Essay Sample on Conserving Environment in Texas: Laws, Regulations & Policies

Introduction

The federal government prioritizes the conservation of the environment from dangerous pollutants through the formulation of policies. The local governments, such as the Texas government, currently effect environmental policies without legislative decree. Texas, for the past two decades, has formulated and implemented environmental policies. The laws and regulations consist of environmental policy and its enforcement, waste, liabilities, and permits, among others.

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A commission in charge of protecting Texas' public health and natural resources in consistence with sustainable economic development is called the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Their objective is to ensure the safe management of waste, clean water, and fresh air for the people of Texas (Jordan & Andrea 2010 Pp. 147-158). However, Texas is not exclusively federally acquiescent as much as it is an environmentally advanced state. Environmental policy is a necessity entrenched in the national public policy. Environmental policies in the Texas State is examined, a policy report is developed to deal with emerging issues concerning environmental conservation, and recommendations highlighted in this paper.

Ground-Level Ozone Policy

There are several laws and regulations enacted in Texas to safeguard natural resources by complementing environmental conservation with property rights, public health, economic growth, and energy production. Many shareholders with various intentions influence these laws and regulations. One of the concerns in environmental conservation is the ground-level ozone, commonly referred to as smog. Environmental Protection Agency outlines National Ambient Air Quality Standards for surface ozone to safeguard human health and welfare by controlling ozone concentrations within specific areas. EPA directs states to develop plans intended at reducing emissions and augmenting air quality (Greene 2015 Pp. 1-9). The high concentration of ground-level ozone is dangerous to the health of humans. Formulation of a policy to regulate and monitor the intensity of ground-level ozone in the atmosphere is vital in keeping our environment safe and healthy to leave in. The emission of nitrogen oxide to the atmosphere from power plants, automobiles, factories, and manufacturing firms enables the formation of ozone (Sarker, Raghava & Ziaul 2015 Pp. 399). Smog is formed through the combination of organic chemicals found in the atmosphere with nitrogen oxide.

A policy that aims at lowering the amount of ground-level ozone to acceptable standards with a well-elaborated plan on how to meet those standards is essential in this era when climate change has severe environmental impacts. Parameters to curb an increase in the formation of ozone in particular areas is crucial.

Reasons for Initiating Changes

Environmental Protective Agency (EPA) labeled the levels of ground-level ozone as unhealthy for sensitive groups since the year 2010. Many cities within Texas do not meet current standards. The improvement of air quality has the significance of benefiting societies and families and creates a healthy environment for economic enhancement. Air contaminated with ground-level ozone is particularly dangerous to persons with asthma, older adults, active outdoor populace, and children. Health issues such as coughing, airway inflation, chest pain, and throat irritation are initiated by a high concentration of smog (Sarker, Raghava & Ziaul 2015 Pp. 399). These increases expenses used in Medicare due to diseases such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. Minimizing emissions of toxins to the atmosphere will help local governments and state to meet the ambient air quality standards set by the nation.

Policy Options to Consider

Developing and implementing policies that decrease air contaminants from different sources contributing to the ground-level ozone; through a collaborative effort from the state, the business community, and the citizens is essential. Achievement of clean air requires states to consider a reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide to the atmosphere. A reduction of these compounds is attainable through a policy that includes rules and regulations on the reduction of refueling emissions using vapor recovery nozzles at the petrol stations.

Vehicle speed, traveling duration, ambient air temperature, and fuel tank level influences the temperature gained by gasoline inside vehicle tanks and contribute to the emissions released to the atmosphere. Besides, improved and stricter vehicle emissions inspection schemes and cleaner-burning gasoline reformulated are policies that, if considered, will tremendously improve the quality of air in our states (Jordan & Andrea 2010 Pp. 147-158). Enactment of regulations that restrict emission levels for industrial and power plants with regards to nitrogen oxide and the usage of solvent compounds through cap and trade frameworks.

Pros and Cons of the Policy Options

Vehicular evaporative emissions occur during the automobile's operations, such as average driving, parking, stoppage of the engine after service, and refueling. A reduction of refueling emissions using vapor recovery nozzles has benefited, such as income from sales of recovery equipment and conservation of fuel through minimization of losses through evaporation. On the other hand, the machine reduces fire explosion hazards, internal corrosion of fuel tanks, and most significantly reduces the emission of nitrogen oxide. However, engineers are continuing to research the feasibility of using renewable energy in automobiles, which may render the policy outdated in a few decades.

Restricting emission levels for industrial and power plants through cap and trade offers incentives for industries to invest in cleaner technologies to avoid taxes that increase their cost of production. However, advocates of a cleaner environment argue that such proposals give leverage to companies to overproduce pollutants up to the highest allowed levels by the government (Jordan & Andrea 2010 Pp. 147-158). Another con to a policy restricting levels of emission is that governments can set tolerant standards that slow the attainment of a cleaner environment. Environmentalist also suggests that cap and trade frameworks allow facilities that pollute the environment to delay implementation of the restrictions until such a time that it is unviable.

To realize the long-term benefits of motor vehicle business growth and clean air quality, a unified model of social involvement, mechanical revolution, and monitoring invention in fuel, vehicles, and roads are essential.

Recommended Course of Action

Regular review of air quality policies is crucial and should incorporate the most recent technology and science. Cities within Texas and other states that have increased levels of ground-level ozone concentration must formulate and implement fully programs geared towards enhancement of air quality through a reduction of pollutants that causes smog.

Regulating interstate and international transport sector is also key to minimizing the effects of surface ozone (Choi & Amir 2015 Pp. 90-101). The political class, business people, and ordinary citizens must be educated on background ozone to comprehend scientific abilities better, efforts, and needs to improve their knowledge of the contributing factors of surface ozone. Enhanced data on pollutant concentrations is recommended to understand the formation of ozone and coverage better. There is a source influence erraticism making it hard to predict future contributions; this paper suggests intensive research on surface ozone to curb such a challenge.

The above courses of action are significant in the present and future conservation of the environment. Besides, to improve on the current policies on environmental policies, it is vital to take bold and drastic actions to save the world from pollution and create a healthy environment that ensures a healthy populace.

Conclusion

Acts such as the clean air act require private and state industries to meet national air pollution standards. The mercury and air toxics standards geared towards minimizing human exposure to mercury emissions, and Ozone standards are relevant environmental policies intended to keep citizens healthy. Federal land policy, endangered species act, Texas superfund, and the clean water act have been enacted to conserve the environment and its inhabitants. However, Texas challenged the clean power plan and climate change as of 2017 in court. The regulation intended to alleviate possibly human-caused climate alteration. These policies must be effectively and efficiently implemented. At the same time, there is a need to regularly review them and improve their execution through the latest science and technology.

Works Cited

Choi, Yunsoo, and Amir Hossein Souri. "Chemical condition and surface ozone in large cities of Texas during the last decade: Observational evidence from OMI, CAMS, and model analysis." Remote Sensing of Environment 168 (2015): 90-101. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034425715300559

Greene, Jon. "EPA's Proposed Ozone Rule Challenged by Extensive Texas Study." Natural Gas & Electricity 32.2 (2015): 1-9. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/gas.21849

Jordan, Andrew, and Andrea Lenschow. "Environmental policy integration: a state of the art review." Environmental policy and governance 20.3 (2010): 147-158. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eet.539

Sarker, Samarita, Raghava R. Kommalapati, and Ziaul Huque. "Influence of reactive volatile organic compounds on ozone production in Houston-galveston-Brazoria area." Journal of Environmental Protection 6.04 (2015): 399. Retrieved from http://file.scirp.org/pdf/JEP_2015042714531731.pdf