The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
Most Texans are used to weather-related power outages, but they're probably not aware of the danger they pose to the state's massive petrochemical plants, which at times must send thousands of pounds of chemical vapors into the air. Full Story
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On Friday, a Beaumont county judge will rule on yet another case involving TransCanada, the company building the Keystone XL pipeline. Despite all the court action, some say recent eminent domain rulings still haven't clarified where private-property rights end. Full Story
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Speaking to a cattle raisers' group on Tuesday, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus promised that water "will be at the center of the discussion." Full Story
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Contrary to a recent alarming news report in Central Texas, there are no vampire bats in the state, or even the U.S. But according to one scientific model, climate change threatens to push populations of the blood-hungry creatures close to Texas. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Energy & Environment track, which includes panels on the future of water in Texas, the state's electricity woes and the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
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Ron Curry, a former New Mexico environmental regulator, will become the new Dallas-based regional head of the Environmental Protection Agency. He replaces Al Armendariz, who resigned after a firestorm this spring. Full Story
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The Big D has a big plan to go green. Dallas environmental advocates are confident the city can accomplish its ambitious plan to have the city recycling nearly all of its garbage by 2040. Full Story
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Environmental groups have long raised concerns about the health dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. But a new report questions one aspect of fracking that rarely comes under scrutiny: its supposed economic benefit. Full Story
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The drought that began in October 2010 has continued into 2012, and it has taken a toll on Texas' water supplies. As the summer of 2012 draws to a close, these communities are at risk of running out of water within 180 days. Full Story
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A commercial space race has begun, and this week the Texas Space Alliance, an aerospace development lobby group, reached out to the Legislature in hopes of making the state part of the enterprise. Full Story
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Texans are already used to the lights going out because of everyday issues like storms, equipment problems or people driving into utility poles. So why is there so much fuss about preventing the occasional grid-wide power outage? Full Story
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Wildfire season across the American West and Texas is getting longer and more destructive every year, according to a new report from the research organization Climate Central. Full Story
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After populations in Texas plummeted last year due to disease and drought, quail counts are on the rise this season. But that small increase might not be enough to bring hunters out in full force. Full Story
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More landowners and public safety officials have begun calling on the state to respond to last year's devastating wildfires by lighting more fires — so-called prescribed burns that help remove the dry grass and brush that fuel the blazes. Full Story
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Texas is the top wind power state, but the expiration of a key tax credit at the end of this year could significantly impact the state, which contains about a fifth of the nation’s turbines. Full Story
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Environmental groups filed a petition on Wednesday accusing the state's Public Utility Commission of failing to meet renewable energy targets and thus depriving the state of more solar and geothermal power. Full Story
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Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons' Waste Control Specialists, which runs a radioactive waste dump in Andrews County, has made its first payments to the county and state after years of controversy. Full Story
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Milton Rister, a former Republican political operative who is currently a member of the governor’s senior staff, will become the new executive director of the Texas Railroad Commission. Full Story
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Oil may dominate in Texas, but coal is still king in some small towns. That's why talk of stricter air pollution regulations in towns like Jewett — where the economy is already stagnant — puts some residents on edge. Full Story
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A federal proposal to list four Central Texas salamanders as endangered species has provoked a fierce debate about how humans affect the natural world. But the back-and-forth also foreshadows future fights likely to take place as more species come up for review. Full Story
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