ECONOTES 2010-12-22: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Texas, Home To Big Oil, Takes Shine To Solar Power (Chris Baltimore – Planet Ark, 12/21/2010)
Solar power is starting to become more popular in Texas. Texas has not been known to be most environmentally friendly state with all of the Big Oil companies, but an emphasis on solar power could help to change that.
http://planetark.org/wen/60636 - Senators To EPA: Set Chromium 6 Standard (Noaki Schwartz – Click2Houston, 12/21/2010)
Chromium 6 traces were found in drinking water in 31 cities across the nation. Chromium 6 is a carcinogen and a chemical that is commonly discharged from steel and pulp mills, metal-plating plants and leather-tanning facilities. U.S. senators have asked the EPA to set water standards and protect the public from the chemical.
http://www.click2houston.com/green-pages/26212377/detail.html - TCEQ gets an earful from public (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 12/16/2010)
Recently the public was given the opportunity to voice their opinions at the TCEQ panel hearing. Many people felt the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality failed to protect them from pollutants. Also, the TCEQ and EPA have had disagreements over the state’s permitting rules. The information covered in the meeting should help with reforms at state agencies.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/7341461.html
EcoNotes
- 21 December
- Christmas trees will help build up beaches (Alan Nieschwietz – The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
http://thefacts.com/news/article_2e616b6a-0cac-11e0-9375-001cc4c002e0.html - U.S. Renewable Energy Tax Grants Extended For 1 Year (Sarah McBride – Planet Ark)
http://planetark.org/wen/60643 - U.S. Automakers Sue EPA Over Higher Ethanol Blends (Timothy Gardner – Planet Ark)
http://planetark.org/wen/60639 - Texas, Home To Big Oil, Takes Shine To Solar Power (Chris Baltimore – Planet Ark)
http://planetark.org/wen/60636 - Senators To EPA: Set Chromium 6 Standard (Noaki Schwartz – Click2Houston)
http://www.click2houston.com/green-pages/26212377/detail.html
- Christmas trees will help build up beaches (Alan Nieschwietz – The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
- 20 December
- Metro cancels disputed contract, wins $50 million from FTA (Blazek Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/metro-cancels-disputed-contract-wins-50-million - Rick Perry’s nuclear money machine (Wayne Slater – Trail Blazers)
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/12/rick-perrys-nuclear-money-mach.html - Texas Forest Service issues safety tips for holiday season (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000031539
- Metro cancels disputed contract, wins $50 million from FTA (Blazek Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
- 19 December
- Why 2011 Will Be a Strong Year for Energy and Infrastructure (Seeking Alpha)
http://seekingalpha.com/article/242593-why-2011-will-be-a-strong-year-for-energy-and-infrastructure?source=yahoo - Report highlights possible future H2O shortage (The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
http://thefacts.com/your_town/angleton_cc/article_9643e87e-0b09-11e0-93f5-001cc4c002e0.html
- Why 2011 Will Be a Strong Year for Energy and Infrastructure (Seeking Alpha)
- 17 December
- Texas Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration Hits New Milestone (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
http://archive.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20101217a - For Rick Perry, EPA Is Useful Villain (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-environmental-news/environmental-problems - A green holiday gift for solar, wind and geothermal producers (Barbara Kessler – ABC 13)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2010/12/17/a-green-holiday-gift-for-solar-wind-and-geothermal-producers/ - Stately hawks increasing in numbers (Gary Clark – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/7344552.html - Christmas Tree, ‘O Christmas Tree How Easy to Recycle Are Thee! (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000031496 - Baytown’s Eddie Huron Park improvements under way (The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/communities/article_6e339e4a-0999-11e0-874e-001cc4c03286.html
- Texas Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration Hits New Milestone (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
- 16 December
- Climate Change Affects Toads, Salamanders: Study (Maggie Fox – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/wen/60592
- TCEQ gets an earful from public (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/7341461.html
- Climate Change Affects Toads, Salamanders: Study (Maggie Fox – Planet Ark News)
- 15 December
- Up on the rooftop click, click, click — vanquished by global warming, lickety split (ABC 13)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2010/12/15/up-on-the-rooftop-click-click-click - Disastrous wildfires could sweep across the Southern Plains this winter (Cherokeean Herald)
http://www.thecherokeean.com/news/2010-12-15/Area_Interest - Texas farms brace for yet another drought (Betsy Blaney – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7340814.html - Suit demands Exxon Mobil reduce emissions at Baytown refinery (Matthew Tresaugue – My SA News)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/Suit-demands-Exxon-Mobil-reduce-emissions-at-882399.php
- Up on the rooftop click, click, click — vanquished by global warming, lickety split (ABC 13)
- 14 December
- Sunset hearing could cast shadow over TCEQ (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7339666.html - Recycling, conserving gas and electricity can reduce waste of water? (Houston Green Living Examiner)
http://www.examiner.com/green-living-in-houston/recycling-conserving-gas-and-electricity-can-reduce-waste-of-water - Migratory Bird Report No. 16 (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
http://archive.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20101215a - Aqua America buys Houston-area water systems (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2010/12/14/aqua-america-buys-houston-area-water.html
- Sunset hearing could cast shadow over TCEQ (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 5 December
- Is power plant to blame for poor pecan crop? (Asher Price – American Statesman)
http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/is-power-plant-to-blame-for-poor-pecan-1101578.html
- Is power plant to blame for poor pecan crop? (Asher Price – American Statesman)