Release: Wins for Texas air, water and nature
Environment Texas celebrates victories for the environment in 2024
AUSTIN, Texas – Environment Texas today reflected on important progress made in 2024 for the health of Texas’ air and water and our most treasured places.
“Texas’ air and water will be cleaner and nature will be better protected thanks to actions taken this year by the people of Texas and our decisionmakers,” said Environment Texas Executive Director Luke Metzger.
2024 saw important wins across the state for clean air. In December, the federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Environment Texas and Sierra Club against ExxonMobil for the fourth time since 2010, upholding a $14.25 million civil penalty against the company for more than 16,000 violations of the Clean Air Act at its Baytown refinery. This is the largest penalty for a citizen-initiated lawsuit to enforce the Clean Air Act. Local governments acted to clean up the air, too. Dallas invested $250,000 to buy electric lawn equipment to replace dirty, noisy gas-powered devices. Environment Texas research shows that gas-powered lawn equipment emits as much soot pollution into Texas’ air each year as 19 million cars.
“When we leave the house, we should be able to take a deep breath without inhaling thousands of tiny particles that can make us sick,” said Metzger. “Polluters must be held accountable for the damage they cause, and I commend the city of Dallas for stepping in and preventing more soot leaking into the air. No one should have to risk health problems such as respiratory disease and cancer just to go outside and get some fresh air.”
State leaders in Texas also took steps to protect wildlife and wild spaces throughout the state in 2024. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) acquired 600 acres of land adjacent to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, and announced plans to buy 3,000 additional acres next door. The TPWD has plans to invest $1 billion into state parks and public lands in the coming years. The federal and local levels are making conservation progress as well: the United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced plans to expand the Muleshoe, Aransas and Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuges by as much as 850,000 acres, while voters in Dallas approved a $350 million municipal parks bond, the largest such bond in U.S. history.
“From the prairie in the panhandle to the salt marshes on the gulf coast, Texas is home to some of the most stunning biodiversity in the world,” Metzger said. “It’s truly thrilling to watch our federal, state and local leaders work to ensure that these lands stand undisturbed for generations of Texans to enjoy for decades to come.”
Texas also made stunning progress in the transition away from fossil fuels, cementing itself as a national leader in clean energy adoption and generation. Environment America’s 2024 Renewables on the rise dashboard found that Texas ranks in the top 4 in the nation for growth in wind generation, solar generation, energy efficiency savings, battery storage capacity, electric vehicle registrations and electric vehicle charging ports. And the state is taking advantage of all available resources: 424 electric school buses are either committed, on their way or operating in Texas as of the end of 2024 as school districts are taking advantage of federal funds. More than 185,000 Texans installed solar panels on their roofs in 2023, bringing clean energy online this year and saving $894 million on their taxes using incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, houses of worship, schools, local governments and nonprofit organizations can take advantage of the same tax credits to install solar panels and transition away from fossil fuels.
“Though we still continue to face the crisis of climate change, the progress we made in 2024 gives me hope for the future,” Metzger said. “As the benefits of these actions become more clear as time passes, I plan on fighting just as hard in 2025 for nature, breathable air and clean water. I hope that we can further put ourselves on the right track in 2025 and work towards a pristine environment that lasts for generations beyond us.”
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Environment Texas is a non-profit advocate for clean air and water, parks and wildlife, and a livable climate.