The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
A barrel of West Texas crude is selling for near $40 these days, a roughly 60 percent plunge from the roaring summer of 2014. Drilling communities are worried, but state officials aren't sweating. Full Story
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On the fourth day of a criminal trial involving undrinkable water in two border communities, one of the two defendants pleaded guilty to all charges against him. Full Story
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State environmental regulators should have done more to protect the safety of drinking water for two small border communities in Webb County, defense lawyers argued Thursday in the criminal trial for two former water treatment plant employees. Full Story
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Renewing his vow to sue if the answer is no, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday officially asked the Environmental Protection Agency to halt a sweeping plan designed to combat climate change while existing legal challenges from other states play out. Full Story
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The blame game over who's responsible for the problems 8,000 border residents have with their drinking water is playing out in a Laredo court, as Webb County water treatment plant workers face charges of falsifying records to hide contamination from state regulators. Full Story
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The federal EPA on Tuesday proposed another set of rules aimed at battling climate change. These would slash oil and gas sector emissions of methane, which often leaks from well pads, compressor stations, processing plants and other equipment used in production. Full Story
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A video of George P. Bush obtained by the Tribune highlights the rising political star’s unease about the the 179-year-old agency he inherited and his commitment to shake it up. Full Story
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In the time it has taken the state and federal governments to hold a Koch Industries affiliate responsible for a South Texas oil spill, 17 different quarterbacks started games for the Dallas Cowboys. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday made this appeal to Texans: Curb your electricity use, if you can – for the grid’s sake. Full Story
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More than a decade after the power market was deregulated for 85 percent of the state, some Texans are finding better deals on electricity. But most have paid thousands more than customers still served by monopoly utilities, a new report says. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: Experts are still assessing the damage from the spill of mining effluents into the Animas River, a new study attempts to measure groundwater use in the Eagle Ford Shale and an interview with Jason M. Evans of Stetson University. Full Story
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The University of Texas at Austin and the Japanese government are joining forces to tackle a growing problem of the digital age: As data centers crop up across the U.S., they're sucking up a lot of electricity. Full Story
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Pope Francis has called on people of faith and science to come together and address the perils of climate change, and President Obama has finalized his ambitious carbon-cutting Clean Power Plan. But Texas Republicans aren't signing on, Catholic or not. Full Story
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The Texas General Land Office says it held the first online oil and gas lease auction in the state’s history on Tuesday, netting some $20 million for public schools. Land Commissioner George P. Bush is taking credit for the move. Full Story
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A loophole in state law allowed some developers to block solar installations on homes in new neighborhoods. Now it's been plugged. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series. Full Story
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President Obama on Monday unveiled the final version of his state-by-state effort to combat climate change by reshaping the nation’s energy sector – a plan that has roiled Republican leaders in Texas. Full Story
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After President Obama unveils the nitty-gritty of his sweeping, state-by-state plan to fight climate change, no one doubts Texas will sue. But some who will bear the brunt of complying with the new regulations are calling that knee-jerk reaction shortsighted. Full Story
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The operator of the electric grid that covers most of the state called for Texans to temporarily curb their electricity use for a few hours on Thursday afternoon as record-breaking demands strain the state’s energy resources. Full Story
Upset about the way a recent state audit painted the agency he lead for 12 years, former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is jabbing his successor, George P. Bush, for failing to push back against the audit’s findings. Full Story
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As oilfield waste disposal wells proliferate in Texas, groundwater managers are keenly interested in where they're going and how carefully they construct them. And they're asking the industry and regulators for further help. Full Story
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