Mission Statement

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality strives to protect our state's human and natural resources consistent with sustainable economic development. Our goal is clean air, clean water, and the safe management of waste.

Agency Philosophy

To accomplish our mission, we will:

• Base decisions on the law, common sense, good science, and fiscal responsibility.
• Ensure that regulations are necessary, effective, and current.
• Apply regulations clearly and consistently.
• Ensure consistent, just, and timely enforcement when environmental laws are violated.
• Ensure meaningful public participation in the decision-making process.
• Promote and foster voluntary compliance with environmental laws and provide flexibility in achieving environmental goals.
• Hire, develop, and retain a high-quality, diverse workforce.

History

The history of natural resource protection by the State of Texas is one of gradual evolution from protecting the right of access to natural resources (principally surface water) to a broader role in protecting public health and conserving natural resources. In parallel with developments in the rest of the nation, and at the federal level, state natural resource efforts broadened at mid-century to include the protection of air and water resources, and later to the regulation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste generation. During the 1990s, the Texas Legislature moved to make natural resource protection more efficient by consolidating programs. This trend culminated in the creation of the TCEQ in the fall of 1993 as a comprehensive environmental protection agency.