ECONOTES 2011-10-12: Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region
Featured
- We must protect our prairie potholes (Bob Stokes – Houston Chronicle, 09/23/2011)
In April, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Corps of Engineers issued issued draft guidance for determining whether a waterway, water body or wetland is protected by the Clean Water Act (CWA). This wetlands guidance is important because several recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have removed certain critical waters and wetlands from protection under the CWA. Galveston Bay needs this protection as its wetlands are crucial to the longterm health of the bay, and therefore, quality of life and the local economy.
http://www.chron.com/
- Professor says state agency censored article (Harvey Rice – Houston Chronicle, 10/10/2011)
A Rice University professor, John Anderson, has accused the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of deleting all references to climate change and sea-level rise from an article he wrote about changes in Galveston Bay. Anderson believes that the changes are all about politics. He said TCEQ will not publish the article without the deletions, and he will not accept the changes. As a result, the publication of The State of the Bay has been delayed.
http://www.chron.com/
Update: Rice professor accepts Gulf article’s fate (Harvey Rice – Houston Chronicle, 10/11/2011)
John Anderson has accepted TCEQ’s decision to kill the article. “I’m willing to live with not having it published,” John Anderson said Tuesday. “I refuse to have it published with their deletions.”
http://www.chron.com/
- Scuba diving at Flower Garden rivals more exotic locales (Pam LeBlanc – Houston Chronicle, 09/29/2011)
Just 115 miles south of the Texas-Louisiana border, the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary offers a similar experience to other exotic locales. Flower Garden is two huge coral-covered salt domes that rise from the sea floor and cover several hundred acres. The brightly colored marine garden is home to stingrays, porcupine fish, lobster, eels, file fish, and many more. Visitors can dive among the sanctuary to observe the wildlife and view the lush coral.
http://www.chron.com/
EcoNotes
- 12 October
- Gas pipe breaks on Trinity Bay (Ben Tinsley – The Baytown Sun)
http://baytownsun.com/ - 11 October
- Rice professor accepts Gulf article’s fate (Harvey Rice – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Input sought on how to cut bacteria (Mauricio Guerrero – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Water Main Breaks Aren’t Over (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Cartoon featuring TCEQ’s deletions regarding Galveston Bay article (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership to hold public meeting (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - 10 October
- Professor says state agency censored article (Harvey Rice – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Research prowess powers Texas solar industry (Simone Sebastian – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - National Weather Service: Record summer temperatures in many Texas cities (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Polls show Americans support green schools and green companies (ABC 13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ - Houston Sees Big Drop In Amount Of Water Pumped (David Pitman – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Texas Campgrounds and RV Parks Encourage Fall Camping with Weekend Activities and Special Events (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - U.S. EPA proposes Changes To Air Pollution Rule (Timothy Gardner – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - Texas rain storm just a drop in deep bucket; drought continues (Andrew Freedman – The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ - 9 October
- Can Texas Make It Rain? (Matt Largey – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - 8 October
- A closer look at how green schools boost school districts and inspire kids (Barbara Kessler – ABC13 News)
http://www.greenrightnow.com/ - 7 October
- Water problems raise issues with coal fired plant (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Texas not satisfied with EPA changes to cross-state rule (Matthew Tresaugue – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/ - Report Confirms Wetlands in Decline (The Outdoor Wire)
http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/ - HISD Transportation Ranked as the Top School District Green Fleet in the Nation (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - 6 October
- Galveston Tree Planting Group Wins Toms of Maine $50,000 Prize for Community Service – $50,000 Prize Will Help to Replant Trees Lost To Hurricane Ike (Guidry News)
http://www.guidrynews.com/ - APNewsBreak: Bay City plant closer to water fix (Ramit Plushnick-Masti – Bloomberg Businessweek)
http://www.businessweek.com/ - River authority: Reservoirs ‘not likely’ to dry (Chris Paschenko – The Galveston County Daily News)
http://galvestondailynews.com/ - Parched Texans Impose Water-Use Limits for Fracking Gas Wells (Mike Lee – Bloomberg Business Week)
http://www.businessweek.com/ - EPA rolls back air rule; Texas gets most leeway (Ramit Plushnick-Masti – Yahoo! News)
http://old.news.yahoo.com/ - EPA softens stance on cross-state air pollution rule (Matthew Tresaugue – Fuel Fix)
http://fuelfix.com/ - Perry’s Texas pollution problem (Jane Dale Owen – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - EPA softens rule on cross-state emissions (Matthew Tresaugue – My SA News)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ - Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on Changes to CSAPR Rule (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - WaterSense Partners of the Year Recognized for Dedication to Water-Efficiency (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - Bastrop State Park Opening Pushed Back (Texas Parks & Wildlife News)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - Hit the Trail for an Outdoors Halloween Experience (Texas Parks & Wildlife News)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ - U.S. Says Air Pollution Rule Change Is Minor Tweak (Timothy Gardner & Eileen O’Grady – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - Green Groups Sue To Stop Keystone Oil Pipeline Work (Timothy Gardner & Arshad Mohammed – Planet Ark News)
http://planetark.org/ - 5 October
- Gulf Coast Task Force Releases Ecosystem Restoration Strategy For Public Review / Agenda outlines blueprint for reversing decline of Gulf Coast ecosystem (EPA News)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ - Houston To Spend Millions On Tree Removal (Laurie Johnson – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Snapshots of the drought: Impacts and implications of the record dry spell (Texas Climate News)
http://texasclimatenews.org/ - Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Is Vital To Economy (KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - TCEQ Approves Fines Totaling $410,757 (TCEQ News)
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/ - Landowners Sue Exxon Pipeline Over Yellowstone River Oil Spill (Andrew Schneider – KUHF News)
http://app1.kuhf.org/ - Gulf Coast and Coastal Louisiana Gain Rare Recognition as a Federal Priority (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - 4 October
- Drought Allows Unique Opportunity for Saturday Morning Cleanup (Guidry News)
http://guidrynews.com/ - Editorial: Water plan needs money to match planning (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - 2 October
- Both energy security, environment important in Keystone pipeline debate (Michael E. Webber – The Statesman)
http://www.statesman.com/ - 1 October
- Recycled Water Quenches San Antonio’s Thirst (Wade Goodwyn – NPR)
http://www.npr.org/ - Introduction to Wastewater Treatment Ponds (Mark E. Goad – WaterWorld)
http://www.waterworld.com/ - 30 September
- Groundwater not enough, official says (Chris Paschenko – The Galveston County Daily News)
http://galvestondailynews.com/ - Tree loss could be worse than 66 million (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Rosalie HAUS coop named Best Sustainable Dwelling (David Crossley – Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - Farmers’ market opens in Sugar Land (Houston Tomorrow)
http://www.houstontomorrow.org/ - 29 September
- Scuba diving at Flower Garden rivals more exotic locales (Pam LeBlanc – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/ - Help Float the Boat… Thank You! (Annie Willow – The Islander Magazine)
http://theislandermagazine.com/ - Current drought could become worst ever, state climatologist says (Farzad Mashhood – The Statesman)
http://www.statesman.com/ - 23 September
- We must protect our prairie potholes (Bob Stokes – Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/