Today is Giving Day: How We’re Earning Your Donation

Just go to the special Downwinders contribution page at the Giving Day website and click and send your donation.

But Do It Now – Today Only

How We're Earning Your Giving Day Donation in September:

1)  Medical professionals speaking out on air pollution in DFW

This Saturday afternoon September 21st, at 4 pm, will see the debut of a presentation by a new group of DFW medical professionals organized around air pollution issues called CLEAN AIR STAT at Arlington's annual Ecofest.

 

Dr. Robert A. Wiebe, MD, a former Director of Emergency Services at the Children's Medical Center of Dallas and Division Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center,will be walking citizens through the long list pollutants in the air we breathe, risks to their health, and what they can do about it. It's he first time a group of local DFW medical professionals have gotten together and made a presentation like this to the public.

 

Downwinders at Risk jump-started this new group of doctors and nurses concerned about air pollution because we know we need more professional medical testimony to win our fights. We're proud to announce its debut and look forward to helping it grow.

 

2) The best gas drilling ordinance in North Texas

Next Thursday, September 26th at 1:30 pm, the Dallas Plan Commission will hold its final public hearing on a new gas drilling ordinance for Dallas and then vote to send the the final product to the City Council.

 

The result is expected to be the single most protective set of rules for gas drilling and production ever drafted by a North Texas municipality.

 

This Dallas ordinance represents three years of work by Downwinders and its allies. We made a decision to take a stand in Dallas and build a new model ordinance that we could then use in other Barnett Shale cities. It's persistence that's paid off.

 

Now we have to protect what we've built from City Council opponents who want to weaken the ordinance. We're not through yet.

 

3) Continuing oversight of the Exide lead smelter clean-up

 

After a successful nine month fight to close the outlaw Exide lead smelter operating in the middle of Frisco, Downwinders has been helping its affiliate Frisco Unleaded to monitor the clean-up of the contaminated site.

 

We've exposed rampant pollution problems and warned about the dangers of leaving landfills full of lead waste in the Stewart Creek flood plain and upstream of Grand Park. We're also trying to get the Frisco City Council to understand that it can't wait for the state or EPA to act. The City of Frisco is going to have to take the lead if it wants the best, most modern clean-up that it can get.

 

We've been working with Frisco Unleaded to make a big announcement on October 1 about an opportunity for Frisco residents to express their support for a full and comprehensive clean-up coming up in November. Stay tuned.

 

4) Fighting for a better regional clean air plan

On September 5th, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality hosted its first meeting on a new clean air plan for DFW to once again address the region's chronic smog problem.

 

Of all the local North Texas environmental groups, only Downwinders at Risk sent a representative to listen, and then ask important questions about Austin's new plan.

 

DFW has been in violation of the Clean Air Act for smog for 23 years in a row. The state has built at least four clean air plans during that time – none of which has succeeded. Only Downwinders is working with experts on building a new model for predicting air pollution problems in DFW that would provide the first real alternative to Austin's dubious planning abilities. 

 

In the past, we've used these clean air plans to successfully reduce emissions from the Midlothian cement plants, local cars and East Texas coal plants. We're gearing up again for what's expected to be a three year battle over a clean air plan that really does the job.