Environmental Clinic

 

Environmental Clinic students worked alongside the Environmental Integrity Project on a citizen suit in federal court against an East Texas wood pellet manufacturer. The manufacturer violated its air permits and illegally emitted hazardous air pollutants, endangering the community and environment surrounding the plant. Clinic students were integral to the trial team and involved in researching legal issues, drafting discovery responses and motions, and participating in strategy sessions.  The case resulted in a settlement and Consent Decree requiring the company to install pollution controls, conduct testing and monitoring, and contribute to a fund for energy efficiency upgrades to homes in the area.

Environmental laws require that the public be given the opportunity to participate in environmental permitting and rulemaking. One of the many barriers Texans face in attempting to engage in environmental advocacy for themselves and their communities is the limited access to information in languages other than English. Clinic students worked with Earthjustice in representing Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (T.E.J.A.S.) and Sierra Club in a Title VI civil rights complaint and a rulemaking petition to TCEQ, our state environmental agency, to increase language services at the agency.   In response, TCEQ recently revised its rules  to provide increased translation and interpretation services.

The Clinic is co-counseling with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid to represent Vecinos Para el Bienestar de la Comunidad Costera and the Fishers and Shrimper of the RGV.