New commissioner puts teaching, research projects on
hold
Bryan W. Shaw has set aside his professor's cap to become
the TCEQ's newest commissioner. During his six-year term, he will
be on a leave of absence from Texas A&M University in
Bryan.
At age 41, Bryan W. Shaw was in the enviable position of having
found his "dream job." He was teaching at the college level in his
chosen field of agricultural engineering, a pursuit he found
extremely satisfying. On top of that, his employer was Texas
A&M University, his alma mater.
So why leave a job that had everything he wanted?
That is the dilemma Shaw faced when presented with the
unexpected opportunity to serve as a commissioner at the TCEQ. Gov.
Rick Perry extended the offer in the fall of 2007 to fill a vacancy
on the three-member commission, which sets overall direction and
policy for the agency.
As Shaw discussed the possible move with colleagues and wife
Dana, he began to see the appointment as a natural progression from
his teaching and research projects, explaining: "What I'd already
been working on for years was how to improve the process of having
science inform decision making and policy making. It was what I'd
been advising the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture on."
During his career, which included a 14-month stint at the USDA
in Washington, D.C., Shaw had seen the inefficiencies that
sometimes occur as science and policy making meld into
environmental regulations. He observed how policy decisions made in
Washington could be interpreted differently at the regional and
local levels, and how some permitting decisions were based on data
that was decades old and no longer relevant.
"I look forward to bringing my science background to the
commission and adding it as a key component to the decision-making
process at the TCEQ," he says.
As an associate professor in A&M's Biological and
Agricultural Engineering Department, many of his courses focused on
agricultural engineering. Typical classroom lectures would cover
processing and storage of agricultural commodities, material
handling, psychrometrics, and pollution abatement design. The
majority of his research concentrated on air pollution, air
pollution abatement, dispersion model development, and emission
factor development.
With degrees from A&M and a doctorate from the University of
Illinois, Shaw had a solid academic background. And being raised in
a ranching family had taught him the practical side of the ag
business.
Shaw grew up in Knott and Seminole, both in West Texas. As the
youngest of four siblings, he spent most of his time after school
and during summer breaks as a ranch hand. His father farmed cotton
and peanuts and raised cattle. Living off the land in West Texas
had a profound influence on Shaw's view of the importance of
protecting natural resources for generations to come.
Once established on the A&M faculty, Shaw bought his own
100-acre spread in Brazos County. His father-in-law is running the
cattle ranch while Shaw is on a leave of absence from the
university. In December, Shaw moved his wife and two children to
Round Rock.
While learning about TCEQ rules and procedures, Shaw says he
also wants to encourage regulated industries to be innovative in
responding to state and federal environmental requirements.
"Industry is in a position to offer technologies protective of
the environment that often also improve their bottom line. I don't
believe environmental protection and efficiency opportunities are
mutually exclusive," says Shaw. "We should encourage them to come
to the table and identify the approaches that enable them to
achieve environmental goals and remain economically viable."
At the same time, he adds, the state should be careful to target
strong regulatory focus on areas where clear environmental and
public health benefits are realized.
"There are problem areas in air and water quality. I consider it
my job to ensure the environmental laws of this state are being
followed. I also believe there is a cost associated with every
program we administer at the TCEQ. It is absolutely critical that
we identify ways to maintain or improve our level of protectiveness
while allowing for continued economic growth."
That, no doubt, is why Shaw often brings up the term
"efficiency," explaining that opportunities always exist to improve
and streamline. "We need to make sure the efficiency of TCEQ
regulations is as high as possible."
Not having much time to get his feet under him, Shaw has found
himself in the middle of the state's efforts to get the Dallas-Fort
Worth State Implementation Plan (SIP) for ozone approved by EPA. He
says he has been impressed with the professionalism and abilities
of the TCEQ SIP team.
"It is imperative that EPA and other state environmental
regulatory agencies across the country recognize the time, capital,
effort, and skill used in developing the Dallas-Fort Worth SIP," he
says. "I believe we can and should serve as the national model for
creating and implementing approvable SIPs—especially in areas
where it appears that such a plan is not possible."
Shaw has six years to test his ideas. His term runs through
August 2013, pending confirmation by the state Senate. After that,
there is a good chance he will be back in his college classroom.
"That is my plan at this point. The position will still be there,
and my colleagues will still be conducting the research and
continuing the grants I had in play."
And Shaw will bring many new insights to his studies on the
interaction of science and policy making.
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