The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
In the past, settlement money involving large-scale industrial accidents has largely gone to the state. But as Dave Fehling of StateImpact Texas reports, one Houston lawyer representing thousands of Texas residents says he has found a way to enforce environmental laws better than the government can. Full Story
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At the Trib's April 13 energy symposium at the University of Houston, Railroad Comission Chairman Barry Smitherman sketched out his vision of an energy plan for the state. Full Story
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One overriding theme unifies the multiple Republican candidates for two Texas Railroad Commission slots: The Environmental Protection Agency has overreached and must be scaled back. Full Story
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Comptroller Susan Combs and other officials testified in favor of a plan that aims to balance protecting a rare lizard species and maintaining oil and gas production in its habitat. Full Story
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The resignation of Al Armendariz, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Southwest region, was met with regret by environmental groups and relief in the oil and gas industry. Full Story
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At the Trib's April 13 energy symposium at the University of Houston, I talked with state Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, the House Energy Resources Committee chairman, and state Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, a committee member. Full Story
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As part of our day-long symposium on energy and the environment at the University of Houston on April 13, the Trib's Kate Galbraith led a discussion on clean and renewable energy. Full Story
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Fort Bliss has launched a massive effort to cut its net energy and water usage and reduce waste as part of a focus on self-sufficiency. Fort Hood is also working to go greener, but high upfront costs pose challenges. Full Story
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A video going viral shows Al Armendariz, who heads the EPA regional office that includes Texas, likening his job in 2010 to the crucifixion actions of the Romans — comments Gov. Rick Perry says are "unacceptable and offensive." Full Story
As part of our day-long symposium on energy and the environment at the University of Houston on April 13, UH Law Center Assistant Professor Tracy Hester led a discussion of the economic and environmental impact of the Eagle Ford Shale. Full Story
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The iconic pronghorn antelope once thrived in West and Central Texas, but it’s quickly disappearing. Mose Buchele of KUT News reports for StateImpact Texas on the race against the clock to save the antelope, which must now contend with the ravages of the drought. Full Story
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The former county judge on why he's running for chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, what would pull the party out of the doldrums and what he thinks of the Republicans. Full Story
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Thousands of oil wells sit abandoned in Texas, and with oil and gas on the rise again, another generation of defunct wells may appear if the boom subsides. Dave Fehling of KUHF News reports for StateImpact Texas on the risks and costs associated with so-called orphan wells. Full Story
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The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association could be raising premium rates soon — and for the time first, adjusting policyholder premiums depending on the likelihood of severe storm damage or hurricanes in specific areas. Full Story
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Today marks the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon accident, which spilled millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Terrence Henry of KUT News reports for StateImpact Texas on the continuing recovery efforts in the Gulf and the work that remains. Full Story
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In the final installment of a series on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, Mose Buchele of StateImpact Texas, in partnership with StateImpact Oklahoma, reports on what happens when laws favoring landowners come into conflict with pipeline companies granted the power to seize land. Full Story
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Less than a year after a wildfire burned 96 percent of Bastrop State Park’s 6,613 acres, the park is bouncing back. Here's a photographic trip through the park, where camping areas and hiking trails having recently reopened. Full Story
After a wildfire in September burned 96 percent of Bastrop State Park, the park is beginning to recover, and this month parts of the park opened for the first time since January. Full Story
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Less than a year after a wildfire burned 96 percent of Bastrop State Park’s 6,613 acres, the park is bouncing back. Here's a photographic trip through the park, where camping areas and hiking trails having recently reopened. Full Story
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The former chairman of the Public Utility Commission, a Port Arthur native, discusses the reasons behind the long-term power crunch in Texas, his role in the wind boom and the future of solar power. Full Story
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