More than 100 Texas refinery, chemical and utility plants have told the Environmental Protection Agency they plan to apply for federal air permits, which Gov. Rick Perry has said will cut jobs. Erika Aguilar of KUT News looks at whether the EPA’s new requirements have done that.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Energy
Regulators Approve More Safety, Environmental Studies of Proposed Nuclear Plant Site
Federal regulators have determined that safety and environmental claims need to be investigated more thoroughly before a site in Victoria County can be declared suitable for a potential nuclear power plant.
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Energy
To Tackle Drought, Can Lawmakers Do More Than Pray for Rain?
The Texas drought is already a significant natural disaster. What can the government do to help those who are hit hardest?
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aguilar on a change in law that affects applications for state-issued IDs, Galbraith on how the drought is taking its toll on wildlife, Hamilton on an outsider’s attempt to lower the cost of higher ed, Murphy visualizes the partisanship of House members, Ramsey on who becomes Lite Guv if David Dewhurst takes another job, Ramshaw on life in the colonias and three stories about Rick Perry — Grissom on how his death penalty stance might play in a 2012 presidential race, Root on how he cemented his reputation as one of the state’s most powerful governors and Tan on the growing demand for him to speak elsewhere: The best of our best content from July 4 to July 8, 2011.
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Energy
The Next Green Grocery Frontier: Zero Waste?
A trio of brothers and their business partner are hoping to change grocery shopping habits in Austin with in.gredients, billed as the first “zero-waste, package-free” market in the nation.
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Energy
Lengthy Drought Takes Toll on Wildlife
It may be a bad year for hunters: The number of wild turkeys, quail and even squirrels will be down due to one of the worst droughts in state history. One bright spot is that feral hogs, a statewide nuisance, will also decrease.
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Energy
Across Texas, Athletic Fields Suffer in Drought
As one of the worst droughts in Texas history intensifies, a notable if lesser worry is the condition of athletic fields. Some fields are getting patchy already, and a summer of 90 or 100 degree temperatures still lies ahead.
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Energy
Wildfires, Burn Bans Rage Across Texas
So far this year, the Texas Forest Service has responded to roughly 1,500 wildfires across Texas, the damage of which spreads across 2.5 million acres, according to our interactive map. And burn bans are spreading just as fast.
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Energy
Llano Ponders a Future When a River No Longer Runs Through It
The small Central Texas town of Llano, entirely dependent on a river that’s now only a trickle, is facing potentially draconian water restrictions. And it’s not alone. If rain doesn’t come soon, more cities could too.
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Criminal Justice
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
An Everybody-in-the-Pool effort on what’s left to do in the special session, Ramshaw on a doozy of a congressional race shaping up, Aguilar on the debate over sanctuary cities and other immigration proposals, M. Smith on the state’s used-up Rainy Day Fund, Grissom on efforts to kick the special interests out of an insurance fight, Dehn and Tan on whether the special session helps or hurts the governor’s national ambitions, Galbraith and KUT Radio team up for a series on the long-term outlook for Central Texas water, Aaronson on government attempts to balance openness and privacy with data releases, yours truly on Amazon’s run at a sales tax break, and Hamilton on an ethnic gap in higher education: The best of our best from June 20 to 24, 2011.