October 28, 2009
Houston City Council Member and Candidate for Mayor Peter Brown released the following statement, supporting Mayor Bill White’s new agreement with the Harris County Attorney’s office to better police illegal air polluters:
“I support this new partnership, and as Mayor I will continue to work with the county to protect the quality of air in our city and the health and well-being of our children and families. Air pollution and air quality affect all of us, and we need to continue the progress Mayor White has made to clean up the air in our city. This partnership is a step in the right direction, and I will continue to support efforts to expand our cooperation with involved agencies, as well as to shape new partnerships with other local parties – including the Port of Houston and the Houston Galveston Area Council – to better protect our residents."
"In particular, we should work with these groups to reduce particulate matter, which can have immediate positive impacts on the health and quality of life of our residents. Particulate matter has immediate negative health effects – causing asthma, heart attacks, strokes and increasing the risk of cancer – and it puts our residents directly at risk. As the Houston Chronicle noted this weekend, “The danger is greatest for children, the elderly and the medically fragile, but breathing particles affects even the most robust of us."
"Targeted infrastructure improvements - such as along Clinton Drive - can effectively mitigate some of these emissions, while simultaneously improving mobility. We should continue our work to protect neighborhoods from inappropriate developments like concrete batch plants that harm air quality. And we should cooperate closely with the Gulf Coast Freight Rail District to deal with at-grade intersections, which cause idling traffic, increasing the particulate emissions of diesel vehicles. Efforts like these can not only improve the health and well-being of residents, but also deal reduce traffic problems."
"We must see air quality not only as a health or environmental issue, but also as the broader economic and quality of life issue it represents, in keeping Houston not only a great place to live, but a competitive place to do business, and a healthy place to raise our families.”
As a successful businessman, Peter Brown has the experience Houston needs in our next mayor. A U.S. Army Veteran born and raised in Houston, Peter built his own small business into a successful national firm. He knows how to make a business thrive, and he knows how to get results. As Mayor, he’ll use those skills to improve our city – protecting our tax dollars with a more effective, efficient and accountable approach to government. He has a Blueprint for an Even Better Houston, with real solutions to reduce crime, improve the quality of life, and attract more businesses and more jobs to Houston. As a City Council Member, Brown saved taxpayers millions by reworking city building plans, cutting government waste, and championing conservation efforts. Brown has the experience and vision to make Houston even better. We need a Mayor who will get results, and Peter Brown is that leader.