ECONOTES 2012-04-02: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- First Big Ozone Wave of 2012 Hits Houston (Carrie Feibel – KUHF News, 03/26/2012)
High temperatures, sunshine, and little wind has caused a three-day run of ozone elevations in Houston. March does not usually bring such high ozone, but recently it reached level red. Typically, late May to early June and August to September are the peak periods for ozone watch days.
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Fracking chemicals disclosures set off few alarms (Matthew Tresaugue and John MacCormack – Houston Chronicle, 04/01/2012)
Energy companies across Texas are now disclosing the chemicals used in fracturing, or fracking, to comply with the new regulation. However, critics say that this regulation is not doing enough. The long-term effects of these chemicals in the environment is still unknown. Fracturing is not risk-free, and one suggestion is to have regulators more closely scrutinize drilling plans and operations to ensure the protection of aquifers.
http://www.chron.com/ - Texas Farmers Watered Crops Knowing They Wouldn’t Grow (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune, 03/28/2012)
Even though Texas farmers knew their crops wouldn’t grow due to the intense conditions of the drought, they still watered in order to qualify for crop insurance. They had to continue using water, despite measures across the state to conserve water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture rules regarding the insurance payout require farmers to irrigate the proper amount at the proper times.
http://www.texastribune.org/
EcoNotes
- 2 April
- Even a Wet Winter Hasn’t Broken the Great Texas Drought (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - It may not be king, but coal still wields power (Emily Pickrell – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/ - A New Interactive Look at the Texas Drought (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - 1 April
- New polls find increasing support for view that global climate is warming (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Fracking chemicals disclosures set off few alarms (Matthew Tresaugue and John MacCormack – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - 30 March
- Disasters Offer Warning About Dangers of Nuclear Power in Texas (CLEAN Energy – Vicki Wolf)
http://www.cleanhouston.org/ - Ted Eubanks: Blazing Trails of Connection with Nature (Vicki Wolf – CLEAN)
http://www.cleanhouston.org/ - EPA drops action against Range Resources over Parker County water wells (Barry Shlachter – Star-Telegram)
http://www.star-telegram.com/ - For General Land Office, New Texas Supreme Court Ruling is a Real “Beach†(Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - EPA to Range Resources: Drill Away (Yana Skorobogatov – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership wins Texas Environmental Excellence Award (Conservation Matters March 2012)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - TPWD begins lesser prairie-chicken aerial survey (Conservation Matters March 2012)
http://twri.tamu.edu/ - How a New Study Links Earthquakes to Drilling Injection Wells (Yana Skorobogatov – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Climate Change and the Drought: An Interview With Katharine Hayhoe (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - 29 March
- A New Weapon in the Fracking Wars (Mireya Navarro – The New York Times)
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/ - What’s With All the Crane Flies This Year? (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Texas wild-rice now protected in segment of San Marcos River (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - Texas Parks and Wildlife Employees Earn Three Prestigious Awards (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - TPWD Adopts Rules to Curb Spread of Exotic Species (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - In Conservation, Youths’ Actions Speak Loudest (Dale Penny – EarthShare)
http://www.earthshare.org/ - 28 March
- Texas Farmers Watered Crops Knowing They Wouldn’t Grow (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
http://www.texastribune.org/ - Texas Senator Moves to Block Lizard from Endangered Species List (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Texas Claims Round Against EPA (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - TCEQ approves fines totaling $766,015 (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - BP Refinery Leaks Acid In Texas City; No Injuries (Erwin Seba – Planet Ark)
http://planetark.org/ - Gas-price politics impacts Obama’s environmental issues (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Texas Prevails Against EPA, Court Overturns Unlawful Disapproval of State’s Successful Permitting Program (Attorney General of Texas – Greg Abbott)
https://www.oag.state.tx.us/ - Bipartisan bill introduced to address reliability and eliminate conflicts in federal laws (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - Perry’s statement regarding EPA disapproval of TCEQ’s Pollution Control Project Standard Permit (Giudry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - What the New EPA Emissions Rule Means For Texas (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Too Many Straws in the Ground: An Interview With Andrew Sansom (StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Refuge Seeks Public Input on Conservation Planning Effort (Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge)
http://www.bestchinahutch.com/ - 27 March
- Endangered Whooping Cranes Winding Down Unusual Year (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - Opponents Charge EPA-Proposed Carbon Caps Could Double Texas Power Bills (Andrew Schneider – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - It’s the End of Coal As We Know It, and the EPA Feels Fine (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership to hold public meeting (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - With Noise Pollution Growing at Sea, A Texas Team Looks for Answers (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - BP oil spill stressed Gulf deep-sea corals (Deon Daugherty – Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/ - 10 Minutes With … Ned Breslin – Water For People (BC Water News)
http://www.bcwaternews.com/ - 26 March
- First Big Ozone Wave of 2012 Hits Houston (Carrie Feibel – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Texas Sierra Club Director Retiring (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - 23 March
- Monarch Butterflies Down Again This Year As Decline Continues, Says Texas A&M Expert (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - 22 March
- Texas must decide on water plan, lawmakers say (Gary Scharrer – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Spill sends crude oil, wastewater into Highland Bayou (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Experts: Drought effects will linger after rains (CBS News)
http://www.cbsnews.com/ - America’s Waterways received 226 Million Pounds of Toxic Chemicals (Environment America)
http://www.environmentamerica.org/ - 21 March
- Texas’ 2011 drought costliest in state history: researchers (Jim Forsyth – Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/ - 8 March
- America’s WETLAND & America’s Energy Coast Praise Senate Passage of Bipartisan RESTORE Act to Rebuild Gulf Coast (America’s WETLAND Foundation)
http://www.americaswetland.com/