Environment

A Republican lawmaker fears a new Texas law that allows the hunting of wild pigs and coyotes from hot air balloons could lead to “future catastrophes” without increased oversight of commercial ballooning. 

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Cheap, imported solar panels have fueled growth in the solar industry in Texas, and reinvigorated the careers of laid-off oilfield workers. Some industry leaders fear a trade case will increase prices and end that growth. 

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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Zebra mussels are found in Lake Travis, a new approach to wastewater treatment and an interview with Carrie Kasnicka of the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust.

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A federal judge has blocked the purchase of the company that runs Texas' only nuclear waste dump — a setback in its proposal to accept spent nuclear fuel from across the country. 

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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Zebra mussels are found in Canyon Lake, a debate on the benefits of off-channel reservoirs and an interview with Marcus Gary of the Edwards Aquifer Authority.

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Dozens of cities and towns in Texas have ordinances aimed at protecting trees. During the special legislative session, Gov. Greg Abbott wants to change that. 

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After the EPA announced that the implementation of new, stricter standards for ozone levels in the air will be delayed a year, the city of San Antonio is forging ahead with plans to reduce emissions.

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Before he became governor, Greg Abbott was asked to replant trees on his Austin property — a regulation he has set out to axe during the upcoming special session of the Texas Legislature.

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Eighteen months ago, we asked the government for documents that should have shed a lot of light on Houston's vulnerability to a massive hurricane. After finally receiving them, it turns out the documents are basically useless. 

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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Trump's proposed border wall threatens wetlands in Presidio, a controversy at the comptroller's office over handling of rare species and an interview with Kate Zerrenner of the Environmental Defense Fund.

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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: A closer look at the regulatory structure of interbasin transfers, the Senate moves to protect the San Marcos River and an interview with Ashleigh Acevedo, an attorney at Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C.

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Facing sky-high electricity rates, several West Texas churches hope lawmakers will answer their calls for relief in the final days of the Legislative session, but the odds look slim.  

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A tort-reform bill that would discourage property owners from suing insurers over weather-related claims tentatively passed the Texas Senate on Tuesday.

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In a March 3 meeting with a constituent, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller suggested that his agency could change the label on a hog poison to eliminate important warnings and a requirement to bury the carcasses of poisoned animals, which he said simply wasn't "doable." 

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Attorney General Ken Paxton has dropped a lawsuit against the city of Brownsville over a 2010 ordinance that imposed a $1 per-transaction fee on plastic bags offered at grocery stores and other retailers.

 

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A Democratic senator on Tuesday made a last-ditch effort to beef up a bill aimed at reforming and reauthorizing the state’s oil and gas regulatory agency — legislation environmental groups and watchdogs have decried as toothless.

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The Texas Senate on Thursday gave its blessing to a bill that would eliminate the state’s vehicle safety inspection requirement for most vehicles. It would still apply for commercial vehicles.

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A measure that would've guaranteed a set amount of funding to state parks was upturned in 2015. Lawmakers and advocates are hoping similar legislation will stick this session.

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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: More folks could be "gone to Texas" to escape rising sea levels, a report urges recycling of oil and gas field wastewater and an interview with Tom Arsuffi of the Llano River Field Station.

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City officials on Monday testified against a bill that would limit the ability of Texas cities to ban residents from cutting down trees on their properties. Republican lawmakers have filed several such bills this year.

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