"It's a joke": Flaring expert finds big problems in report from Texas oil and gas regulator
"It looks more like a political manifesto to me," a Texas A&M professor said about a report from the Railroad Commission of Texas. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8d4428c1c7bd7d3c5693122839d6aa40/Natural%20Gas%20Flare%20JF%20TT%2003.jpg)
-
![A gas flare burns bright on a production site northeast of Andrews, Texas.]()
-
Texas sues company whose Port Neches chemical plant exploded
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f40a38adb44a6b6e4e72856fc733e3ec/Port%20Neches%20Explosion%20MS%20TT%2001.jpg)
![Fire blackened towers and tanks days after an explosion at TCP Group in Port Neches on Dec. 17, 2019.]()
-
Federal judge dismisses suit against Army Corps for post-Harvey flooding
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/f338cbf9b9ee5b7fc2eb3089e3b6ad08/Houston%20flooding%20Addicks%20MS%20TT.jpg)
![Flood waters in a neighborhood along Eldridge Parkway flooded by waters released from the Addicks Reservoir, in Houston on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017.]()
-
Report: Six Texas oil refineries spewing cancer-causing pollutant above federal threshold
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Oil-Refinery.jpg)
![An oil refinery is shown in the Houston Ship Channel in 2011.]()
-
Ahead of explosion, Port Neches plant reported an increase of rogue emissions of explosive gas
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4929d8311cb99d0a311fb3affdcd2293/Port%20Neches%20Explosion%20REUTERS%20TT%2003.JPG)
![A process tower flies through air after exploding at the TPC Group Petrochemical Plant in Port Neches. An earlier massive explosion sparked a blaze at the plant on Nov. 27, 2019.]()
-
Texas oil and gas industry could see a major slowdown in 2020
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/93b00190e3efc54847e542eb3c67d9a5/Pumpjacks_at_sunrise_JF_TT.jpg)
![Pumpjacks at sunrise in the Permian Basin in West Texas.]()
-
As drought persists, Texas ranchers take stock
In parts of Texas experiencing severe droughts, some ranchers are finding there is practically no grass left for cattle to graze on. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-Cows012.JPG)
![The U.S. Department of Agriculture is abandoning the use of hot-iron branding and moving towards the use of ear tags for the identification of cattle.]()
-
Revisit some of The Texas Tribune’s best stories of 2019
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a1b3d6cc02b6365d7e1ce8d459264a4c/Reverse%20Capitol%20Texas%20Flag%20AP%20TT.jpg)
![View from the Capitol Rotunda in Austin.]()
-
Sierra Club intervenes in open records lawsuit against Texas Attorney General
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4f339762cf2a64c592e3ee455d58a20e/M%20Honeycutt%20EPA%20TT.jpg)
![Michael Honeycutt, director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's toxicology division, also serves as chair of the Science Advisory Board at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sierra Club has requested Honeycutt's emails and other communications related to a controversial rule change.]()
-
Texas regulators want stiffer penalties for company whose Port Neches plant exploded
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
![A process tower flies through air after exploding at the TPC Group Petrochemical Plant in Port Neches. An earlier massive explosion sparked a blaze at the plant on Nov. 27, 2019.]()
-
In win for Harvey victims, federal judge finds government liable for reservoir flooding
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/10/03/BARKERADDICKSBEFOREAFTER4130_TT.jpg)
![Development encroaching on the north side of Addicks Reservoir in Houston on Sept. 7, 2016.]()
-
Watchdog report finds air pollution monitoring fell short during Hurricane Harvey
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/a887a83c06d428edfb9c118e4d78c5aa/Arkema_fire_REUTERS_TT.jpg)
![A fire burns at the flooded plant of French chemical maker Arkema SA after Tropical Storm Harvey passed in Crosby on August 31, 2017.]()
-
County ends voluntary evacuation of Port Neches, the second since last week's plant explosion
After recommending Wednesday night that residents leave the area, Jefferson County officials have told residents it's safe to return home. Full Story
![A process tower flies through air after exploding at the TPC Group Petrochemical Plant in Port Neches. An earlier massive explosion sparked a blaze at the plant on Nov. 27, 2019.]()
-
Report: Texas ranks second in budget cuts for environmental protection
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/28c4ec5834b15172128825ea6e204642/Pumpjacks_mist_JF_TT.jpg)
![Fog in a low lying area where pumpjacks and powerlines populate the range along SW 5000 in Andrews County northeast of Kermit, Texas.]()
-
Retired Texas shrimper wins record-breaking $50 million settlement from plastics manufacturing giant
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/8ceb6aabbdb46a71b0a891a7e3f898e2/05_Formosa_Plastic_Pollution_EW.jpg)
![Diane Wilson organizes bags of that contain plastic pellet samples she's collected over the past three years. Seadrift, Texas. March 20, 2019.]()
-
Pipeline giant sues Railroad Commission, alleging lax oversight of natural gas flaring
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/eed3e86daa540cdcd1c3fdd5bf0fb528/poison_gas_sign_w_flare_MKC_TT.jpg)
![Sign indicating the presence of poison gas in Pecos County, Texas.]()
-
Port Neches plant rocked by multiple explosions has history of environmental missteps
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/d72f6d117a7b065bb53da1fc3c9ba7f5/Port%20Neches%20Explosion%20REUTERS%20TT%2001.JPG)
![An explosion and fire at a chemical plant in Port Neches on Nov. 27, 2019.]()
-
Trump EPA eases safety requirements enacted after West explosion
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/04/18/West-TX-1.jpg)
![A vehicle near the remains of a fertilizer plant burning after an explosion in West, Texas, near Waco.]()
-
In key vote, federal regulators OK controversial South Texas gas export facilities
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/4d0c3fe2771127595e403be78af0bbf5/Ship_channel_FULL_TT.jpg)
![A vessel from Hong Kong in the Corpus Christi ship channel on June 6, 2018.]()
-
Texans say climate change is happening, but it’s a highly partisan issue, UT/TT Poll finds
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
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/9e07f8e77a0a70580ea2820d3e1b6db2/Climate%20UT-TT.jpg)
![Article thumbnail]()