The Sue Pope Fund - North Texas Pollution Reduction Program is a grant making organization dedicated to reducing ozone emissions in North Texas.

After almost a year of negotiations, leaders of the Blue Skies Alliance and Downwinders At Risk joined representatives from Holcim (US) Inc. and the Environmental Protection Agency to reach a historic clean air accord.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two organizations dropped their fight over Holcim’s  permit application to increase production and emissions at their Midlothian plant in return for Holcim’s commitment to undertake a list of projects to reduce emissions and monitor air quality.

Among other commitments, Holcim agreed to allocate $2.25 million in funds to be disbursed for clean air projects in North Texas. The Sue Pope North Texas Pollution Reduction Program is the organization established to review clean air projects and disburse funds.

WHO IS SUE POPE?
Sue Pope, a Midlothian resident, is the driving force behind the founding of Downwinders At Risk. She’s been organizing against TXI’s waste burning since 1991. She serves on the local Dallas area advisory council of the American Lung Association. Sue is nationally known as the “Lois Gibbs of cement kiln incineration.”

The Sustainable Institute.  The Sustainable Institute is a program designed to educate consumers, Realtors, developers, and builders in green building techniques and urban development.  Based at Cedar Valley College part of the Dallas County Community College District the institute will not only teach the practice of green building but also urban design and how it relates to suitability.
Amount Awarded: $150,000.00

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority.  The McKinney Avenue Trolley is a wonderful example of what grassroots commitment can do.  The trolley system runs along the McKinney Avenue corridor linking work, home, and shopping.  Truly an impressive example of what urban design can be.  The Sue Pope Fund provided monies for infrastructure in an effort to increase rider-ship during ozone season.
Amount Awarded: $108,000.00

Mow Down Air Pollution.  The City of Dallas in conjunction with the City of Fort Worth hosted the first ever “mow down air pollution” exchange event.  In an effort to draw attentions to some of the dirtiest polluters in the region “lawn mowers” the two cities provided rebates to consumers to exchange your father’s lawnmower for a cleaner, newer one.
Amount Awarded: $45,000.00

The Green Taxi-Cab Program.  Paying for the incremental cost between green and clean and older taxi cabs, the Green Taxi-Cab program is a project with local taxi-cab owners, the City of Dallas, and DFW Airport.  The goal of the program is to replace older taxi-cabs with hybrid vehicles.  The plan is to given incentives to taxi-cab owners to change out their fleet by provided limited cut-in-line privileges, extending the “lifespan” of a cab from five to seven years, and paying for the incremental cost associated with going greener.  This project is part of a larger effort and a matching grant of $1.5 million known as the Dallas Sustainable Skyline Initiative. Their goal is to decrease not only ozone causing emissions but greenhouse gas emissions in North Texas.
Amount Awarded: $325,000.00

The Green Building Project.  The City of Dallas in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity is developing the cities first affordable housing initiative to construct highly energy efficient green homes.  Around 50 homes will be built in disadvantage areas of Fair Park with phase one starting in a neighborhood known as Frazier Courts.  The goal of the programs is to not only provide clean and green homes but education on how to care for your green home.  This project will serve as a national model for other similar projects throughout the country.  In addition, this is another phase of the Dallas Sustainable Skyline Initiative in an effort to decrease ozone and CO2 emissions in North Texas.
Amount Awarded: $150,000.00

The North Texas Regional Air Quality Board.  The North Texas Regional Air Quality Board was established to facilitate a cooperative agreement between North Texas governmental entities receiving Barnett Shale gas drilling royalties to contribute a percentage of those royalties to a regional air quality fund for the purposes of paying for projects that would reduce air pollution in the DFW nine-county non-attainment area.
Amount Awarded: $25,000.00

Dallas Emissions Enforcement Program.  The North Central Texas Council of Government in conjunction with Dallas County initiated the Dallas Emissions Enforcement Program in an effort to reduce the number of vehicles with counterfeit or fictitious inspection certificates.
Amount Awarded: 132,950.00

THE SUE POPE FUND
NORTH TEXAS POLLUTION REDUCTION PROGRAM
PO Box 763844
Dallas, TX 75376
Office 972.296.9400 - Fax 972.296.9492 - Email