Jobs are important and corporate profits are necessary for a healthy job market. Our elected officials have improved the job market in Texas and people are moving to Texas in record numbers because of the availability of jobs in industry and to manufacturing. Companies are moving operations to Texas and new facilities are being planned for the Gulf Coast.
Sounds rosy, doesn’t it? Texas has been a leader in deregulation. Texas is business friendly. The TCEQ is the watchdog. It is pitifully underfunded and many of the standards for safe and clean operations have been rolled back. When a plant is found to have polluted or released toxic materials into the environment, they are fined, the fines are de minimis (minimal) and considered a cost of doing business.
On the federal levels, deregulation and underfunding has made the EPA a toothless tiger. OSHA has so little resources regulations are rarely enforced, and then most often only when there are deaths.
The cost of the “healthy” job market and business friendly atmosphere is lasting and in many instances permanent damage to the environment.
Yes, business is good in Texas, but at what cost? How many plants have to explode; how many workers have to be injured or die; and how contaminated does the environment have to become for Texans to say “enough” – there has to be business with sustainability.
In every election cycle the political mantra is jobs, jobs, jobs. Industry lobbied to convince the politicians that high unemployment was due to over-regulation. Politicians responded with deregulation to the extent that companies now operate as they did in the 30’s. The solution to pollution is dilution. Unfortunately, the effects of industry being allowed to monitor itself is cumulative and we are just now reaping the toxic results.
The impact on the health and safety in the workplace is another topic altogether, it goes hand in glove with business and industry deregulation. Not only is the environment and public at risk, the workforce is exposed to hazardous and sometimes fatal working conditions.
Read more in the Victoria Advocate – Formosa Wants Lawsuit about Plastic Pellets to be Dismissed
Read the Formosa Memorandum and Order
