Resolution for Endorsement

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He and others are seeking organizations to sign on in support of this effort, and this caucus has previously done so. He is once again seeking our support, and so we are sharing the text of the resolution here and will vote on it in June. 

WHEREAS the City of Austin has made billions of dollars from the Fayette Coal Plant. WHEREAS the City of Austin co-owns the Fayette Coal Plant which has produced tons of coal ash in the 42 years of operations. 

WHEREAS coal ash contains selenium, mercury, arsenic, lead, other heavy metals, and poisonous contaminants.  

WHEREAS selenium and mercury cause birth defects.

WHEREAS lead builds up in the brain four times faster in kids than adults. 

WHEREAS all these heavy metals and poisons cause cancer and other serious illnesses. 

WHEREAS we need to unite the City of Austin, Fayette County citizens and the environmental movement to push to start testing, start solar transition, start the cleanup of all coal ash in Fayette County, and guarantee displaced workers equivalent jobs with the City of Austin or LCRA. 

BE IT RESOLVED that the Travis County Democratic Party urges the Austin City Council to hire and pay for comprehensive, independent testing of the land, water, adults, and children of Fayette County and appropriate $250,000 - $500,000 to pay for the testing.

Here is additional information about Fayette and their goal: 

Fayette County families are being poisoned by the chemicals in coal ash like lead, mercury, arsenic, and selenium.  This poisoning causes cancers, birth defects, and lead poisoning. The City of Austin still owns one-third of the Fayette Coal Plant in La Grange. Contact your City Councilperson and/or the Mayor and demand the City do independent, comprehensive testing of the land, water, people, and especially the children in Fayette County. Start Testing the water, the land, and the people.  We need comprehensive testing to determine the level of contamination on the land at the facility and the land in Fayetteville. Test the water for the level of contamination in the wells at the Coal Plant and in the wells down from the plant. Test the people because kids absorb lead four times faster than adults.  Lead shows best in the blood tests of children. Start Solar on the facility.  Put solar on the land at the Coal Plant and on the surrounding contaminated land.  All workers displaced are guaranteed equivalent jobs at either LCRA or City of Austin.  As solar is increased at the Fayette plant, coal is reduced until solar replaces all the energy produced by the coal.  Start the Clean-up of the coal ash.  Put all the coal ash into watertight, non-corrosive vaults.  Scrape the contaminated soil, dig up the buried coal ash and put it in very large vaults at the facility. The City of Austin, which has taken in $3 billion over the last ten years should pay for comprehensive testing.  The City Council approves $500,000 to hire an independent testing firm to test the land, water, and people.  The City of Austin tries to recoup some of the cost (after spent) from LCRA.  After the testing shows contamination of the community, City Council joins with 350 Austin to stop the continued poisoning of Fayette County and actively works to get LCRA to implement solar and the coal ash clean-up.