In Texas, environmental activists and experts raise the alarm about the potential impact on public health if the Toxic Substances Control Act is weakened.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Courts
Legal fight over SpaceX beach closures hits Texas Supreme Court
The justices are considering the constitutionality of a 2013 law in a lawsuit brought by environmentalist and indigenous groups against the General Land Office and Cameron County.
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Hill Country floods
Camp Mystic can’t alter flood-damaged area while civil suit proceeds, judge rules
Cabins, grounds and other buildings hit by the July 4 flood on the Guadalupe River cannot be renovated or removed, according to the order.
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Environment
Dow asks Texas to legalize plastic pollution from its Seadrift complex
Facing multiple lawsuits, North America’s largest chemical manufacturer requests an “unprecedented” permit amendment to authorize its discharge of polyethylene pellets into coastal waters.
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Hill Country floods
Dan Patrick seeks to block Camp Mystic’s summer reopening pending inquiry into July 4 flood deaths
The lieutenant governor’s request to delay renewing the camp’s license came hours after parents who lost children in the July 4 flood sued the state for its alleged failure to enforce an evacuation plan requirement.
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Environment
The border wall is closing in on Big Bend, sparking opposition by locals
Residents and elected officials are speaking out against a proposed border barrier through Texas’ biggest state park and one of the jewels of the national park system.
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Environment
Texas sues Dow, claiming “habitual” pollution violations at Gulf Coast chemical plant
Local citizens who are preparing their own lawsuit against the chemical giant say Attorney General Ken Paxton’s suit could shield Dow from bigger penalties.
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State Government
Texas county rejects a moratorium on data center development amid AI boom
The 3-2 vote from Hood County commissioners Tuesday came after they received a letter from a state senator saying they did not have the power to issue a moratorium.
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Environment
Attorney general sues Bastrop factory after residents complain about noxious odors
The state’s environmental regulator has issued multiple environmental violations and the lawsuit states the company has failed to fix the problems.
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Environment
“A disaster waiting to happen”: How the fracking boom put an oil field in the Guadalupe River floodplain
Lack of a state floodplain policy enabled oil companies to build in parts of Texas hit by an epic inundation less than 30 years ago.