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Kiah Collier is a reporter and associate editor for The Texas Tribune with a focus on energy and environment. Since graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in philosophy and multimedia journalism, Kiah has reported for publications across the state, including the San Angelo Standard-Times, Reuters, the Austin American-Statesman and the Houston Chronicle. Her beats have included local and state government and politics, shipping and airlines, and public education. She has covered several natural disasters from the ground, including Hurricane Harvey, and investigated everything from maritime pilots to lax environmental enforcement to the federal government’s abuse of eminent domain in building the first sections of wall along the Texas-Mexico border. Kiah’s reporting has garnered a variety of local, state and national awards, including a Peabody in 2017 for her work on a project that examined the Houston area's extreme vulnerability to hurricanes.
The Texas Public Utility Commission approved an order Thursday that would ban disconnections of water and power service for Texans financially impacted by COVID-19 and put them on deferred payment plans. But advocates and experts say the real winner might be utility providers. Full Story
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On Friday, several major health care providers announced they would postpone elective surgeries and other non-urgent procedures and appointments. Full Story
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While most states have mandated the closure of schools, bars and restaurants; deployed their militaries; or diverted state resources to COVID-19 response, Texas is largely leaving it up to schools and local governments to decide how to proceed. Some say the approach can undermine response efforts. Full Story
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A dramatic drop in oil prices over the weekend could harm Texas' oil and gas industry and economy, but experts say it all depends on how long they remain low — and how the COVID-19 epidemic plays out. Full Story
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A study by five Aggie scientists indicates Texas should prepare for more extreme weather in the coming years — though it offers some glimmers of hope. Full Story
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The grandson of the late President George H.W. Bush failed to make the runoff in a crowded GOP race to represent Texas' 22nd District. Experts say the reasons are more complicated than the decline of the Bush family's political influence. Full Story
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Cuellar faced a challenge from attorney Jessica Cisneros, while Granger defeated former Colleyville City Council member Chris Putnam. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued TPC Group on Friday, citing a slew of environmental violations at its Port Neches facility, including ones connected to a Nov. 27 explosion. Full Story
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U.S. Judge Loren A. Smith threw out a case brought by Houstonians whose properties flooded as a result of releases from Addicks and Barker dams. Full Story
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An environmental nonprofit has released an analysis of first-of-its-kind air monitoring data that shows benzene levels at 10 U.S. petroleum refineries exceeded limits established in an Obama-era environmental regulation. Six are in Texas. Full Story
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After the federal government required TPC Group to install air monitors at its Port Neches plant, the company detected a significant increase in the number and size of butadiene emissions in the months leading up to multiple blasts at the plant on Nov. 27. Full Story
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The Texas Oil and Gas Association reported that companies paid a record level of taxes and state royalties last year amid a historic oil boom. But association President Todd Staples said that continued growth is not guaranteed. Full Story
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The environmental group is trying to obtain documents showing how the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality arrived at a decision on increasing emissions limits for a toxic chemical. Full Story
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In a surprising vote, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rejected a staff-proposed penalty against TPC Group's Port Neches chemical plant — which was rocked by explosions last month — for a slew of 2018 pollution violations and asked that they be referred to the Texas Attorney General's Office. Full Story
During Hurricane Harvey, thousands of properties behind two federally owned reservoirs flooded. On Tuesday, the United States Court of Federal Claims ruled that the government was liable for the flooding and that property owners are eligible for damages. Full Story
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General found that state and federal environmental regulators didn't start monitoring air quality soon enough during the monster storm, which brought a spike in hazardous emissions from industrial facilities. Full Story
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After recommending Wednesday night that residents leave the area, Jefferson County officials have told residents it's safe to return home. Full Story
An analysis by the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project found that 30 states have cut funding to environmental agencies over the past decade. In Texas, lawmakers slashed spending by more than a third between 2008 and 2018. Full Story
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U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt approved the settlement agreement between a scrappy environmental coalition and plastics giant Formosa. The settlement is the largest in U.S. history resulting from a citizen environmental suit. Full Story
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A subsidiary of Tulsa-based Williams Cos. is suing Texas' oil and gas regulatory agency after it approved a request from Dallas-based Exco Operating Co. to burn off natural gas from wells in South Texas while they were hooked up to Williams' pipeline system. Full Story
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