State environmental regulators should have done more to protect the safety of drinking water for two small border communities in Webb County, defense lawyers argued Thursday in the criminal trial for two former water treatment plant employees.
Neena Satija
Neena Satija worked at the Tribune from 2013 to 2019. She was an investigative reporter and radio producer for the Tribune and Reveal, a public radio program from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Previously, she was the environment reporter at the Tribune. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, she graduated from Yale University in 2011, and then worked for the New Haven Independent, the Connecticut Mirror, and WNPR/Connecticut Public Radio. She has also been a regular contributor to National Public Radio. As an East Coast transplant she is particularly thrilled with Austin tacos and warm weather.
Posted in
Energy
Trial Begins Over Undrinkable Water in Webb County
The blame game over who’s responsible for the problems 8,000 border residents have with their drinking water is playing out in a Laredo court, as Webb County water treatment plant workers face charges of falsifying records to hide contamination from state regulators.
Posted in
Energy
George P. Bush: Land Office Faces Internal “Threat”
A video of George P. Bush obtained by the Tribune highlights the rising political star’s unease about the the 179-year-old agency he inherited and his commitment to shake it up.
Posted in
State Government
Being Sid Miller: Emails Show Ag Commissioner Focused on Image
Emails and correspondence from Sid Miller’s first six months as Texas agriculture commissioner show a leader involved in the daily dealings of his department, conscious of his portrayal in the press and eager to burnish his image.
Posted in
Energy
New OSHA Penalties for DuPont After Deadly Leak
Just weeks after blasting DuPont for safety violations following a deadly chemical plant incident last November, federal regulators slapped the manufacturing giant with a new fine for safety violations at its plant in La Porte.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas is Suing the EPA — Again
Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday filed a lawsuit over the Environmental Protection Agency’s rejection of parts of a Texas clean air program, launching the state’s second battle against EPA regulations in less than two weeks.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Sues EPA Over Provision of Federal Water Law
Texas is challenging the EPA’s new “Waters of the U.S.” rule, which is aimed at better defining the the scope of bodies of water protected under the Clean Water Act. Critics say the rule will lead to more regulation and a takeover of private property.
Posted in
Energy
Supreme Court Thwarts EPA Mercury Rules in a Victory for Texas
A coalition of states including Texas has defeated the Environmental Protection Agency in a battle over major regulations on mercury, acid gases and other toxic metals emissions that spew from power plants, including many plants in Texas.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Leading Challenge to New Smog Standards
The agency responsible for enforcing environmental laws in Texas is paying a private company $1.65 million to conduct research to challenge forthcoming U.S. Environmental Protection Agency restrictions on ozone pollution, which exacerbates asthma, lung and heart disease.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Catch Up on Our Environmental Coverage From the 84th Session
Take a look at the environmental issues we kept an eye during the 84th legislative session. You can also use our Texas Legislative Guide to see everything else we covered during the session.