Environment

Texas oil and gas industry could see a major slowdown in 2020

by Kiah Collier

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 

As drought persists, Texas ranchers take stock

by Becky Fogel, KUT News

In parts of Texas experiencing severe droughts, some ranchers are finding there is practically no grass left for cattle to graze on. Full Story 

Revisit some of The Texas Tribune’s best stories of 2019

by Corrie MacLaggan

Our reporters crisscrossed the Texas Capitol and traveled to the Panhandle and East Texas — as well as the Netherlands and Honduras — to tell stories about the state's politics, people and places. From a story on a migrant's desperate journey to a look at how coal companies are leaving behind contaminated land, here is a selection of their best work of the year. Full Story 

Sierra Club intervenes in open records lawsuit against Texas Attorney General

by Kiah Collier

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 

Texas regulators want stiffer penalties for company whose Port Neches plant exploded

by Kiah Collier

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 

In win for Harvey victims, federal judge finds government liable for reservoir flooding

by Kiah Collier

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 

Watchdog report finds air pollution monitoring fell short during Hurricane Harvey

by Kiah Collier

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 

County ends voluntary evacuation of Port Neches, the second since last week's plant explosion

by Kiah Collier and Jolie McCullough

After recommending Wednesday night that residents leave the area, Jefferson County officials have told residents it's safe to return home. Full Story 

Report: Texas ranks second in budget cuts for environmental protection

by Kiah Collier

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 

Retired Texas shrimper wins record-breaking $50 million settlement from plastics manufacturing giant

by Kiah Collier

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 

Pipeline giant sues Railroad Commission, alleging lax oversight of natural gas flaring

by Kiah Collier

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 

Port Neches plant rocked by multiple explosions has history of environmental missteps

by Kiah Collier

The Southeast Texas chemical manufacturing plant, owned by Houston-based Texas Petroleum Chemical Group, has been fined multiple times by state and federal regulators for air pollution violations. Full Story 

Trump EPA eases safety requirements enacted after West explosion

by Kiah Collier

Attorney General Ken Paxton applauded the new rules, saying they would make Texans safer. The Obama-era regulation was meant to improve chemical safety practices and prevent tragedies like the deadly 2013 fertilizer plant explosion in the tiny Central Texas town of West. Full Story 

In key vote, federal regulators OK controversial South Texas gas export facilities

by Kiah Collier

A coalition of residents and indigenous and environmental groups has rallied against a trio of proposed terminals to export liquefied natural gas from the Port of Brownsville. Thursday's vote puts the terminals closer to final approval. Full Story 

Texans say climate change is happening, but it’s a highly partisan issue, UT/TT Poll finds

by Ross Ramsey

Most Texas voters say climate change is happening, but there are significant partisan differences, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story 

Earthquakes in West Texas have dramatically increased, according to new University of Texas study

by Stacy Fernández

Every year West Texas experiences more and more small earthquakes. The study by the University of Texas at Austin documented more than 7,000 starting in 2009. Full Story 

TribCast: Captured by coal, a Legislative Budget Board in turmoil

by Emily Ramshaw and Michael Rey de Leon

On this week’s TribCast, Emily talks to Kiah, Edgar, Emma and Cassi about a major Tribune investigation into coal clean-ups in Texas, state leaders’ role in a North Texas child custody case, a mass exodus from the Legislative Budget Board and the latest on the House speaker. Full Story 

Texas signed off on the restoration of this old mine. Now a leaky landfill is contaminating groundwater.

by Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune and Naveena Sadasivam, Grist

Alcoa has put its shuttered Sandow Mine site on the market for $250 million, advertising it as a country paradise. Testing has found that groundwater under a landfill in the middle of the property is contaminated with toxic heavy metals. Full Story 

Big coal gave a tiny Texas town free land. There’s a major catch.

by Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune and Naveena Sadasivam, Grist

Sulphur Springs leaders say they want Luminant — Texas’ largest electricity generator — to leave in place a 120-foot-tall mound of excavated dirt at the site of a shuttered coal mine so they can build an amphitheater. But the soil contains potentially dangerous materials, according to state regulators. Full Story 

Texas coal companies are leaving behind contaminated land. The state is letting them.

by Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune and Naveena Sadasivam, Grist

An investigation by The Texas Tribune and Grist shows that regulators in the Lone Star State have given a hand up to struggling coal companies as they face millions of dollars in mandated land restoration costs. Full Story