Oil and gas companies have complained that protests and court cases have slowed construction of pipelines needed as U.S. fossil fuel production expands.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
Posted in
Energy
Why has Texas suddenly decided to immediately sue industrial polluters?
In recent weeks, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has swiftly sued two companies over major fires at their Houston-area plants. It’s a dramatic departure from the state’s usual approach to environmental enforcement.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Texas environmental chief: There’s still a fire risk at Deer Park facility
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Executive Director Toby Baker told a special panel of state senators on Thursday that first responders are still actively managing an incident at a Houston-area petrochemical facility that began last month.
Posted in
Environment
Environmentalists take petrochemical giant Formosa to court over plastics pollution
For years, Diane Wilson has tried to get Formosa Plastics Corp. to stop discharging plastic pellets from its sprawling petrochemical complex on the Central Texas coast. This week, she’s getting her day in court.
Posted in
Environment
Texas sues company behind Deer Park terminal fire
Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an environmental lawsuit against Intercontinental Terminals late Friday seeking tens of thousands of dollars in damages.
Posted in
Environment
Shelter-in-place order lifted in Deer Park after benzene levels decline
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said that at the maximum levels detected, the benzene levels could cause headaches and nausea, but no long-term effects. State Rep. Briscoe Cain has called for an investigation into the incident.
Posted in
Environment
Laredo officials want to use border wall money to fund a riverfront project
A decade ago, Laredo leaders hatched an idea for a riverfront development aimed at luring more people to downtown. Now they’re trying to get the federal government to make it part of President Donald Trump’s border wall.
Posted in
Guides
Deer Park terminal fire extinguished after three days of burning
A fire that broke out Sunday morning at a petrochemical storage facility in the industrial Houston suburb stopped burning overnight.
Posted in
Environment
State regulators: No ‘immediate health concerns’ from Deer Park terminal fire
In a statement Monday afternoon, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality said air quality monitoring “had not detected any immediate health concerns at ground level” amid a multi-tank fire at a petrochemical storage facility near Houston.
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Texas Legislature 2019
Post-Harvey, Texas State Aquarium seeks funds for new wildlife rescue center
Before Hurricane Harvey, state aquarium staff evacuated turtles, stingrays, dolphins and other recovering animals from an aging rescue center they feared would blow away. Now, they’re asking the state for help to build a new facility.