(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) and Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) led a letter signed by their Houston colleague Rep. Al Green (TX-09) to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regarding the sufficiency of air quality monitoring during the fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) in Deer Park, Texas on March 18, 2019. The members asked TCEQ about data collected, and the sufficiency of that data in making public health recommendations.

“Texans rely on TCEQ to provide adequate scientific information during ongoing incidents.  The public health recommendations provided in coordination with local officials are essential to ensuring the safety of people throughout the greater Houston area,” wrote the members.  “It is of the utmost importance that state agencies continue to supply the most accurate data so that the public can have full confidence in recommendations provided by local and state authorities.”

The members wrote the letter after they learned that the nearest monitoring station was offline for a period of the fire for scheduled maintenance, despite the continued risk of chemical exposure.

As Chair of the Subcommittee on Environment in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, the Congresswoman previously led an effort to gather information regarding TCEQ’s decisions in relation to air quality tests conducted in the area after Hurricane Harvey.

The letter can be found here.