Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: June 24, 2014
Featured
- Two proposals identified for flood control along Cypress Creek (Shawn Arrajj – Community Impact Newspaper, 6/18/2014)
The Harris County Flood Control District has identified two possible plans in an ongoing discussion about flood prevention along Cypress Creek. A draft report with details on both plans will be submitted to the Texas Water Development Board later this year to be considered for grant funding. Flooding concerns revolve around significant storms that cause Cypress Creek to overflow, with that overflow eventually making its way to the Addicks Reservoir. Although floods in the Cypress Creek and Addicks Reservoir watersheds do not occur often, HCFCD is looking for ways to prepare for future development in west Harris County, which is expected to make flooding more of an issue.
http://impactnews.com - Emergency planner: Pollution incidents a time for transparency (Ingrid Lobet – Houston Chronicle, 6/14/2014)
Jeff Suggs, an emergency management coordinator for the City of La Porte, organizes responses to industrial pollution emergencies at some 60 facilities of all sizes. Although incidents are less frequent, emergency planners still prepare for them and adapt to changing potential problems. Jeff Suggs explains the process behind the emergency response, and he shares ways people can get involved. Some ways include calling pollution control (713-920-2831) and coming out to Citizen Advisory Committees, which is an open forum with air emissions data and safety data.
www.houstonchronicle.com - Houston to convert all streetlights to LEDs (Nick Michell – Cities Today, 6/16/2014)
Houston Mayor Annise Parker has announced that the city of Houston will convert 165,000 streetlights to low emissions light-emitting diode (LED) lights, making it the largest project of its kind in the United States. Replacing the lights will reduce the city’s streetlight energy usage by 50 percent, cut municipal greenhouse gas emissions by five percent and save the city US$28 million. The project will be implemented through a partnership between the city and CenterPoint Energy, with additional benefits including new hiking and biking trails for the city, sponsored by the company.
http://cities-today.com
EcoNotes
- 21 June
- One with nature: Photographer Amy Shutt teaches you how to capture the world through your lens (HMNS Blog)
http://blog.hmns.org
- One with nature: Photographer Amy Shutt teaches you how to capture the world through your lens (HMNS Blog)
- 20 June
- 5 Ways Cities Can Prepare for the Carbon-Pollution Standards (Center for American Progress)
http://americanprogress.org - PUC Rejects Petition Targeting Small Electric Generators (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
www.texastribune.org - Rancher’s Complaint May Spur New Power Line Rules (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
www.texastribune.org - National polls find huge majorities back plan to cut power plants’ CO2 (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org - Judge Approves Three Million Dollar Verdict in Fracking Lawsuit (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Texas among nation’s worst water polluters (KTSM News)
http://www.ktsm.com - New Partnership Effort Spurs Voluntary Conservation (Quenna Terry – USDA News)
www.nrcs.usda.gov
- 5 Ways Cities Can Prepare for the Carbon-Pollution Standards (Center for American Progress)
- 19 June
- LCRA Raises Water Rates For Some Customers (Dylan Baddour – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Finding Definitive Answers to North Texas Quakes Could Take Years, But Clues Appear (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Listen to Our Community Forum: What’s Behind the North Texas Quakes? (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org
- LCRA Raises Water Rates For Some Customers (Dylan Baddour – StateImpact)
- 18 June
- Two proposals identified for flood control along Cypress Creek (Shawn Arrajj – Community Impact Newspaper)
http://impactnews.com - Data App: Track Texas Reservoir Levels (Ryan Murphy and Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
www.texastribune.org - Texas rivers offer countless opportunities, fish (Shannon Tompkins – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - How Wasted Gas From Drilling Could Save Millions of Gallons of Texas Water (Dylan Baddour – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - What Pesticides Are On Our Food? (Earth Share)
www.earthshare.org - Environmental groups sue FWS over lesser prairie chicken designation (Nick Snow – Oil & Gas Journal)
