Tom “Smitty” Smith, a colorful lobbyist and liberal activist who turned Public Citizen Texas into a strong voice on environmental, utility, consumer and ethics issues, is hanging up his spurs after 31 years.
Energy
In-depth reporting on oil, gas, renewable power, and policies shaping the future of energy in Texas from The Texas Tribune.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
New in Trib+Water: State Park for San Marcos River?
In this week’s edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: a river protection group wants part of the San Marcos River declared a state park, the U.S. and Mexico cooperate on an aquifer study and drug resistant E. coli is found in French water samples.
Posted in
Energy
Toxic Aquifer Injections Trouble Railroad Commission Hopeful
Mark Miller, a Libertarian candidate for Texas railroad commissioner, is taking the commission to task for its failure to track toxic injections into underground zones that could hold drinking water.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texas Rep Wants to Limit His Industry’s Liability For Busting Pipes
State Rep. Cecil Bell, a private contractor, says he has a plan to curb costly and sometimes dangerous strikes to underground pipelines during construction: make sure whoever is responsible pays to fix them.
Posted in
Economy
Texas Stops Helping Poor Families Pay Their Electric Bills
Lite-Up Texas, a program that offered electricity discounts to hundreds of thousands of poor Texas families over the years, has run out of money.
Posted in
Economy
Texas Drilling Will Cause More Health Problems, Study Predicts
Within a decade, Texas will lead the nation in sicknesses linked to ozone-forming pollutants from oil and gas activity, according to a new analysis from a pair of environmental groups released Wednesday.
Posted in
Energy
Texas Promised to Track Oilfield Waste in Aquifers. It Didn’t.
Texas regulators have allowed energy companies in recent years to inject toxic materials into at least a “handful” of underground sources of drinking water, records show.
Posted inEnergy, Environment
New in Trib+Water: A New Tool for Flood Forecasting
In this week’s edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: a new computer tool is designed to better forecast floods nationwide, waters highlighted during the Olympics are not alone in being polluted and questions surge after Louisiana floods.
Posted in
Economy
“Why Are You So Angry at the Railroad Commission?” Texas Lawmaker Asks Reviewers
State lawmakers on Monday considered a host of recommendations to reshape and rename the Texas Railroad Commission, a powerful agency that oversees a host of oil and gas activities but not railroads.
Posted in
Energy
EPA: North Texas Quakes Likely Linked to Oil and Gas Drilling
Federal regulators believe “there is a significant possibility” that a recent surge in North Texas earthquakes is linked to oil and gas activity, even if state regulators won’t say so.