Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy

TEJAS hosted Environmental Justice partner organizations and coordinated coordination for an in-person roundtable discussion with the federal agencies, including a roundtable discussion with John Podesta, Deeb Haleend, and another one with Jahi Wise. Our efforts in engaging and holding TCEO accountable continued with TEJAS participating in public meetings and outreaching to communities about up and coming public hearings in March and April.

TEJAS was invited to the Regional TICTAC as a HUB Leader for Houston, Texas. The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice https//www.dscei.org/justice40 is the regional HUB for Texas. We are tasked as a HUB leader in bring in 10 CBOs to become part of the Tejas HUB. Our HUB has brought in a truly diverse group of Environmental, Indigenous and Civic ortganizations from distinct parts of Texas. Tejas made it a priority to bring in voices from the Gulf South and West Texas Permian Basin.

Summer Intership Partnership with US Fish and Wildlife Coordination on programming and logistics for acquiring a new set of gear and kayaks in partnership with the US Fish Wildlife Service. The kayaks are to conduct future citizen projects in collaboration with Texas AM as part of the proposed projects for the upcoming years. TEJAS focused on preparing for summer programming along the waterways of the Houston Ship Channel. in preparation for the summer activities including the kayaks, staff attended kyak safety training and six adult participants successfully completed the day of safety training,. The start of June was focused on coordinating logistics, scouting safe and appropriate launch sites for youth participants, and finding key locations from which to collect data. By the end of July, the summer youth crew collected 1,500 gallons of plastic trash along with waterways.