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January 24, 2016

Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: January 24, 2015

Featured

  1. Pasadena Refinery Linked To Scandal In Brazil Needs A New Pollution Permit (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media, 1/18/2016)
    “Even though it’s not the biggest refinery along the Houston Ship Channel, the facility known as the Pasadena Refining System has attracted attention here and internationally as well. It is one of the smaller ones, but it is disproportionately responsible for pollution,’ says Adrian Shelley, director of Air Alliance Houston, an environmental group. Shelley’s group is working to get nearby residents to attend a public hearing later this month. It’s being held by the Texas Commission on Environment Quality, the TCEQ, to hear testimony about whether Pasadena Refining System should be granted a new permit to emit air pollution.”
    www.houstonpublicmedia.org
  2. Tons Of Coal Waste In Texas But EPA’s New Regulation Lacks Weight (Houston Public Media, 1/20/2016)
    “No state burns more coal to make electricity than Texas. And therefore the state produces some of the nation’s largest amounts of what’s left over: coal ash. Millions of tons of coal ash end-up in landfills and waste ponds across Texas. Some of the ponds are unlined. The coal ash waste contains toxic metals, like mercury, and the fear is it could leach into groundwater. New federal rules by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are taking effect. The rules require new ponds be lined and most all such sites to be monitored for leaching. But there has been push-back from Texas and other states, which say the federal rules aren’t needed, because the states already have and enforce their own coal ash rules. But the federal ones are tougher says the EPA’s Betsy Devlin in Washington.”
    www.houstonpublicmedia.org
  3. Scenic Houston raises funds to start Broadway upgrade (Erin Mulvaney – Houston Chronicle, 1/12/2016)
    “A local nonprofit has raised nearly 70 percent of the money it needs to improve the look of a 2-mile stretch of Broadway Street, as part of an effort to give travelers leaving Hobby Airport a better first impression of the city.The leaders of Scenic Houston said Tuesday they have raised $5 million from public and private sources toward a $7.5 million plan to add more than 400 live oak trees, LED street lights, better crosswalks and cohesive landscaping to the street. Construction is slated to start in the second quarter. It is scheduled to finish by year’s end.”www.houstonchronicle.com

EcoNotes

  • 23 January
    • Sky-high Power Rates Spark Outrage in Rural Texas (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
  • 22 January
  • 21 January
    • Texas Loses Bid to Block Obama’s Clean Power Plan (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Anthropocene: Humans leaving an indelible mark on new era, researchers say (Texas Climate News)
      http://texasclimatenews.org
    • Southwestern Energy To Slash 1,100 Jobs (Andrew Schneider – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • 2015: Hottest year on record – and by a record margin, US, UK scientists say (Bill Dawson – Texas Climate News)
      http://texasclimatenews.org
    • Video: A Conversation with Glenn Hegar (Evan Smith – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites Receive $50,000 Donation (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      http://tpwd.texas.gov
    • SEAFWA Recognizes Game Warden for Outstanding Service (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      http://tpwd.texas.gov
    • Natural gas likely overtook coal as top U.S. power source in 2015 (Scott DiSavino – Planet Ark News)
      http://planetark.org
  • 20 January
  • 19 January
    • Halff Senate testimony on the near-term outlook for energy and commodity markets (Center on Global Energy Policy)
      http://energypolicy.columbia.edu
    • UTA civil engineers shaping sustainable solutions, increasing energy output at landfill (Phys.org)
      http://phys.org
    • Saving Texas’ Water through Smart Energy Choices in 2016 (Kate Zerrenner – EDF)
      http://blogs.edf.org
  • 18 January
    • Pasadena Refinery Linked To Scandal In Brazil Needs A New Pollution Permit (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • Houston Transit Riders Could Soon Have A New Option For Paying Their Fare (Gail Delaugher – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • Celebrate 50 Years of Bayou Preservation Tonight (Katharine Shilcutt – Houstonia)
      www.houstoniamag.com
    • Houston group collecting water to combat flint crisis (ABC13 News)
      http://abc13.com
  • 17 January
  • 15 January
    • With New Toolkit To Promote Healthy Communities, Feds Highlight Sharpstown High School (Laura Isensee – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
  • 14 January
    • Here’s what Houston’s Botanic Garden could look like (Laura Furr – Houston Business Journal)
      www.bizjournals.com
    • News out of the EPA’s Office of Civil Rights: Meeting the Mandate vs. Rewriting It (Brian Butler – airCurrent News)
      http://airalliancehouston.org
  • 12 January
  • 11 January