ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Featured Data

Interactive: Track Energy and Environmental Lobbying

Enlarge graphic by: Todd Wiseman

Cause of West Explosion Remains Unclear

State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy spoke during the West press conference at West High School and announced that the cause of the explosion is still undetermined.
Enlarge photo by: Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor
State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy spoke during the West press conference at West High School and announced that the cause of the explosion is still undetermined.

The cause of the West fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 people on April 17 has been ruled “undetermined,” officials announced at a press conference in the town's high school parking lot on Thursday.

 

Sale of Longhorns Sparks Debate on Breed's Future

A longhorn stops at a water source on the 311,000-acre Big Bend State Park Ranch in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has recently sold off about two-thirds of the herd to build a smaller pasture to display the remaining animals.
Enlarge photo by: Mary Lou Saxon
A longhorn stops at a water source on the 311,000-acre Big Bend State Park Ranch in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has recently sold off about two-thirds of the herd to build a smaller pasture to display the remaining animals.

The recent sale of about 100 longhorns by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has triggered a debate on how to best protect the future of a breed that has stood as a symbol of the state.

Featured Video

TribLive: Tea Party Freshmen on the Rainy Day Fund

Enlarge

After West Explosion, Other Chemical Stockpiles Come Under Scrutiny

  • by Chris Hooks and Maurice Chammah
  • 1 Comment
The Gavilon facility in Amarillo sits near residences. Officials say that the ammonium nitrate on site is stored safely, so that it cannot explode.
Enlarge photo by: David Bowser
The Gavilon facility in Amarillo sits near residences. Officials say that the ammonium nitrate on site is stored safely, so that it cannot explode.

As state and federal regulators analyze the patchwork of policies governing the fertilizer plant that exploded in West, the incident has prompted a closer look at communities that lie near stockpiles of chemicals.

With Disposal Wells in High Demand, One County Pushes Back

  • by Dave Fehling, KUHF/StateImpact Texas
  • 6 Comments
Texas Railroad Commission lead engineering technician for districts 1 and 2, Michael Polasek, inspects a salt water disposal injection well at a Heckman Water Resources commercial disposal facility on the LAMZA lease near Highway 80, January 22, 2012.
Enlarge photo by: Jennifer Whitney
Texas Railroad Commission lead engineering technician for districts 1 and 2, Michael Polasek, inspects a salt water disposal injection well at a Heckman Water Resources commercial disposal facility on the LAMZA lease near Highway 80, January 22, 2012.

Texas' fracking boom has given rise to an influx of wells used to dispose of drilling wastewater. But the proliferation of disposal wells is raising environmental and safety concerns, as one South Texas county has discovered.