ECONOTES 2013-09-03: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- Houston air quality continues to improve; Ozone pollution declines despite population growth (EPA News, 8/28/2013)
The EPA is proposing to approve the State of Texas’ plan for the Houston area to attain the 1997 standard for ground-level ozone pollution by 2018. This means EPA believes the emissions-cutting measures in the state’s plan have put the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area on track to meet the 1997 federal 8-hour ozone standard of 84 parts per billion by 2018. The proposed rule is being made available for a 30 day review and comment by the public. After considering comments, EPA will take final action.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - Energy Lobbyists Set Sights On Lesser Prairie Chicken (Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune – KUHF News, 9/1/2013)
Some of Texas’ biggest oil and gas lobbyists are hoping to take control of the fate of the fast-disappearing lesser prairie chicken — much like what happened with the dunes sagebrush lizard earlier this year. In June, Beatty Bangle Strama, a law firm whose attorneys lobby for ExxonMobil, created a nonprofit called the American Habitat Center. The center was set up to administer a future “mitigation bank” that would allow the five biggest oil companies in the Permian Basin, where the grouse is found, to pay into a system that allows landowners to help conserve and restore the chicken’s habitat.
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - With drought at door, new Texas water czar faces big job (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 8/26/2013)
Gov. Rick Perry recently picked Carlos Rubinstein, 54, as chairman of a newly reorganized Texas Water Development Board, which oversees billions of dollars in funding for reservoirs, pipelines and other water-supply projects. This will be Rubinstein’s biggest challenge yet: Keeping the state flush with water, even as its population grows and climate changes.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/
EcoNotes
- 1 September
- Energy Lobbyists Set Sights On Lesser Prairie Chicken (Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Valero revamps approach to renewable energy (Vicki Vaughan – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/
- Energy Lobbyists Set Sights On Lesser Prairie Chicken (Neena Satija, The Texas Tribune – KUHF News)
- 30 August
- Texas turmoil could undermine plan to save rare bird (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/ - Garden clubs begin new season with September meetings (Kathy Huber – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Mussels and fish tell us what is going on in rivers and streams. (Larry D. Hodge – Texas Parks & Wildlife)
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/ - Houston Parks and Recreation Department hosts $2 plant sale (The Atascocita Observer)
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/
- Texas turmoil could undermine plan to save rare bird (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 29 August
- Is Your Neighborhood Park Accessible? (KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Texas Groundwater Districts Face Bevy of Challenges (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
https://www.texastribune.org/ - Texas Refinery is Nation’s Biggest with Problems to Match (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Huge Electricity Discounts Ahead For Low-Income Texans (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/
- Is Your Neighborhood Park Accessible? (KUHF News)
- 28 August
- Houston air quality continues to improve; Ozone pollution declines despite population growth (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - Houston Snags $6 Million In Bike Trail Grants (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Five Things You Should Know About Energy in Texas (Michael Marks – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/
- Houston air quality continues to improve; Ozone pollution declines despite population growth (EPA News)
- 27 August
- New Study Finds Another Link Between Drilling and Earthquakes (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org/ - Transportation Officials Look At Growing Traffic Congestion In Galveston County (Gail Delaughter – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/
- New Study Finds Another Link Between Drilling and Earthquakes (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
- 26 August
- With drought at door, new Texas water czar faces big job (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/ - Shell Expansion in Houston’s Energy Corridor (Houston Energy Corridor)
http://houstonenergycorridor.com/ - Building a Better Mass-Market Tomato (Kenneth Chang – The New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/ - Hold the water: Some firms fracking without it (Ingrid Lobet – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/ - A Quest for Even Safer Drinking Water (Peter Andrey Smith – The New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/
- With drought at door, new Texas water czar faces big job (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 24 August
- Late summer marks beginning of hummingbird migration (Gary Clark – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/ - Climate change in Houston (Fountain’s Pen)
http://kenfountain.wordpress.com/
- Late summer marks beginning of hummingbird migration (Gary Clark – Houston Chronicle)
- 23 August
- NASA studies how pollutants affect climate, weather (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/
- NASA studies how pollutants affect climate, weather (Eric Berger – Houston Chronicle)
- 22 August
- Real-Time Monitoring Pays Off for Tracking Nitrate Pulse in Mississippi River Basin to the Gulf of Mexico (Science Daily)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/ - EPA Extends Public Comment Period for Houston Superfund Site Proposal (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/
- Real-Time Monitoring Pays Off for Tracking Nitrate Pulse in Mississippi River Basin to the Gulf of Mexico (Science Daily)
- 21 August
- Sugar Land recognized for top Texas Water Safety and Quality (Sugar Land Sun)
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/ - Lizard’s fate hinges on oil and gas-related foundation (Matthew Tresaugue – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/
- Sugar Land recognized for top Texas Water Safety and Quality (Sugar Land Sun)