Dear Editor,
It was very alarming reading “
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Promotes Air Pollution” [News, Feb. 8] because of how human lives are at stake. Air pollution is a huge problem throughout the world, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollutants kill around 4 million people every year (
WHO, 2019). The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) should keep a sharper eye on these facilities because they are breaking the law and also contributing to the death of innocent lives by promoting poor air quality. The facilities are basically only getting a slap on the wrist from the TCEQ and are easily paying off the fines they are being faced with. This has been a reoccurring cycle according to the article. These polluters should face harsher consequences that would maybe put their business sales in jeopardy or an alternative outcome that would really intimidate them. If they are not faced with stiffer consequences, then they will continue to pollute the air in massive amounts and endanger the people of Texas. The Paris Agreement is all about decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and 174 countries have agreed to follow this deal. Unfortunately, the United States withdrew from the agreement last year, which does not make for a bright future for our environment. This article raises a lot of questions for the people of Texas and the air quality that they are breathing every day.