Environmental Headlines, June 17-23, 2006
FLOOD SYSTEM PASSED SURPRISE TEST
Houston Chronicle 6/21/06
After receiving its first real test since Tropical Storm Allison, Harris County’s revamped flood control system appears to have earned mostly passing marks.
SHELTER-IN-PLACE LIFTED AFTER SHELL LEAK
Houston Chronicle 6/19/06
The floating roof of a chemical storage tank at Shell’s Deer Park chemical plant tipped open under the weight of pooling rain water this morning, exposing chemicals, including benzene, to the atmosphere.
JUSTICE DIVIDED ON PROTECTIONS FOR WETLANDS
New York Times 6/20/06
WASHINGTON, June 19 — The Supreme Court on Monday came close to rolling back one of the country’s fundamental environmental laws, issuing a fractured decision that, while likely to preserve vigorous federal enforcement of the law – the Clean Water Act – is also likely to lead to new regulatory battles, increased litigation by property owners, and a push for new legislation.
SUPREME COURT REACHES DECISION ON RAPANOS/CARABELL
CAROLE ALVARADO OP ED ON AIR POLLUTION
Houston Chronicle 6/18/06
With the release of Mayor Bill White’s task force report titled “A Closer Look at Air Pollution in Houston: Identifying Priority Health Risks,” many Houstonians are likely wondering why the city isn’t taking stronger steps to attack the problems it identifies. Unfortunately, at present, the city of Houston lacks the legal authority to do so on its own.
SUPERFUND SOLUTION
Houston Chronicle 6/2006
Since being abandoned as a metal casting foundry in 1992, the 36-acre Many Diversified Interests Inc. site off I-10 East has been a visual eyesore and toxic waste threat to surrounding neighborhoods and a nearby school. Over the years, lead, arsenic, and other contaminants in the property’s topsoil have washed onto adjacent playgrounds and yards, undermining economic revitalization of the area.>
EDMONDS REAPPOINTED AS CHAIR OF PHA
Houston Business Journal 6/21/06
The Harris County Commissioners Court and the Houston City Council have jointly reappointed Jim Edmonds as chair of the Port of Houston Authority Commission.
HARRIS COUNTY’S TOLL ROADS NOT FOR SALE
Houston Chronicle 6/20/06
Rejecting the temptation of a multibillion windfall, Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously today to continue running the county’s lucrative toll road system rather than selling or leasing it to a private entity.
OFFICIALS SEEK TO MANAGE BARGE TRAFFIC
The Baytown Sun 6/18/06
With the swampy environs of Cedar Bayou increasingly becoming a hotbed of commercial shipping, area officials are discussing ways to plan for growth.
CHAMBER PLANS ECONOMIC FORUM
The Galveston County Daily News 6/18/06
TEXAS CITY – Ensuring federal funding for the deepening of the Texas City ship channel to accommodate the megaport is important to the local economy.
COUNCIL COULD AX TREE ORDINANCE
The Galveston County Daily News 6/18/06
FRIENDSWOOD – The city council, in a 4-3 vote, directed city attorney John Olson to draft a document that would whack the tree ordinance.
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY LOOKS AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY
Brazosport Facts 6/18/06
FREEPORT – Bryan Stewart, a BASF environmental health and safety staff engineer, can see gas leaks otherwise invisible to the eye using a “hawk” camera.
BIG BILLBOARDS FOLLOW SPRAWL TO THE COUNTRY
Houston Chronicle 6/18/06
BELLVILLE – This small town, surrounded by slow-grazing cows, emerald pastures, and seasonal sprays of bluebonnets, prides itself on its down-home quality of life, a haven from the cluttered landscape of Houston more than an hour away.
THE BUZZ ON MOSQUITOES
Houston Chronicle 6/19/06
What’s good about mosquitoes? They whine in our ears, ruin a night on the deck, chase us from the garden … oh, got it. They’re frog food. Fish, dragonflies, birds and bats like them, too.
ROACHES AREN’T ALL BAD, REALLY
CRITTER CONFLICTS CAN BE AVOIDED
Beaumont Enterprise 06/16/2006
BEAUMONT – When the temperature rises, people aren’t the only ones trying to avoid the heat. But with the advent of summer, more wild animals are fleeing their habitats into homes.