Galveston County alone is home to 22 refineries and chemical plants. Their level of emergency preparedness varies widely.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Environment
Corpus Christi declines to seek federal grant for long-debated water desalination plant
City Council members traded insults before the 5-4 vote blocked an effort to apply for up to $120 million in federal grants to help build the treatment plant.
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Screwworm in Texas
Screwworm: Fact vs. fiction
As cases of the New World screwworm increase, so do rumors about the parasitic fly. Here are some of the biggest myths.
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Data Centers in Texas
Hundreds of data centers are coming to Texas. Here’s what you need to know.
Texas is experiencing an AI-driven data center boom with at least 248 projects planned statewide. Here’s what to know about the industry’s rapid growth and the debate over its impact.
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Energy
Tensions with landowners rise as a raft of gas pipelines push through Texas properties
Rising demand for Texas natural gas by data centers and foreign nations has sparked a surge in pipeline projects
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Screwworm in Texas
The U.S. last beat screwworm in 1966. Can current leaders learn from the past’s playbook?
Faced with a modern outbreak that could endure for decades, historical documents are offering officials solutions to eradicate the parasite again.
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Screwworm in Texas
USDA defends screwworm response amid congressional fingerpointing
There is bipartisan agreement that the country is not producing nearly enough sterile flies to combat the flesh-eating parasite, which threatens to wreak havoc on Texas’ livestock industry.
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Screwworm in Texas
Texas officials say rodents and other small wildlife could be to blame for New World Screwworm infestations
Until now, cattle were believed to be the main screwworm carriers. Investigations continue.
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Environment
Recent rain gives Corpus Christi a 9-month reprieve on projected water crisis
Emergency restrictions are now expected to hit in September 2027, so the coastal city still faces a challenging future.
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Screwworm in Texas
“Mass euthanasias”: Screwworm could have deeper implications for Texas’ already-crowded animal shelters
Most stray animal shelters are already at capacity. Adding a deadly parasitic infestation could create an even more dire situation.
