This slideshow shows various images from a far east El Paso community where a proposed power plant near a colonia has spurred some residents to mobilize in opposition.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Energy
Texas Deer Breeders Want Fewer State Regulations
Texas deer breeders say that excessive oversight from Texas Parks and Wildlife is constraining their industry. Supported by the Texas Deer Association, several bills would make major changes to deer breeding across the state.
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Energy
Underground Reservoir Technology Advances
Amid continued worries about reservoir levels statewide, several Texas communities are exploring the concept of underground storage reservoirs, which do not lose water to evaporation or flood agricultural land.
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Energy
Senate Committee Discusses Fracking Groundwater Rules
Should groundwater districts be allowed to require permits for drilling companies wanting to withdraw water for hydraulic fracturing? Oil companies oppose the idea, and on Tuesday, the Senate Natural Resources Committee debated the issue.
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Water for Fracking
Interactive Map: Texas Wastewater Disposal
Use our interactive map to see more than 7,000 sites across Texas where wastewater from oil and gas operations is being disposed of. Enter your ZIP code to find disposal wells near you.
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Energy
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Education, Water, Faith and Family
This week in the Newsreel: The Legislature makes progress on key education and water bills; Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, is busted for barratry; and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst bares his partisan teeth.
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Water for Fracking
As Fracking Proliferates, So Do Disposal Wells
As the water-intensive practice of fracking continues to spread, the amount of wastewater being buried in disposal wells around Texas has skyrocketed. But the wells bring concerns about truck traffic and the possibility of groundwater contamination.
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Water for Fracking
Use of Brackish Water Rising in Drilling Regions, but Challenges Persist
In drilling regions like the Permian Basin, where the water needs of fracking have run up against a historic drought, drillers are increasingly turning to brackish groundwater previously thought too expensive to use.
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Water for Fracking
Waterless Fracking Makes Headway in Texas, Slowly
Most fracking operations use several million gallons of water. But with water increasingly scarce and costly around Texas, a few companies have begun using alternative liquids, such as propane. Experts say the technology still has far to go.
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Energy
Drought Response Sparks the Battle of St. Augustine
The state’s drought and the resulting need for conservation is starting to affect voters who are not usually aware of water shortages — people in the suburbs, with lush, thirsty lawns.