A pre-hearing conference call will be hosted by a statewide electric transportation advocacy group on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m..

Sept. 12, 2018

Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance is encouraging environmentalists to attend statewide public hearings on the Texas Volkswagen Settlement Plan in support of TxETRA recommendations.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is hosting one of the hearings at the North Central Texas Council of Governments office, at 616 Six Flags Drive in Arlington on Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. 

In advance of the hearing, an electric transportation advocacy group is hosting a 30-minute conference call tonight, Sept. 12, at 7 p.m. to prepare attendees.

“We'd love to have 8 to 20 well-informed people from various groups on the call and at the hearing,” said Tom “Smitty” Smith, executive director of the Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance and former director of the Texas Public Citizen office, said via email.

The hearing addresses the more than $200 million settlement stemming from the Volkswagen emissions scandal. In 2015, the German automaker got caught rigging its diesel cars to pass emissions tests. As a result, the cars, made between 2009 and 2015, were emitting up to 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide, violating the Clean Air Act.

As part of the settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, VW agreed to pay $5 billion in environmental mitigation. Texas was awarded more than $200 million based on the number of offending vehicles purchased in the state.

PRE-HEARING CONFERENCE CALL 

Smith will lead the pre-hearing conference call tonight at 7 p.m. The call in number is 605-472-5607:  Code: 213163. The call will last 30 minutes to an hour depending on the number of questions. 

Conference Call Agenda

    •    Introductions (5 minutes)

    •    What is the VW settlement and an overview (5 minutes)

    •    5 percent set-a-side for charging stations (5 minutes

    •    Our recommendations (5 minutes)

    •    Hearing process (2 minutes)

    •    How to submit written comments (2 minutes)

    •    Q and A 

 

Texas Volkswagen Settlement Plan Hearing

Hosted by: TCEQ

When: Sept. 14, 2 p.m.

Where: North Central Texas Council of Governments office, at 616 Six Flags Drive in Arlington

Other TCEQ VW Settlement Hearings:

    •    San Antonio (17th): 2:00 PM - Alamo Area C.O.G., 8700 Tesoro Dr, Suite 100 

    •    El Paso (19th): 10:00 AM - Rio Grande C.O.G., 8037 Lockheed, Suite 100 

    •    Austin (26th): 2:00 PM - TCEQ Austin, Bldg. E, Rm 201-S, 12100 Park 35 Circle. 

Info: TXETRA.org

Contact: Smitty Smith at 512-797-8468 or smitty@citizen.org.


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