Conference to look at past, future of clean air in Houston

Conference to look at past, future of clean air in Houston

As Houston’s air quality continues to capture headlines, experts will be meeting at Rice University Feb. 24 to discuss the lessons learned during the 30-plus years the Clean Air Act has been in place.

“Houston Air Quality: A Historical Perspective on Meeting the Ozone Requirements” will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Shell Oil Foundation Auditorium in the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management.

Among the topics to be examined during four panel discussions are the history of and views on the Clean Air Act ozone requirements; the economic, scientific, social, political and regulatory challenges to implementing the Clean Air Act; lessons learned about issues that either impeded or supported the implementation of the ozone requirements; and recommended improvements to the state implementation plan process.

Presenting the keynote address will be Hank Habicht, chief executive officer of Global Environment Technology Foundation. Habicht was deputy administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1989 to 1993. He also served as assistant attorney general of the U.S. Department of Justice in the Reagan administration, where he directed the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Among the panel of experts will be Guy Donaldson, EPA; Jim Blackburn, Blackburn Center LLP; Victor Flatt, University of Houston Law School; Harvey Jefferies, University of North Carolina; David Schanbacher, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ); Stephen Klineberg, Rice; Steve Cook, Lyondell; Ramon Alvarez, Enviromental Defense; Kathleen White, TCEQ; David Allen, The University of Texas; Bill Dawson, formerly of the Houston Chronicle; Doug Deason, ExxonMobil; Ann Culver, Greater Houston Partnership; John Hall, Texas Environmental Research Consortium; Jane Laping, Mothers for Clean Air; Elena Marks, Office of Mayor Bill White; Pam Giblin, Baker Botts LLP; and John Wilson, Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention.

A question-and-answer session will follow the panel sessions.

The conference is free and open to the public. Registration is requested. Visit <www.ruf.rice.edu/~eesi/scs/SIP.html> to register or for more information.