The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
A North Texas rancher’s protest of a power line that splits his land — one he says was built in the wrong place — could prompt new rules addressing when a transmission company can tweak a line’s route after it is approved. Full Story
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A month after a fire destroyed 225 homes near Fritch, the small Panhandle town is grappling with questions about its future after years of drought and a steadily declining population. Full Story
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Last month, the Railroad Commission of Texas rejected an argument that drilling activity was to blame for methane migrating into a North Texas neighborhood's water supply. But independent geoscientists remain divided on the issue. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry spent his lunch hour Thursday with a couple dozen reporters in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to turn the page on last week's controversial remarks on homosexuality and to once again stoke talk of a 2016 presidential run. Full Story
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A key Republican lawmaker and a Democratic candidate for railroad commissioner are among those expressing concerns about the Railroad Commission of Texas' practice of preventing staffers from talking to members of the media. Full Story
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Texas' top leadership on Wednesday evening gave orders to boost spending at the Texas-Mexico border by $1.3 million a week through at least the end of the calendar year. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: LCRA talks water rates, water conservation discussed in North Texas and California and an interview with Martin Rochelle of Lloyd Gosselink. Full Story
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UPDATED: The Texas Water Development Board’s release of draft rules Tuesday afternoon offered Texans a clearer sense of how the board will prioritize and fund competing water supply projects. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry and other Texas leaders say a federal proposal to combat climate change is a direct assault on energy providers. This Tribune analysis examines what Texas would have to do to reach the goals set forth in the proposal — if that proposal stays as is. Full Story
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House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's stunning loss in his GOP primary contest in Virginia on Tuesday has boosted the political fortunes of Texas Republican Jeb Hensarling. Full Story
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The Coast Guard is trying to learn what might have prevented a collision that dumped more than 100,000 gallons of oil into Galveston Bay in March. At a recent hearing, the National Transportation Safety Board pointed a finger right back at the Coast Guard. Full Story
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Post-convention analyses touch on the Cruz effect, the challenges in managing a political transition from Perry to Abbott as well as fissures that might be appearing within the party. Full Story
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While Barnett Shale gas producers deny any connection between methane-contaminated wells and their operations, a pair of scientists dispute that. They say test results just released by state regulators provide concrete evidence of a link. Full Story
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Across Texas, ranchers are voting this week whether to expand a program that promotes the beef industry. The election has sparked debate on the way beef business is done in the state and across the country. Full Story
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A new report by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management highlights North Texans' concerns about a disputed stretch of land along the Red River – including feral hogs, trash, meth labs and a general lack of management. Full Story
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Consumer advocates fear prepaid electricity plans could leave low-income Texans vulnerable to hidden fees and sudden electricity shutoffs. But companies that offer the plans say there is great consumer demand for them. Full Story
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In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: a tough canoe race, a planned northeast Texas reservoir spurs debate and an interview with Jordan Furnans of INTERA. Full Story
Private aerospace company SpaceX has received a preliminary green light from the FAA for a launch site in the southern tip of Texas. Some in Brownsville are over the moon about the economic windfall it could bring. Full Story
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President Obama on Monday announced a plan for sweeping climate regulations that would dramatically slash carbon emissions from power plants. Here's a look at how the rules — which are sure to be challenged — would impact Texas. Full Story
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As some open-carry activists look to take their long-gun-brandishing demonstrations outside the state GOP convention in Fort Worth, the movement's efforts are catching criticism from a pair of unlikely sources — the nation's largest gun-rights group and a state legislator who has pushed open-carry legislation. Full Story
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