ENVIRONMENTAL HEADLINES, APRIL 14 – 20
CLIMATE PROTECTION
Nan Hildreth of Houston Climate Protection Alliance reports, “There are a number of bills for a more sustainable Texas policies for energy in the Texas Legislature. The next two weeks are critical. Please call and write your Texas State Legislators about the bills listed.
LEED CERTIFICATION
The US Green building Council – Houston Chapter reports, “Great News! The Texas Legislature has passed Senate Bill 445, thanks to your support! That is a bill to mandate LEED or Green Globe certification for all new state and educational buildings. If you haven’t sent these to your representatives yet, please take a couple minutes and send them. It’s working!”
ANIMAL CRUELTY VOTE HAS FUR FLYING
Houston Chronicle 4/18/07 The Texas House voted 136-2 Wednesday for a measure intended to strengthen the law against animal cruelty by eliminating loopholes that have hampered prosecution.
TOLL PROJECT LEGISLATION COULD BE BOON TO COUNTY
Houston Chronicle 4/16/07 News that the Texas House of Representatives approved a two-year moratorium on private toll projects, such as the Trans-Texas Corridor, overshadowed a provision in the same bill that could be even more important to the Houston area.
LAWSUIT: LET VOTERS DECIDE METRO’S NEXT RAIL ROUTE
Houston Chronicle 4/13/07 Metro must route its next rail line on Westpark to comply with a 2003 referendum or hold another vote, opponents of rail on Richmond Avenue said Thursday in announcing legal action against the agency.
RESIDENTS COMPLAIN OF PORT’S NOISE
Houston Chronicle 4/18/07 Residents in the Bay Colony subdivision in Shoreacres have come to learn the schedule of ships and barges at the Bayport container terminal as well as the favored music of port workers.
TV STATIONS TRY TO STOP TALLER LANDFILL
Houston Chronicle 4//19/07 Two Houston-area television stations are asking the state to deny an expansion permit to a landfill operator, claiming the expanded facility would block the signals of the stations’ weather radar towers.
FULSHEAR COUNCIL OKS 700-ACRE DEVELOPMENT
Fort Bend Herald and Texas Coaster 4/18/07 A 700-acre residential development slated for construction on FM 1463 received partial approval from the Fulshear City Council on Tuesday, but city officials are concerned about the lack of a second access point into the neighborhood.
EXPERTS WANT GALVESTON TO OK ‘GREENPRINT’
Houston Chronicle 4/16/07 Galveston would build a system of bike and nature trails, lure developers into environmentally friendly practices and adopt a landscaping ordinance, if recommendations made by experts on Saturday are adopted by the City Council.
CONSERVATION PLAN MAY INCLUDE TAX
COUNTY TO GET COASTAL IMPACT MONEY
Brazosport Facts 4/18/07 The U.S. Department of the Interior this week allocated $48,591,202 to Texas for the Coastal Impact Assistance Program.
OFFICIAL TO HELP WITH EROSION CONTROL GRANTS
PALACIOS CHANNEL AWARDED FUNDS FOR DREDGING
Bay City Tribune 4/13/07 The Palacios Ship Channel will receive more than $2 million in long-awaited dredging this summer to clear the way for commercial and recreational use.
PALACIOS COUNCIL EXPLORES ZONING ORDINANCE
TEXAS’ NECHES RIVER THREATENED, GROUP SAYS
Houston Chronicle 4/18/07 One of Texas’ wildest rivers is also its most threatened, according to a national conservation group that today named the Neches River one of the most endangered in America.
SANTA FE RIVER IS MOST ENDANGERED IN US – REPORT
THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER CONSERVATION
OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE … THE ATTWATER PRAIRIE CHICKEN?
Victoria Advocate 4/15/07 EAGLE LAKE – Someday Max Reaves, 9, might be the one to take the lead in helping to preserve the endangered Attwater Prairie Chicken from extinction.
SPRING CENSUS OF ATTWATER PRAIRIE CHICKENS SHOWS DECLINE FROM A YEAR AGO
72 WHOOPING CRANES SPOTTED AT REFUGE, HABITATS DURING MIGRATION
STUDENT TEAM ACHIEVES MORE THAN 1900 MILES PER GALLON AT THE FIRST SHELL ECO-MARATHON(TM) AMERICAS
PR Newswire, 4/14/07 Students from the across the U.S. and Canada competed today at the first Shell Eco-marathon(TM) Americas. Shell challenged the engineering students to drive their vehicles the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel, either conventional or alternative. While all of the teams accomplished impressive fuel economy figures, team Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the challenge with an astonishing 1902.7 miles per gallon.