ECONOTES 2011-03-09: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Study: ‘Prairie potholes’ fill need (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 03/06/2011)
A study shows that at least 17% of the water in the inland ponds known as “prairie potholes” in wetlands reach a navigable waterway within four years. Over the last decade, Texas, and Harris County in particular, has lost thousands of acres of wetlands. These wetlands help filter and clean water, retain floodwaters, and offer habitats for a variety of species.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7460064.html - EPA, Conroe residents fear a planned landfill could dirty drinking water (Ramit Plushnick-Masti – Houston Chronicle, 03/05/2011)
A five-year-long battle continues in Conroe, just north of Houston. Residents, federal regulators and an oil company are arguing against the Texas environmental officials who approved an underground landfill. The fear is that the landfill will contaminate the aquifers that provide drinking water to millions of people. The oil company also believes that the landfill could contaminate the precious minerals it is mining.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7458329.html - Water pact helps Galveston Bay (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 03/08/2011)
Houston has agreed to release at least 50 percent of its treated waste water into Galveston Bay. This is an important step into guaranteeing the health of the bay. Without the addition of this fresh water, the ratio of salt to fresh water in the estuary could change, which would harm the ecosystem including the diverse species of crabs, oysters, shrimp, fish, and birds living there.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7463191.html
EcoNotes
- 8 March
- Water pact helps Galveston Bay (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7463191.html - West County Road 112 Ground Water Site Added to Superfund List (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/7bd9a8a98292ce698525784d006d0ec1?OpenDocument - “The pedaling people have been heard†(Jay Blazek – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story
- Water pact helps Galveston Bay (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 7 March
- Brilliant government success! (Houston Chronicle)
http://blogs.chron.com/thelist/2011/03/brilliant_government_success.html - Rising carbon dioxide in the air causes plants to release less water (ABC 13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2011/03/07/rising-carbon-dioxide-in-the-air-causes-plants-to-release-less-water/ - Environmental groups sue power plant near Houston (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7461519.html - Port Arthur has “green energy” plans (Dan Wallach – Beaumont Enterprise)
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Port-Arthur-has-green-energy-plans-1046491.php - Andrew Dessler of Texas A&M: Climate scientist, science communicator (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/wp/?p=1329
- Brilliant government success! (Houston Chronicle)
- 6 March
- Study: ‘Prairie potholes’ fill need (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7460064.html - Winds and water temperature dictate March fishing (Bink Grimes – The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
http://thefacts.com/news/article_de6bac46-478a-11e0-9c20-001cc4c002e0.html
- Study: ‘Prairie potholes’ fill need (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 5 March
- Shelter for songbirds (Gary Clark – My San Antonio News)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Shelter-for-songbirds-1042118.php - EPA, Conroe residents fear a planned landfill could dirty drinking water (Ramit Plushnick-Masti – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7458329.html
- Shelter for songbirds (Gary Clark – My San Antonio News)
- 4 March
- Time to spring clean your garden (Carol A. Jones – The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
http://thefacts.com/news/article_4db925f2-4604-11e0-bee2-001cc4c03286.html - Texas Debates Who Owns Its Water (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-environmental-news/water-supply/texas-debates-who-owns-its-water - $6M tank to ease water usage (Amanda Casanova – The Galveston County Daily News)
http://galvestondailynews.com/story/215782
- Time to spring clean your garden (Carol A. Jones – The Facts Covering Brazoria County)
- 3 March
- Houston ranks #7 in Forbes toxic cities list (Marci Gilbert – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/forbes-ranks-10-most-toxic - H-GAC moves forward with Cedar Bayou (Mark Fleming – The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/news/article_558ecc60-453b-11e0-92c5-001cc4c03286.html
- Houston ranks #7 in Forbes toxic cities list (Marci Gilbert – Houston Tomorrow)
- 2 March
- Texas activists ready to fight over $7bn oil pipeline in the home of black gold (Suzanne Goldenberg – Guardian.co.uk News)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/02/oil-pipeline-resistance-texas-activists
- Texas activists ready to fight over $7bn oil pipeline in the home of black gold (Suzanne Goldenberg – Guardian.co.uk News)
- 1 March
- Attorney General Abbott Charges Freeport Industrial Facility With Violating Texas Environmental Laws (News of the Attorney General)
https://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=3649
- Attorney General Abbott Charges Freeport Industrial Facility With Violating Texas Environmental Laws (News of the Attorney General)
- 16 February
- Wyo. Joins Texas in Suing EPA Over Rollout of Greenhouse Gas Regulations (Gabriel Nelson – The New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/02/16/16greenwire-wyo-joins-texas-in-suing-epa-over-rollout-of-g-86597.html?smid=tw-nytenvironment&seid=auto
- Wyo. Joins Texas in Suing EPA Over Rollout of Greenhouse Gas Regulations (Gabriel Nelson – The New York Times)