www.ogj.com
- Two proposals identified for flood control along Cypress Creek (Shawn Arrajj – Community Impact Newspaper)
- 17 June
- How Should Erosion Be Stopped Along Buffalo Bayou? (Houston Matters)
www.houstonmatters.org - Bayou abuzz as park work continues (Lindsay Peyton – Houston Chronicle)
www.chron.com - What Will Hundreds of Water Tests Reveal About Drilling in Texas? (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Recent Rains Help, But Most Of Texas Is Still Very Thirsty (tamuTimes)
http://tamutimes.tamu.edu - County against Clean Water Act change (Andrew Atterbury – Go San Angelo)
www.gosanangelo.com - Proposed New Rules Shed Light on Future Water Projects (Eli Okun – The Texas Tribune)
www.texastribune.org - If You Work for Texas’ Oil and Gas Regulator, You’re Not Allowed to Comment for This Story (Terrence Henry – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - New Signs Going Up Transform Reliant into NRG Stadium (Laurie Johnson – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org
- How Should Erosion Be Stopped Along Buffalo Bayou? (Houston Matters)
- 16 June
- Houston to convert all streetlights to LEDs (Nick Michell – Cities Today)
http://cities-today.com - Curious About Explosive Chemicals Near You? Texas Attorney General Says It’s Secret (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Company Man: Oil and Gas Energy Rep Says Industry Understands Quake Concerns (Doualy Xaykaothao, KERA News – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org - Texas A&M Explores Collaboration Between Texas And Mexico To Fight Effects Of Drought (tamuTimes)
http://tamutimes.tamu.edu - Study Focuses On Commuting Alternatives For Busy U.S. 290 Corridor (Gail Delaughter – Houston Public Media)
www.houstonpublicmedia.org - Week ahead: EPA climate rule goes under microscope (Laura Barron-Lopez – The Hill)
http://thehill.com - Houston Parks and Recreation offers range of fun activities (Katelyn Heindel – Houston Chronicle)
www.chron.com
- Houston to convert all streetlights to LEDs (Nick Michell – Cities Today)
- 15 June
- As wildlife hits border fence, ranchers and feds team to make a path to survival (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com
- As wildlife hits border fence, ranchers and feds team to make a path to survival (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
- 14 June
- Emergency planner: Pollution incidents a time for transparency (Ingrid Lobet – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - River water scare prompts push for real-time data (Dave Hendricks – Valley Morning Star)
www.valleymorningstar.com
- Emergency planner: Pollution incidents a time for transparency (Ingrid Lobet – Houston Chronicle)
- 13 June
- Obama urged to open coastal areas to oil, gas exploration (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - Meet the 2014 Environment Texas summer intern team (Luke Metzger – Environment Texas Blog)
www.environmenttexas.org - State blocks release of chemical facility information (Lauren McGaughy – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com
- Obama urged to open coastal areas to oil, gas exploration (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – Houston Chronicle)
- 12 June
- Fate of endangered Texas sea turtle uncertain (Harvey Rice – Houston Chronicle)
www.houstonchronicle.com - Galveston officials contend with seaweed invasion (Samantha Ehlinger, Houston Chronicle – Beaumont Enterprise)
www.beaumontenterprise.com - Frozen ants reveal secrets of engineering excellence (Rob Muir – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org - Texas electric association head sees power needs, EPA concerns (Jordan Blum – Houston Business Journal)
www.bizjournals.com
- Fate of endangered Texas sea turtle uncertain (Harvey Rice – Houston Chronicle)
- 11 June
- As Highland Lakes Near Record Low, Will They Ever Fill Again? (Dylan Baddour – StateImpact)
http://stateimpact.npr.org
- As Highland Lakes Near Record Low, Will They Ever Fill Again? (Dylan Baddour – StateImpact)
- 10 June
- Cheryl Raspino, Jack Sakolosky, Jason Krahn and Steve Hupp on the Memorial Park Demonstration Project (Eco-Ology)
http://eco-ology.org - Good News for Texas Bats (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
www.tpwd.state.tx.us - Now you have three extra months to tell the EPA what you think of its proposed water rules (Kent Hoover – Houston Business Journal)
www.bizjournals.com
- Cheryl Raspino, Jack Sakolosky, Jason Krahn and Steve Hupp on the Memorial Park Demonstration Project (Eco-Ology)