The state comptroller’s office went back to the drawing board after the failure of a 6-year-old plan to protect the dunes sagebrush lizard that relied on voluntary participation by the oil and gas industry.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Environment
In years-long fight over proposed South Texas landfill, flood risks now take center stage
Webb County officials say they want to rely on the latest science to ensure the site is safe from floods. The company behind the proposed landfill thinks opponents are playing politics to delay construction.
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Environment
Harris County sets election over $2.5 billion bond to fund flood protection projects after Harvey
Voters will weigh in on the bond proposal on Aug. 25, the one-year anniversary of when Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas.
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Guides
Hurricane season starts June 1. Here are some ways Texans can prepare.
People along the Texas coast should consider buying insurance, packing an emergency supply kit and learning their evacuation routes now.
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Environment
After Arkema chemical fires, industry needs more guidance on flood protections, federal investigators say
Workers at the Arkema chemical plant outside Houston “appeared to be unaware” that the site was at risk of flooding. Both the company and the industry’s regulators need to do more to plan for flooding, federal investigators said in a new report.
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Environment
After anti-wall website launches on the border, Texas Farm Bureau fires off cease-and-desist letter
A new website created to stir up opposition to President Trump’s border wall has already caused one organization to threaten legal action. The website’s creators said that means their message is getting heard.
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Environment
As cities sprawl, more Texans are exposed to tornadoes
Texas’ population has grown faster than any other large state’s this decade, and when it comes to tornadoes, that growth poses an increased threat to residents. The Dallas-Fort Worth tornado outbreak on April 3, 2012, was just one example of how much damage can be done to expanding metropolitan areas.
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Energy
Environmental groups ask feds to protect threatened West Texas lizard
Two environmental groups asked the federal government on Tuesday to list the dunes sagebrush lizard as threatened or endangered.
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Environment
Federal agents peered into a duffel bag on the Mexico border. They found a tiger cub.
The tiger was turned over Brownsville’s Gladys Porter Zoo. It was likely tranquilized to keep him still and quiet during the journey, according to senior veterinarian Tom deMaar.
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In Harvey's Wake
New health survey aims to quantify Hurricane Harvey’s physical, mental toll
Rice University, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Houston Health Department announced an information-gathering initiative on Wednesday that seeks to better understand the impact of the historic storm on Houston-area residents, including by linking health problems to environmental exposures.