Environmental Clinic

Due to the ubiquity of concrete batch plants, many communities throughout Texas are suffering from the pollution caused by concrete batch plants. Neighbors report particulate emissions coating their homes and cars and causing respiratory problems. They also object to the diesel trucks that cut through their communities and emit toxic air pollutants while idling outside concrete batch plants waiting to load. Most people do not know, however, how to engage in the permitting process to attempt to require better controls and reduced pollution at concrete batch plants. This guide is intended to provide an overview of the Texas air permitting process for concrete batch plants and the types of pollution controls that communities could seek through that process.

The majority of public water systems in Texas are in compliance with contaminant standards and reporting requirements. However, hundreds of public water systems are supplying their customers with water containing unsafe levels of contaminants and have been for years. These systems are frequently, though not always, small systems in rural areas of the state.

This guide is intended to provide information about what constitutes safe drinking water, how to determine if a public water system is in compliance with health-based standards, and what actions communities and advocates can take to make their water safe to drink.

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.