The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: An El Paso Water Utilities purchase of a ranch stirs concerns about water exports, algae blooms hint at systems out of balance across the globe and an interview with Greg Story of the National Weather Service West Gulf River Forecast Center. Full Story
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A recent study has thrust the Wink Sinks — two breathtaking sinkholes in Winkler County which have long been objects of fear and fascination — into the national spotlight. Full Story
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Donna Nelson, who chairs the Texas Public Utility Commission, is trying to crack down on deceptive electricity providers and make it easier for Texans to shop for electricity. Full Story
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The oil bust is threatening to deal a serious financial blow to schools in oil-producing regions across the state — particularly if it lingers. Full Story
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A ban on the trade of shark fins in Texas goes into effect Friday — just in time for the popular string of Discovery Channel programming known as “Shark Week.” Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his Alabama counterpart have dropped their legal bid to squelch a U.S. Virgin Islands investigation of Exxon Mobil after the U.S. territory agreed to with draw a subpoena for company documents. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: New opportunities for water utilities to promote conservation, a new water quality study of the Pedernales River and an interview with Chelsea A.J. Hawkins of the Alliance for Water Efficiency. Full Story
On Tuesday, lawyers for Laredo merchants argued the city's plastic bag ban conflicts with state law. The case has become a flashpoint in a roiling debate over the limits of local control, and the ruling could strike bag bans across Texas. Full Story
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Volkswagen has agreed to pay Texas $50 million as part of what is being described as the largest auto-related class-action settlement in U.S. history. Full Story
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to intervene in an effort to thwart an investigation into whether Exxon Mobil misled investors about the risks of climate change. Here’s a guide to Paxton’s effort and how it fits into the much broader climate change battle in the United States. Full Story
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A Texas Supreme Court ruling has spared the state from having to issue billions of dollars in tax refunds to oil and gas drillers — a prospect that had threatened to shake up the next legislative session. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Ranchers have a new problem in frack ponds, water utilities find possible vulnerability to cyberattack and an interview with Tim Loftus of Texas State University and the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Full Story
Rep. Jason Villalba, a Dallas Republican, is helping launch LightSwitch Solutions, an Austin-based public relations and consulting firm with plans to shape opinion about local policy. Full Story
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Since leaving office in 2007, former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller has been championing "clean coal" technology, but these days plans for a West Texas gasification plant appear to be on life support. Full Story
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Texans who shopped for electricity in 2014 paid more on average than folks who only had one power option — but the difference was smaller than in years past. Full Story
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A recent Texas Supreme Court ruling favoring a South Plains ranch was described by some as a major win for private property rights, but others painted it as more of a win for developers. Full Story
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If there’s any silver lining for those royalty owners in these cloudy times, it’s this: Their property tax bills should also plummet. But some advocates are wondering whether many local governments are assigning values that are too high. Full Story
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Amid the worst oil bust in decades, the energy capital of West Texas hasn’t slowed down much. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Development has increased flooding dangers in Flash Flood Alley, amazing video of a recharging aquifer and an interview with Samuel Brody of the Texas A&M University at Galveston. Full Story
Texas environmental groups have scored a major victory in a six-year legal battle with the world’s largest oil company. Full Story
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