ECONOTES 2011-05-25: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region

EcoNotes

1. Water quality critical for food safety (Ron Smith – Southwest Farm Press, 05/20/2011)
   Food safety issues are more serious threats to the produce industry than damage from insects, plant diseases, and other pest problems. The most serious threat is the quality of the water used in irrigation. Surface water poses the greatest potential for contamination.
   http://southwestfarmpress.com/vegetables/water-quality-critical-food-safety
2. TCEQ: Turning up refinery flares could fix Houston’s air (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 05/24/2011)
   A new study suggests that small changes in the use of open flames to burn off pressurized gases at oil refineries and chemical plants could help improve Houston’s air quality. These changes could have an especially great impact on Harris County, which is known as one of the nation’s smoggiest places.
   http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7579703.html
3. Filling Houston’s Food Gaps (Wendy Siegle – KUHF News, 05/18/2011)
   Houston has sixteen communities that are considered food deserts, which means grocery stores are in short supply. The city is now attempting to find a way to provide these communities with healthy food. Some of the suggestions include planting more community gardens and establishing co-ops.
   http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1305756919-Filling-Houstons-Food-Gaps.html

EcoNotes

• 25 May
  • It Could Happen: Violent Storms in Houston (Pat Hernandez – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1306362345-It-Could-Happen.html
  • Partnership in Marsh Restoration and Education: Galveston Bay Foundation works with local corporate group, school group, and landowner to stop erosion and restore marsh habitat (Houston Newcomer Guides)
    http://www.houstonnewcomerguides.com/news/58-newcomer-news-houston/2293-partnership-in-marsh
  • Battle of the Buildings pits offices, schools and skyscrapers in contest to cut energy use (Barbara Kessler – ABC13 News)
    http://www.greenrightnow.com/ktrk/2011/05/25/battle-of-the-buildings-pits-offices-schools-and-skyscrapers-in-contest-to-cut-energy-use/
  • EPA and Texas protect Beaches for Memorial Day Weekend (EPA News)
    http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/98eb4dd3a365ee6c8525789b00620145?OpenDocument
• 24 May
  • TCEQ: Turning up refinery flares could fix Houston’s air (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7579703.html
  • Despite drought, water plan dies (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7578328.html
• 23 May
  • Nat gas feud pits prosperous N. Texans against energy industry (Ronnie Crocker – Fuel Fix)
    http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/05/23/fracking-feud-pits-prosperous-n-texans-against-energy-industry/
  • Transit commuters’ quandary: study finds access to job sites lacking locally (Michael Reed – Your WestU News)
    http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/west_university/news/article_5ff95874-2298-5d93-801d-0d7f83d74cda.html?mode=story
  • Could Houston be great with small changes? (Vilas Bhuchar – Houston Tomorrow)
    http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/houston-needs-small-changes-to-be-
  • EPA Asks Texans to Fight #1 Cancer in U.S. with “Don’t Fry Day” (Friday, May 27) (EPA News)
    http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69
  • Emmett sees LRT to Galveston as a precursor to Dallas HSR (Jay Blazek Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
    http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/judge-emmett-sees-lr-to-galveston-as-precursor-to-hsr-to-dallas
  • Water legislation goes down the drain (Matthew Tresaugue – My SA News)
    http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/article/Water-legislation-goes-down-the-drain-1391167.php
  • Lawyer wants Texas to stop paying for foreign smog (Matthew Tresaugue – Fuel Fix)
    http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/05/23/lawyer-wants-texas-to-stop-paying-for-foreign-smog/
• 22 May
  • Toss Your Trash During Galveston’s Citywide Clean Up (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000034975
• 20 May
  • Texas House To EPA: Don’t Regulate Our Greenhouse Gas (Nathan Bernier – News for Austin)
    http://www.kutnews.org/post/texas-house-epa-don%E2%80%99t-regulate-our-greenhouse-gas
  • Reefs producing steady catches (Bink Grimes – The Baytown Sun)
    http://baytownsun.com/sports/hunting_and_fishing/article_e17d80e0-8285-11e0-aae9-001cc4c002e0.html
  • Researchers to study sequestration (storage) of carbon in tidal wetlands along the Texas coast (Guidry News)
    http://www.guidrynews.com/story.aspx?id=1000034938
  • Water quality critical for food safety (Ron Smith – Southwest Farm Press)
    http://southwestfarmpress.com/vegetables/water-quality-critical-food-safety
  • Spring Creek center provides bird’s-eye view (Gary Clark – Houston Chronicle)
    http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Spring-Creek-center-provides-bird-s-eye-view-1388678.php
• 19 May
  • Galveston Bay Area Sierra Club Article in The Citizen (Joe Marcinkowski – Your Friendswood News)
    http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/friendswood/opinion/article_76900ee8-8950-573c-be9e-178663dc93fd.html
  • Sports camps, outdoors provide kids summer activities (The Baytown Sun)
    http://baytownsun.com/news/article_0b866630-81ab-11e0-abbe-001cc4c002e0.html
  • Texas plans to cut budget of agency battling fires (Ben Wermund – Yahoo! News)
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110519/us_nm/us_texas_budget_wildfires
  • “$100 oil here to stay” says energy expert (Marci Gilbert – Houston Tomorrow)
    http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/100-oil-here-to-stay-says-energy-expert
• 18 May
  • Texas politicians knew agency hid the amount of radiation in drinking water (Mark Greenblatt – KHOU 11 News)
    http://www.khou.com/news/investigative/-Texas-politicians-knew-agency-hid-the-amount-of-radiation-in-drinking-water-122205439.html
  • Filling Houston’s Food Gaps (Wendy Siegle – KUHF News)
    http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1305756919-Filling-Houstons-Food-Gaps.html
  • Texas Drought Not Abating, Water Supplier Warns (Kate Galbraith – The Texas Tribune)
    http://www.texastribune.org/texas-environmental-news/water-supply/texas-drought-not-abating-water-supplier-warns/
• 17 May
  • Texas House OKs taking in more radioactive waste (Betsy Blaney – Forbes)
    http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/05/17/general-tx-xgr-radioactive-waste_8471526.html