Toxics: Speaking Up About A Silent Threat

As you read here, Texas is plagued with some of the highest levels of toxic chemicals in the nation. The worst part about this situation is that the powerful chemical companies are trying to repeal the public’s right-to-know protections, so they won’t have to tell you about the dangerous chemicals in your community.

This summer, dozens of young people will spend their summer as canvassers for TexPIRG, knocking on doors across Texas to stand up to the powerful chemical companies to protect our right to know. If they haven’t already, one will probably be visiting you soon.

Over the years, our summer canvass has gotten thousands of Texas residents to take political action by simply having a conversation.

That interaction is one of the things that makes TexPIRG’s work exciting and unique. It’s also the lifeblood of our work, providing us with the public feedback and resources we need to win victories like Smoke-free Austin.

In 2005, we helped turn out thousands of voters to the polls in support of banning smoking to protect the health of restaurant workers. We talked to thousands of Texans about the issue and received media attention from most of Texas’ major media outlets.

The measure passed, and now many restaurant and bar employees will be spared from the most devastating effects of second-hand smoke.

This summer, we are at it again, informing thousands of people about the need to protect our right to know when it comes to toxic chemicals.

We’re working with other allied groups across the country to stand up to this assault on public health. Hopefully by the end of the summer the EPA will reject the move as a bad deal for families and communities.

But those big moves start at your doorstep, with the few minutes you spend talking with a canvasser, and with your decision to begin or renew your TexPIRG membership. The hard work of these young people and the welcome they receive at homes across Texas make the difference for our campaigns.

And it’s thanks to those brief conversations that next summer, in this same space, I will be able to report that your right to know has been firmly protected.