DENTON -- Potential Republican presidential candidate Gov. Rick Perry held his home state up as an example to the nation Friday, touting new laws geared to help reduce the country's dependence on foreign energy sources.
During a ceremonial bill-signing at the Peterbilt Motors Co. plant in Denton, Texas' longest-serving governor was greeted by applause, a standing ovation, and dozens of people taking photos of him with cameras and cellphones."Think about how lives have been changed as Texas leads the way in production of a home-produced energy source," Perry told the standing-room-only crowd about the new laws. "I'm so excited about that. America needs all the innovation we can muster to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy."Added Perry: "It is the right way. We refer to it as the Texas way."Perry's public appearance came amid continuing speculation about whether he will jump into the 2012 presidential race. But he didn't address the issue Friday.In fact, Perry, who traditionally fields questions from the news media during public events, didn't open up the floor to any. He and others spoke about the new laws before he used ceremonial pens to sign the papers."God bless you all," he said while thanking the crowd for coming. Then he swiftly walked out of the room.He went to a waiting vehicle and left as reporters chased after him.But during his 15-minute talk, Perry took a few jabs at the federal government.At one point he spoke of the Environmental Protection Agency's "continuing effort to take over our regulatory process.""It's just a continuing Washington story ... their wanting to take over more and more control of the states," Perry said. "But we're not here to talk about that. That's a dreary story."Perry noted that the new bills are based on Texans' ideas, not rooted in the threat of "Draconian penalties" or Washington's "big hammer of regulation coming down."State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said the laws will help ensure that children and adults breathe clean air and drink clean water. "We do it the right way," she said.The three new laws Perry touted Friday:HB3328 requires natural gas drillers to publicly disclose the chemicals they use in hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, starting in July 2012. When they frack, drillers pump millions of gallons of water and chemicals deep into the ground to break up rock formations and release gas.Concerns have been raised over possible groundwater contamination. The industry says the process is safe.Officials say this will help make the fracking process more transparent. Other states have passed various regulations calling for disclosure, but none actually made the requirement a law. In Texas, drillers will have to post the chemicals and amounts used."This is a piece of legislation that has national implications," Perry said. "This new disclosure -- it is one of the first, and I might say the strongest, in the nation -- will help ensure safety and environmental quality while encouraging American ... production and reducing dependence on foreign oil."SB20 is geared to encourage companies with heavy-duty vehicles to switch to natural-gas-powered vehicles within the "Texas Triangle," an area with Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio at its corners. "This is one of the more exciting times for me, to see Texas truly lead this charge of using our natural gas that's produced right here in America to move our big ... trucks," Perry said.SB527 establishes a network to provide for more monitoring of air quality in North Texas. "This will [bring] additional air-monitoring stations around the Barnett Shale region," Perry said.State Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, said: "Many of us have worked tirelessly for years to strike the right balance between protecting our public health and well-being, while allowing North Texas to reap the tremendous economic benefits that our natural resources provide. This bill package finds the right balance."Anna M. Tinsley, 817-390-7610Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
