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III. Meet the Texas Chemical Council 

The 98 members of the Texas Chemical Council are by far the leading source of federally tracked toxic chemicals released into Texas’ environment. Yet few Texans are aware of this trade group, which keeps a low profile beyond the Austin lobby.

“It’s entirely a lobby effort,” Austin environmental lawyer Rick Lowerre recently said of the Chemical Council. “I don’t think they try to influence public opinion, because in Texas you don’t have to. You just take all the legislators out to play golf or go on cruises.” ³

Chemical manufacturers have demonstrated a historical tendency to bind together early and often. The national trade group—the Chemical Manufacturers Association—formed in 1872, before petroleum made Texas a petrochemical capital. The Texas Chemical Council became the nation’s first state trade group when it formed in 1953. To better defend many of Texas’ leading polluters, the Chemical Council organized a sidekick group in 1983. Through the Association of Chemical Industry of Texas (ACIT), The Chemical Council mobilizes the businesses that serve its  members companies as contractors, consultants or distributors. The same staff operates the Chemical Council and ACIT out of the same Austin office.

FREEPAC: Because Political Favors Aren’t Free
One benefit that the Chemical Council pitches to members is to serve as a money-laundering middleman that forwards contributions to candidates that its members do not want to support publicly. In a recent solicitation for its political action committee (PAC), the Chemical Council boasted that, “FREEPAC ⁴ can contribute to candidates whom company PACs would like to support but can’t, due to political circumstances. Supporting the Texas chemical industry can be politically dangerous, as well as expensive for elected officials or candidates. Those who support the chemical industry in Texas need the support of FREEPAC.” Similarly, the Chemical Council lobbies for environmentally predatory policies that some of its members may not want to associate with directly.

A highlight of the Chemical Council’s lobbying efforts is “Chemicals Day.” Chemicals Day 1999 fell on February 2. Before converging on the Capitol to lobby, participating Chemical Council members feasted at Austin’s Four Seasons Hotel. There, Chemical Council staff briefed members on their 1999 political agenda and the chairs of key legislative committees walked members through pending bills related to that agenda.⁵

Reflecting its primary mission, the Chemical Council’s top executives are registered lobbyists. These lobbying executives include President Jim Woodrick, Senior Vice President Jon Fisher⁶ and Chemical Council Issues Director Jennifer Pinkerton. The Chemical Council also claims revolving-door hired gun Bill Messer—an ex-state legislator from Belton—as its vice president of government relations.

Finally, Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission Commissioner Ralph Marquez is a former vice-chair of the Chemical Council’s Environmental Committee. He also is an ex-chair of the Environmental Advisory Board of the City of Texas City, where Chemical Council members cast a looming presence (see “A Sterling Reputation in Texas City”).

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