ENVIRONMENTAL HEADLINES, JULY 12 – 18
CRITICS: HOUSTON’S ANTI-SMOG PLAN TOO FOCUSED ON OZONE
Houston Chronicle 7/16/08
Texas will spend the next five years and millions of dollars to develop a new smog-fighting strategy for the Houston area.
GRANT FROM EPA LETS HOUSTON STUDY SHIP CHANNEL POLLUTION
Houston Chronicle 7/16/08
Houston received nearly $650,000 Tuesday from the federal Environmental Protection Agency to conduct measurements of toxic chemicals emitted from large refineries and chemical plants along the Ship Channel.
ONLY SURPRISE OF GALVESTON TOXIC-FISH ALERT — WHY NOW?
Houston Chronicle 7/13/08
For a time, the folks fishing lower Galveston Bay had faith that the speckled trout and catfish pulled from its waters were safe to eat.
PCB WARNINGS DON’T DETER FISHERS FROM THEIR PASTIME
TEXAS GIVES EARLY OK TO WIND ENERGY POWER LINE PROJECT
Houston Chronicle 7/17/08
A divided Public Utility Commission gave preliminary approval today to construct $5 billion in transmission lines to bring wind power from West Texas to urban areas.
TEXAS APPROVES PLAN FOR 18,000 MW OF WIND
TROUBLE ON ‘THE HILL’
Baytown Sun 7/14/08
The issue of drilling on Mont Belvieu’s ” hill” has resurfaced after Enterprise Products L.P. came to a settlement agreement with city officials and residents nearly a year ago.
ACTIVISTS, HARRIS COUNTY MOVE PRAIRIE TO MAKE WAY FOR ROAD
Houston Chronicle 7/12/08
Nature lovers armed with shovels and spades, along with county employees maneuvering huge tree-moving machines, have formed an unusual partnership to save acres of pristine prairie grass that otherwise will be plowed under for a road project.
GREEN HOUSES IN NEW DEVELOPMENT
Houston Chronicle 7/17/08
Energy prices at an all-time high, the national housing market flailing and mortgages hard to come by: It’s not surprising that on Houston’s outer edges, new houses are as hard to sell as used SUVs.
SOUTHEAST RAIL IMPACT STUDY WINS APPROVAL
Houston Chronicle 7/17/08
The Federal Transit Administration has approved the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s revised environmental studies for its planned Southeast light rail line, opening the door for possible federal funding.
WASTE MANAGEMENT LAUNCHES CFL RECYCLING PROGRAM
Houston Business Journal 7/16/08
Waste Management Inc. on Wednesday launched a new online service for the recycling of universal household waste such as compact fluorescent lamps and batteries.
MORE COYOTES OUT ON THE PROWL
Galveston County Daily News 7/18/08
Margie Martin didn’t expect to be scared out of her early morning stupor when she got up to let her cat out at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.
MIXED YEAR FOR TURTLES
Houston Chronicle 7/18/08
Elation at figures made public Thursday showing a leap in the number of nests discovered this year for the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was tempered by a slash in federal funds for a program that has aided the rebound
PRANKSTERS FIND IF A TREE FALLS IN THE WOODLANDS, IT’S A FELONY
Houston Chronicle 7/16/08
Chopping down a tree in the middle of the night isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but everyone isn’t a 17-year-old boy.
NO MORE CHOCOLATE IN 20 YEARS?
Environmental News Network 7/18/08
The cacao bean is in danger. The Nature Conservation Research Council (NCRC) recently announced that in 20 years time, “Chocolate will be much like caviar today.” So what’s the deal?