Regulating our own environment

A commentary in the Lonestar Politcs blog addresses recent statements from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in which chair Brian Shaw insinuates the TCEQ may choose to ignore new carbon emission regulations proposed by the Obama administration.  The author of the commentary contends that Texas and other states should be allowed to set their own environmental standards and work with the federal government to create regulations on an individual basis.  The author does admit though, that some will “take the environment for granted…as long as they can make money.”  

I agree with the sentiment that some corporations will abuse the environment for the sake of profit, but do not believe states are capable of regulating themselves in an objective manner.  Air pollution from Texas is carried all the way to the northeastern United States via the prevailing jet stream.  Indeed, every state's pollution affects their neighbors, as well as the deteriorating air and water quality in the United States as a whole.  Allowing states to decide their own priorities between economic interests and environmental quality will result in an uneven patchwork of regulations that are ineffective at protecting the environment.

Texas is the top emitter of carbon dioxide in the country and emits almost twice as much as the next closest state, California, which has a larger population but much stricter emission laws.  While the TCEQ is worried about “federal overreach,” the Supreme Court recently decided that the “good neighbor” provision of the Clean Air Act does allow the EPA to target states contributing to the pollution in neighboring states.  The EPA should be allowed to set nationwide pollution standards that will protect our environment and set an example for other nations to follow, and I believe the TCEQ should follow suit.