addition to supporting CO2 limits, the WWF PowerSwitch Challenge
calls
on the utilities to convert 20 percent of energy sold to renewables,
increase energy efficiency by 15 percent, or retire half of coal
generation,
all by 2020. Under commitments to WWF, renewable sources of energy may
include solar, wind, sustainably harvested biomass, low-impact
small-scale
hydropower, geothermal, and methane recovery from landfills or farms.
Energy
efficiency efforts may include improving efficiency in power production,
upgrading distribution technologies, transmission optimization efforts,
or
reducing overall demand from customers in a service territory as part of
a
strategy to diminish the need for new electricity generation capacity.
Joining Austin Energy were the Burlington Electric Department, the FPL
Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL), the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and
Waverly Light and Power.
WWF vice president Ginette Hemley said she hoped the companies1
commitment
to clean energy would be a stepping stone to legislative action.
"Now energy companies and the World Wildlife Fund are calling on the
US
Congress to limit carbon dioxide pollution," she said. "The survival of
(more than) a million species and many of the world's most biologically
rich
natural areas may hang in the balance, depending on whether we act
responsibly now or continue to ignore global warming."

(2) PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINS, HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR TCEQ ENFORCEMENT
REVIEW
by Erika McDonald

Under a directive from the 2003 legislature, the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality is currently conducting a review of its
enforcement
practices.
The review will focus on how to improve the agency1s criteria for
pursuing
enforcement actions, use of compliance history, and consistency across
regions and programs.
For years, Texas environmentalists have criticized the TCEQ for lax
enforcement. A study released by the Alliance for Clean Texas examined
TCEQ
enforcement policy and data between 1996 and 2002. The report revealed a
decline in the number of inspections of air and water quality,
agricultural,
and waste management violations. The report also found declines in the
number of violations assessed and the amounts of fines and penalties.
"We want to ensure that we are enforcing our environmental laws fairly
efficiently and swiftly," TCEQ spokesman Terry Clawson said. "We want
input
from the public, the regulated community (industry) and any special
interest
groups that have an interest in what we do."
The public will be able to weigh in on the enforcement review process
during a preliminary public comment phase, after which the agency will
issue
draft recommendations. The public will then have a chance to comment on
the
recommendations. A series of hearings is scheduled for next month
throughout
the state, in Houston, Midland, Harlingen and Arlington.
Texas Public Interest Research Group1s Luke Metzger said he hopes to
see a
large number of Texans take part in the review process. "Texas polluters
have been getting off the hook for far too long," he said. "The public
should seize this opportunity to tell TCEQ we're serious about cleaning
up
pollution and want illegal polluters held accountable."
One improvement environmentalists will be requesting is that the TCEQ
remove the economic incentive for polluting. In many cases, polluters
find
it more profitable to break the law and pay a minimal fine than to spend
the
money it costs to comply with regulations.
"We need to send a clear message to environmental lawbreakers in
Texas: if
you're going to pollute illegally, you're going to pay; if you keep
breaking
the law over and over again, you're going to lose your permit," Metzger
said.
The initial public comment phase will close March 21. To add your
voice to
TCEQ1s enforcement review process visit
http://www2.tceq.state.tx.us/enfs/index.cfm
__________________________________________________ _______________________

THE WEEK1S EVENTS

(3) LECTURE ON AUSTIN1S GREEN POWER

Date: Fri, Feb 13
Time: 7 pm
Location: Welch Hall on the UT Campus.
Contact: For more information on the lecture, parking, and webcast see:
http://www.geo.utexas.edu/esi/outreach/lectures.html

(4) UT ENGINEERS WITHOUT FRONTIERS MEETING

Date: Tues, Feb 17
Time: 6 -7 pm
Location: CPE 2.212
Contact: For more details, visit http://www.geocities.com/ewfut

(5) HORNSBY BEND WORKSHOP:CULTURAL AND NATURAL HISTORY OF PURPLE MARTINS

Date: Fri-Sat, Feb 20-21
Time: Fri, 7-9pm; Sat, 9am-12pm
Location: The Center for Environmental Research at Hornsby Bend
Contact: Kevin Anderson at

(6) GREEN BY DESIGN WORKSHOP

Date: Sat, Feb 21
Time: 9am-4 pm
Location: Commons building of the J. J. Pickle Research Center, 10100
Burnet
Road
Contact: (512) 505-3700; registration deadline, Feb 17

(7) PERMACULTURE CELEBRATION AND POTLUCK

Date: Sat, Feb 21
Time: 5-9 pm
Location: 5509 Delwood Drive (near the old airport)
Contact: Colette Henricks and Selwyn Polit (512) 926-7876 or email


