The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is inviting Waller, Austin, and Colorado County residents to participate in a public meeting for the Regional Clean Air Action Plan. The meeting will take place on Monday, September 8 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Waller County Joe Kuciemba Annex, 425 FM 1488, Hempstead. For more information and to register to attend, visit: https://www.h-gac.com/climate-pollution-reduction-grant-program.

This meeting is one in a series of opportunities for residents across the Houston-Galveston region to provide input on strategies to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote healthy, resilient communities. Feedback from this meeting will help guide the development of the Regional Clean Air Action Plan, a long-term roadmap to enhance air quality and public health through 2050.

“Clean air is essential for healthy families and thriving communities,” said Jamila Owens, assistant director of Transportation at H-GAC. “This public meeting gives residents a chance to share their perspectives and help prioritize strategies for improving air quality in their communities.”

Residents who cannot attend the meeting in person can still provide input by completing the Regional Clean, Healthy Communities Air Survey at https://engage.h-gac.com/clean-air. The survey addresses clean air strategies for the buildings and energy, transportation, industrial, waste, and agriculture and land use sectors.

The survey provides residents with the opportunity to share opinions on strategies for cleaner air, indicate which solutions they support or oppose, and provide feedback on how clean air efforts can benefit their communities. The survey will remain open through October 31, 2025.

About the Regional Clean Air Action Plan

The Regional Clean Air Action Plan will serve as a comprehensive strategy to reduce greenhouse gases, improve air quality, and promote healthy communities across the Houston-Galveston region. Developed in partnership with Harris County, the city of Houston, Fort Bend County, and the Houston Advanced Research Center, the plan will build on existing air quality and climate action initiatives. The development of the plan is a central component of a $1 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, providing a structured roadmap for reducing emissions and guiding regional climate initiatives. For more information, visit h-gac.com/climate-pollution-reduction-grant-program.

HOUSTON-GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL

H-GAC is a voluntary association of local governments and local elected officials from the 13-county Gulf Coast planning region, which includes an area of 12,500 square miles and more than 7 million people. H-GAC promotes efficient and accountable use of local, state, and federal tax dollars; serves as a problem-solving and information forum for local governments; and helps analyze trends and conditions affecting the region. For more information, visit h-gac.com.

THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION The primary responsibility of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is to decide how federal transportation funds are spent locally for capital projects and planning studies. Each metropolitan area in the United States with more than 50,000 residents has an MPO. Since 1974, the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Transportation Policy Council have served as the MPO (staff and policy board, respectively) for the eight-county metropolitan planning area, which includes Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller counties. Together they provide policy guidance and overall coordination of the transportation planning activities within the eight-county MPO region.