Dirty Air, Dirty Money: Grandfathered Pollution Pays Dividends Downwind in Austin

home | table of contents | previous | next

• PACs affiliated with the "Dirty 30," the worst grandfathered¹ corporate polluters, spent more than $2.5 million to influence Texas politicians between December 1995 and March 1998. These companies spew 554,335 tons of grandfathered air pollution each year, including as much smog-forming nitrogen oxides as 11 million cars (there are 9 million licensed cars in Texas).  

• Governor Bush took $193,500 in contributions of $500 or more from the PACs of 27 grandfathered polluters from 1995 through 1997. These companies spew 451,269 tons of "non-permitted" pollution into Texas air annually, contributing an average of 14 cents to the Bush campaign for every ton of pollution that they emit.

• The six members of the interim House subcommittee on grandfathered facilities took $31,700 from the PACs of grandfathered polluters from 1996 through 1997. This money accounts for 9 percent of all the money that these members raised during that same time period.

• The same panel members took another 6 percent of the money they raised from lobbyists who represent grandfathered polluters.

• House Environmental Regulation Committee Chair Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, took 21 percent of all the money he raised in 1996 and 1997 from grandfathered polluters. Another 9 percent of Chisum's money came from lobbyists who represent grandfathered polluters.

• 78 of the worst grandfathered air polluters in Texas hired an army of 359 different lobbyists in 1997, paying them between $9.7 million and $20.6 million to influence Texas politicians. With almost two of these lobbyists for each legislator, there is one grandfather lobbyist twisting each arm of every Texas legislator.

• Dallas-based Texas Utilities (TU) is the worst grandfathered air polluter (belching 210,437 tons of grandfathered emissions a year). TU PACs led grandfathered companies in expenditures to influence Texas politics, spending $633,230 from December 1995 to March 1998.

¹ "Grandfathered" industrial facilities that existed before the Clean Air Act of 1971 are exempted from the need for preconstruction permits, which often mandate emission controls.

home | table of contents | previous | next