Here is an update on the TxDOT lawsuit from Laurence Gibson, the Chair of the El Paso Group of the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter:
Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter El Paso Groupnmsierraclub.org/elpasoDear El Paso Sierrans, For over a year now most of your Executive Committee’s energy has gone into fighting Texas Department of Transportation’s overblown plan for Transmountain Road. We regard the planned expansion as the linchpin that will release a flood of development on the western slopes of our beloved Franklin Mountains, labeling El Paso forever as a second-rate city that values the short-term gains of sprawl over respect for our natural heritage. We have a vision for El Paso that would put us in a class with Tucson or Boulder, or even Austin! First, we hired Texas’ foremost environmental law firm, Lowerre, Frederick, Perales, Allmon and Rockwell, for an unsuccessful protest of the TxDot plan where we asked for a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) instead of their “quick and dirty” Environmental Analysis. This is the same firm that brought our ASARCO suit to a successful end. We do not often seek legal help. Then, we filed suit against TxDot and the Federal Highway Administration in hopes of forcing that EIS. In the meantime, the contractor has begun work down by I-10. By the time you read this, we may have an injunction in force to halt construction while the court rules on our case. As you know, lawyers do not work gratis. The final bill for this effort could reach $75,000! Your response to our financial pleas has been remarkable: Our environmental partners have really “stepped up” with large commitments, like Franklin Mountain Wilderness Coalition’s $3,000, the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter’s $2,700 and your El Paso Group treasury’s $4,000. The fight for clean energy is taking almost all of the national club’s legal resources, so we have nothing there. Individual donations have ranged all the way from $25 to $1,000, for a total now of around $2,500. We need your gift to reach our goal. We’d be happy to add your name to the list or respect your desire to remain anonymous. Just mail your check in the enclosed envelope. [See mailing address below.] Your donation could mean the difference between endless sprawl and an El Paso future generations can be proud of. Thank you,Laurence GibsonChair, El Paso Group of the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter
P.S.: Please be generous. Your gift might determine what El Paso looks like next year and in 100 years!
Send $ to:
El Paso Group, Sierra Club
PO Box 9191 El Paso 79995
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