Tell the Texas Legislature to Crack Down on Pollution

When polluters violate their Clean Air Act permits, Texas lets them avoid penalties if they meet certain criteria, like if the community wasn't exposed to the pollution, or if the emissions event wasn't preventable. But in our lawsuit against ExxonMobil, one of their employees testified that he claims this "affirmative defense" every time - without confirming the company meets the criteria.

In part due to this loophole, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) only issues penalties in less than 3 percent of air violations. Tell the legislature to end this free pass for polluters.