Representative Nevárez Plans Legislative Action Against Attorney General’s Chemical Cover Up
AUSTIN – Attorney General and Republican Gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott has had an easy road down the campaign highway leading the polls against Democrat candidate Wendy Davis, but has recently come under fire that could shift the momentum. The Attorney General is being scrutinized for blocking public access to state records documenting the location of dangerous chemicals, yet, said ‘Texans still have a right to find out where the substances are stored.’ In a recently released decision by his office, the Attorney General stated that government entities could withhold the state records, also called “Tier II” reports, of dangerous chemical locations. These reports enclose the inventory of hazardous chemicals, but Abbott said homeowners who believe they may live near locations of dangerous chemicals could simply knock on their door and ask the companies what substances are kept on site.
“You know where they are if you drive around,” Abbott stated. “You can ask every facility whether or not they have chemicals or not. You can ask them if they do, and they can tell you, well we do have chemicals or we don’t have chemicals, and if they do, they tell which ones they have.”
This caught the eye of many legislators who believe that the ultimate concern here is Texas citizens’ public access to information.
“For the sitting Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate to suggest that it is up to the citizen himself to play detective is ludicrous.” Representative Poncho Nevárez (D-Eagle Pass) stated. “Which is why I plan on filing legislation that would force these plants to reveal to the community the chemicals they store, their use and the danger they could pose to the community.”
Although ringing the doorbell and asking for information seems like a simple solution, it is a complex process that does not serve the public with the information it needs. The Attorney General’s action to not allow the Texas Department of State Health Services to release those reports only proves that he continues to favor insiders, this time in the chemical and fertilizer industries, over hardworking Texas families who are just trying to keep their children and communities safe.
The Attorney General’s actions raised many questions that needed to be answered. The Dallas Morning News investigated for a possible explanation as to why the Texas Attorney General is withholding information about the state fertilizer and chemical plants. As it turns out, Abbott has been the recipient of major contributions from the industrialist Koch brothers and major chemical companies. He has received more than $75,000 from Koch interests, including $25,000 from Chase Koch, son of Charles Koch (who also chipped in $25,000) and another $50,000 in contributions from Chevron, DuPont, Dow Chemical and other chemical companies. The investigation also described how Abbott flew on the Koch company jet to an invitation only gathering of GOP politicians last year to meet with wealthy donors at a New Mexico resort. Another justification proving that the Republican candidate for Governor continues to fight for big business and a campaign war chest, rather than serving his fellow Texans.
“Recently I was poking fun at the Attorney General’s naïve statement suggesting that folks should drive up to chemical plants and ask them what chemicals they store and how they are used. Truth is it is deadly serious,” Representative Nevárez adds. “His recent ruling allowing secrecy to prevail in the name of security defies logic when he says a person can procure the information by strolling up and asking. Is he suggesting that we all become part of the veil of secrecy by not revealing what we are told when we are forced to ask the chemical plants ourselves? The lessons learned in the tragic aftermath of the explosion at West are quickly forgotten by those who benefit from the silence.”