(8) SUSTAINUS AUSTIN MEETING

Date: Tues, Feb 24
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Austin Public Library Ruiz Branch (1600 Grove Blvd., on Grove
&
Riverside, east of I35)
Contact: For more details, visit web site
http://www.sustainus.org/austin.html

(9) AUSTIN ISHMAEL WEEKEND

Date: Sat-Sun, Feb 28-29
Time: Sat. 8:30 am-6 pm, Sun. 12:30 pm - 5 pm
Location: Casa de Luz, Cielo Room, 1701 Toomey Rd
Contact: For more details, visit web site
http://www.ishmaelswiki.org/wiki/index.php
__________________________________________________ _______________________

IN THE NEWS

(10) AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN

EPA URGED TO TIGHTEN RULES ON COAL WASTE, 2/11/04
Group seeking prompt action to avert groundwater contamination.
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...ons/tuesday/me
tro_state_04820986b451104b000c.html

TAYLOR WATER PLANT WINS VOTER APPROVAL, 2/9/04
Brazos River Authority has offered to buy the facility for $5.1 million.
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...ons/sunday/met
ro_state_0452de16558022041060.html

PIPELINE INSURANCE CLAUSE GONE FOR NOW, 2/6/04
Austin's bold attempt to require pipeline operators to carry at least
$90
million in accident insurance died quietly Thursday.
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/...ons/friday/met
ro_state_0432b495d500f1d6003c.html

(11) AUSTIN CHRONICLE

IDENTITY POLITICS COLOR COUNTY1S PRECINCT 1 RACE, 2/12/04
Candidate1s environmental credentials questioned.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issue...s_feature4.htm
l

NAKED CITY, 2/12/04
Texas Campaign for the environment applauds H-E-B1s EZ-D pullout.
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issue...ols_naked.html

(12) AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL

A PEACEFUL EXISTENCE, 2/12/04
Business, environmental leaders vow to talk again.
http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin...09/story4.html
__________________________________________________ _____________________

ABOUT THIS PUBLICATION

CEC Environmental News Update is a weekly publication of the Citizens'
Environmental Coalition, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to fostering
dialogue, education and collaboration relating to environmental issues
in
the Houston/Galveston and Austin regions. Visit the CEC online at
http://www.cechouston.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe, email To
suggest
items for inclusion or if you have news tips or story ideas, send your
request via e-mail to Erika McDonald at .

Phone: (713) 524-4232
Fax: (713) 524-3311

--
Celestial Habitats by J. Kolenovsky
2003 Honorable Mention Award, Keep Houston Beautiful
ô¿ô - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business
ô¿ô - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal

"J"...What would be the possibility in these ABSOLUTE "Last Days"
to have a Gov't/State sponsored progaram to get Union Carbides'
Linde Air Products Corp to reverse engineer the atmospere by taking
excess Carbon Dioxide and removing the Carbon and stockpile a chemically
pure version of same for use in making bodies or a new version of
Automobile
(similar to the new Radar-proof Fighter craft as well as Turbo-props as
built
near San Marcos? No more Internal combustion garbage...and bring back an
adequate oxygen supply now being wasted by all the Internal combustion
garbage!
I do have a simplified design for same..

These NEW "Automobiles" could use the "Brown Bayfield" static anti-grav
effect much the same as one variety of "flying Saucer" as flown by the
returning
visitors that once lived here on Earth..and in what was then Mongolia but
a lush Green landscape unlike the present desert caused by the Himalayan
rise!

These advanced people have recently re-visited the Earth and have received
very
shabby treatment by our Paranaoid leaders and Military! Perhaps you may
remember
one 6 digited person being surgically studied on Televison??

Anyway..I am going to send an engineeering drawing to Japan to make a "TOY"

antigrav auto manipulated with a control Box as proof of feasibility as
no-one in this country
is even remotely interested...another coup for Japan!! LMAO!! Dr. B-0b1 Ph.D

--
"Beaten Paths are for Beaten People". -- Anon.

J Kolenovsky wrote:

CEC:AUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS UPDATE * 2/13/04
__________________________________________________ _______________________

LOCAL
(1) Local utility supports cap on CO2 emissions
(2) Public comment begins, hearings scheduled on TCEQ enforcement

THE WEEK'S EVENTS
(3) Lecture on Austin¹s green power
(4) UT Engineers without frontiers meeting
(5) Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory Workshop
(6) Green by Design workshop
(7) Permaculture Celebration and Potluck
(8) Sustainus Austin meeting
(9) Austin Ishmael weekend

IN THE NEWS
(10) Austin American Statesman

Last Saturday's paper carried an article on San Marcos' vote to
eliminate vehicle emissions testing. This removes testing from the
Early Action Compact for all of Hays County. Travis County
Libertarians, and members of the San Antonio vehicle inspection
committee traveled down there to show what a bad plan it was, and
convinced the council to vote against it.

--steve