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The federal government is being asked to renew the Texas Department of Transportation’s authority to uphold its own adherence to environmental standards. Although the Federal Highway Administration and TxDOT claim that this makes the review process for projects more effective, critics charge that TxDOT is abusing its oversight authority to approve projects without considering their true environmental effects.
This has been covered by Megan Kimble, a Texas political economy reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She explains what TxDOT is requesting and why some people find it contentious to Joshua Zinn, the producer of Houston Matters, in the audio above.
Peter Eccles, Director of Policy and Planning for LINK Houston, which promotes “a robust and equitable transportation network” in the Houston region, is the next person we speak with.
NOTE: Although the department was unable to send someone to participate in this discussion, TxDOT reaffirmed to Houston Matters that for its larger projects, it creates an environmental assessment that covers both natural and human environmental impacts, such as air quality, traffic noise, parks, land use, cultural resources, and hazardous material sites. Furthermore, TxDOT points out that public feedback is gathered before any project is approved and that significant delays may arise if an additional agency is required for an environmental evaluation and approval in addition to TxDOT.
You can weigh in here if you would want to remark on TxDOT’s application to extend their NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) assignment.
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