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.
Environment
Coverage of climate, conservation, natural resources, and environmental policy shaping the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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.
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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.
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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.
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Energy
Explosions from unregulated pipelines can kill in Texas while energy companies go unpunished
People can die when small rural pipelines called “gathering lines” explode. But after decades of talk among industry representatives and regulators, the death of a little girl in Texas serves as a reminder that there are still no rules.
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Environment
Report: Harris County buyouts of flooded homes have been less than strategic
A new study by The Nature Conservancy and Texas A&M University says it’s more cost effective to buy out homes in clusters instead of an uncoordinated, checkerboard approach.
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Energy
Railroad commissioners voice doubts that Permian Basin flaring is more prevalent than reported
The Environmental Defense Fund concluded that oil producers burned off more natural gas than they reported to the state. But Texas officials expressed skepticism of those findings during a state Senate hearing Wednesday.
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Economy
Gov. Abbott, other Texas officials urge feds to clear way for Harvey money
The state has been waiting a year for the federal government to set rules for how $4.3 billion in disaster recovery grants can be spent.
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Energy
Report: Unauthorized air pollution in Texas up 27 percent in 2017
An analysis by the research arm of Environment Texas found that 275 companies across the state reported emitting 63 million pounds of hazardous and climate-warming pollutants from their facilities in 2017.