ECONOTES 2011-03-16: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- A fear of fracking may slow natural gas trend (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle, 03/09/2011)
Fracking has conservationists and environmentalists concerned about the water demand associated with the process as well as the possibility of natural gas escaping from the wells and chemicals tainting nearby water sources. These risks may hurt the industry as the opposition grows. Horizontal drilling techniques and the hydraulic fracturing process can now be used to extract previously unrecoverable natural gas from shale formations.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7464943.html - Researchers studying ways to address PCBs in Trinity River (Bill Hanna – Star-Telegram, 03/08/2011)
Researchers are studying wheter activated carbon can reduce the polychlorinated biphenyls in waterways. The study will look at the Trinity River and other areas, including the Houston Ship Channel. So far, there have been no options for displacing PCBs in waterways, other than dredging, which causes as many problems as it solves. There is no quick fix, but the state would like to reduce the high level of contaminants in the water.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/03/08/2906680/researchers-studying-ways-to-address.html - AIR POLLUTION: Texas power plant violated Clean Air Act, enviros say in suit (Greenwire, 03/08/2011)
Recently, three environmental groups filed a lawsuit against a Texas coal-fired power plant. They claim that the 1,760-megawatt Fayette Power Project near Houston has violated the Clean Air Act for nearly a decade. It lacks modern pollution control equipment and has been responsible for the release of massive amounts of soot that can cause lung damage and premature death.
http://www.elp.com/index/from-the-wires/wire_news_display/1374227675.html
EcoNotes
- 15 March
- Houston Slips on List of Energy Efficient Buildings (Rod Rice – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1300223289
- Houston Slips on List of Energy Efficient Buildings (Rod Rice – KUHF News)
- 14 March
- Japan’s disaster chills plan for Texas nuclear plant (Tracy Idell Hamilton – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7472339.html - New hearing ordered in beach access case (Marci Gilbert – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/new-hearing-ordered-in-gulf-coast-beach - Surfside Beach is back, just in time for Spring Break (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000033411
- Japan’s disaster chills plan for Texas nuclear plant (Tracy Idell Hamilton – Houston Chronicle)
- 12 March
- Deep-water work wins another OK (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/7469083.html
- Deep-water work wins another OK (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
- 11 March
- Rice U. Geophysicist Says Don’t Worry About Tsunamis In Gulf Of Mexico (David Pitman – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1299881259
- Rice U. Geophysicist Says Don’t Worry About Tsunamis In Gulf Of Mexico (David Pitman – KUHF News)
- 10 March
- U.S. city dwellers look to grow their own food (June Soh – ABC 13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2011/03/10/u-s-city-dwellers-look-to-grow-their-own-food/ - Hess CEO: US should impose $1/gal gas tax (Marci Gilbert – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/hess-ceo-u.s.-should-impose-1-gallon-tax
- U.S. city dwellers look to grow their own food (June Soh – ABC 13 News)
- 9 March
- Experts Offer Tips on Getting Better Gas Mileage (Ed Mayberry – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio-news-display.php?articles_id=1299707165 - Plant will shift Sugar Land away from reliance on groundwater (Zen T.C. Zheng – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7463935.html - TCEQ approves fines totaling $749,079 (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/news/releases/030911commissionersagenda - A fear of fracking may slow natural gas trend (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7464943.html
- Experts Offer Tips on Getting Better Gas Mileage (Ed Mayberry – KUHF News)
- 8 March
- AIR POLLUTION: Texas power plant violated Clean Air Act, enviros say in suit (Greenwire)
http://www.elp.com/index/from-the-wires/wire_news_display/1374227675.html - Researchers studying ways to address PCBs in Trinity River (Bill Hanna – Star-Telegram)
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/03/08/2906680/researchers-studying-ways-to-address.html
- AIR POLLUTION: Texas power plant violated Clean Air Act, enviros say in suit (Greenwire)
- 7 March
- Port Arthur has “green energy” plans (Dan Wallach – Beaumont Enterprise)
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Port-Arthur-has-green-energy-plans-1046491.php
- Port Arthur has “green energy” plans (Dan Wallach – Beaumont Enterprise)
- 6 March
- Water stewardship plan won’t cost state (Kelly Shannon – Go San Angelo Times)
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/mar/06/water-stewardship-plan-wont-cost-state/
- Water stewardship plan won’t cost state (Kelly Shannon – Go San Angelo Times)
- 4 March
- Neches Wildlife Refuge Could Get $11 Million To Buy More Land (Kelly Gooch – Tyler Paper)
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20110304/NEWS01/110309901
- Neches Wildlife Refuge Could Get $11 Million To Buy More Land (Kelly Gooch – Tyler Paper)
- 28 February
- America’s 10 Most Toxic Cities (Morgan Brennan – Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/2011/02/28/most-toxic-cities-personal-finance.html
- America’s 10 Most Toxic Cities (Morgan Brennan – Forbes)