Clearing the air
TCEQ’s failure
Regarding “In the air, any benzene is too much benzene” (Opinion, Wednesday): About 5 p.m. on May 10, people from Seabrook through Clear Lake were stunned by an intense chemical stench so strong it literally took our breath away. Struggling to breathe, some rushed indoors, most others assumed if it’s really bad, someone would warn us. Wrong.
A week later, the Chronicle reported that about six hours after the invisible plume began, a Texas Commission on Environmental Qualityair monitor in Seabrook found benzene at a very high level, 14 times that which impacts health. While news media covered the collision, TCEQ waited two hours to share the high reading with the Texas General Land Office and then posted a soft-sell social media note 15 hours later, the next day. Too little, too late.
Holding our breath and hiding indoors aren’t enough. Texas leaders and TCEQ need to get serious about protecting Texans, while local leaders should develop action plans across jurisdictions, better monitoring and real-time warnings to protect our families.
Doug Peterson, Clear Lake area
Reading the tea leaves
Regarding “Pelosi staying the course. for ‘compelling’ case to impeach” (Nation/World, Friday): House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is relying on more than political instincts in guiding her Democrat cohorts to hold off on starting the impeachment process. She is also benefiting from lessons she has learned from history.
Specifically, she is surely aware of how public opinion eventually turned strongly against Richard Nixon. In turn, that brought congressional Republicans around to overwhelming support for removing him from office. In sharp contrast, ousting Bill Clinton failed because a majority of the public never supported it. As a consequence, Senate Republicans could not muster the number of votes necessary to end the Clinton presidency.
Under the guidance of Pelosi and House committee leaders such as Rep. Jerrold Nadler, hearings will make manifest for public consumption President Trump's multiple instances of obstruction as laid out in the Mueller report. If and when those revelations impact public opinion in the direction of impeachment, then it will happen. That is Pelosi's political calculation in managing what is, at base, a political undertaking.
Marty Adams, Houston
A sinking feeling
Regarding “For Battleship Texas, it’s sink or sail away” (Front page, Thursday): I am glad that the long overdue and much needed repairs are finally going to be done on the Battleship Texas. My reaction to the view of Bruce Bramlett, executive director of the Battleship Texas Foundation, that the Battleship Texas in its current location is a losing proposition is one of disgust.
After repairs the Battleship Texas should be dry berthed at its current location. There is no good reason to move the ship. Just greed!
Rusty Knight, Missouri City
Renewables really matter
Regarding “Perry touts ‘innovation’ to clean up fossil fuels” (Business, Friday): Energy Secretary Rick Perry is quoted saying, “the U.S. has a ‘moral responsibility’ to help provide energy to other parts of the world,” justifying his neglect of acknowledging deteriorating climate change. Obviously he has not read about the Malawian teen who built a windmill out of junk to power his whole village from wind power. (See the TED talk with William Kamkwamba).
Our “moral responsibility” concerning energy should be to share technology with developing countries to optimize what they need, with what they have.
Mark M. Marmon, Houston