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Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: October 28, 2014

Featured

  1. Study: Major bus expansion key to relieving Woodlands’ traffic congestion (John D. Harden – Houston Chronicle, 10/17/2014)
    An ambitious plan to expand mass transit could improve traffic and air quality in The Woodlands, according to a draft of a long-awaited transit plan released by transportation officials. The plan, recently presented to Woodlands Township officials, includes short- and long-term goals to expand bus service in Town Center and throughout the Montgomery County community, as well as park-and-ride service into Houston. If implemented, the transit expansion could include about $12 million in start-up infrastructure and vehicle costs, in addition to up to $6 million a year in operational expenses. Township members aren’t going to be quick to hit the gas on implementation. They said they need more information about the study and the data to justify the recommendations.
    www.houstonchronicle.com
  2. TRDI Study Seeks to Quantify Recycling Activities in Texas (Power Engineering International, 10/21/2014)
    A statewide survey launched October 15 by the Texas Recycling Data Initiative (TRDI) is seeking to quantify the amount of recycling occurring throughout Texas. The survey is intended to give Texas policy makers the information they need to examine the economic, environmental and policy issues of interest to Texas businesses, citizens, and governmental agencies. Survey results will be made available to the 84th Texas Legislative Session that begins in January 2015. Survey data will allow the legislature to evaluate the costs and economic benefits of recycling… TRDI seeks to measure not just the amount of material being recycled, but the types of material and the places where those materials are being recycled. In addition to tracking traditional recyclables collected, the project will gather data on organics, construction and demolition material, electronics, and household hazardous waste.
    www.powerengineeringint.com
  3. Thousands drawn to debut of Hermann Park garden (Rebecca Hennes – Houston Chronicle, 10/18/2014)
    Thousands of nature lovers gathered at Hermann Park Saturday to celebrate its 100th anniversary with the unveiling of a new eight-acre garden, complete with an extravagant pavilion and a massive 30-foot “mount” that gives visitors a panoramic view of the park’s landscaping and surrounding museum district… The 15-acre lot, previously known as the Houston Garden Center, was transformed through an eight-year effort into the McGovern Centennial Gardens. It’s the largest improvement project in the Hermann Park Conservancy’s history.
    www.houstonchronicle.com

EcoNotes

  • 27 October
    • Midterm Elections Could Strengthen Opponents of Crude Oil Export Ban (Andrew Schneider – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
  • 24 October
  • 23 October
  • 22 October
    • Does Drop In Oil Prices Make Texas Crude Too Expensive? (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
      http://stateimpact.npr.org
    • UH Researcher Wins $1.5 Million Federal Solar Energy Award (Jeannie Kever – University of Houston News)
      www.uh.edu
  • 21 October
    • TRDI Study Seeks to Quantify Recycling Activities in Texas (Power Engineering International)
      www.powerengineeringint.com
    • Rubinstein: All Texans can participate in water planning (Carlos Rubinstein – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • Texas plant to debut new carbon capture technology (David Hendricks, San Antonio Express-News – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • First-of-its-kind carbon capture plant opens in North San Antonio (David Hendricks – Fuel Fix)
      http://fuelfix.com
    • Texas scientist: We don’t need to reduce smog because we spend 90 percent of our time indoors (Joanna Rothkopf – Salon)
      www.salon.com
    • Voters Cast Ballots in First-Ever Push to Ban Fracking in Texas (Mose Buchele – StateImpact)
      http://stateimpact.npr.org
    • Disappearing Rio Grande Expedition Recap (Colin McDonald and Jessi Loerch – Trib + Water)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Texas on Lonely Side of Battle Over Ozone Pollution (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Does Drop In Oil Prices Make Texas Crude Too Expensive? (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • Texas pipeline company pays $306,570 in fines for multiple Marcellus violations (John Beauge – PennLive)
      www.pennlive.com
  • 20 October
    • Rice Crew moves to Buffalo Bayou (David Ruth – Rice News)
      http://news.rice.edu
    • Exploration Green protected from commercial development forever (The Bay Area Citizen)
      www.yourhoustonnews.com
    • Texas water regulation reform could be next step to quenching state’s thirst (Matthew Walker – Corpus Christi Caller Times)
      www.caller.com
    • Routes for proposed Houston-Dallas bullet trains unveiled (Dug Begley – Houston Chronicle)
      http://blog.chron.com
    • Webster honored by Scenic Texas at Scenic City certification event (The Bay Area Citizen)
      www.yourhoustonnews.com
    • Routes for proposed Houston-Dallas bullet trains unveiled (Dug Begley – Houston Chronicle)
      http://blog.chron.com
    • Nuclear-reactor ship headed to Galveston to be scrapped – Your Houston News: News Nuclear-reactor ship headed to Galveston to be scrapped (Kristi Nix – The Pasadena Citizen)
      www.yourhoustonnews.com
    • Photos: Inside Hermann Park’s new gardens and pavilion (Paul Takahashi – Houston Business Journal)
      www.bizjournals.com
    • Texas PUC Leaves CenterPoint’s ‘Excess Revenue’ Untouched (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
      http://stateimpact.npr.org
  • 19 October
  • 18 October
  • 17 October
    • Study: Major bus expansion key to relieving Woodlands’ traffic congestion (John D. Harden – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • Houston unveils a new park space: Vision for city’s Green game changer dates back to 1924 (Joel Luks – Culture Map Houston)
      http://houston.culturemap.com
    • Officials hope downtown bike lane opens by end of year (Dug Begley – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • Stunning Buffalo Bayou mansion proves to be the perfect setting for waterways protecting gala (Shelby Hodge – Culture Map Houston)
      http://houston.culturemap.com
    • Yellow-rumped warblers should arrive in Houston area any time now (Gary Clark – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • Texas PUC Leaves CenterPoint’s ‘Excess Revenue’ Untouched (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • How Much ‘Excess Revenue’ Did CenterPoint Energy Make? (Dave Fehling – StateImpact)
      http://stateimpact.npr.org
    • Construction to begin on massive methanol plant in Beaumont (Olivia Pulsinelli – Houston Business Journal)
      www.bizjournals.com
  • 16 October
    • Harris County Seeks Accounting for Decades of Pollution (Neena Satija – Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Migrating Monarch Butterflies Stymied by Wind, Storms in Texas Hill Country (Monika Maeckle – My SA News)
      http://blog.mysanantonio.com
  • 15 October
  • 14 October
    • Craft: Bill would obstruct Clean Air Act protections (Elena Craft – Houston Chronicle)
      www.chron.com
    • Pioneer CEO sees 1 million barrels a day of Texas condensate exports (Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Washington Bureau – Express News)
      www.expressnews.com
    • Refiners ask Obama to hold firm on renewable quotas (Jennifer A. Dlouhy, Washington Bureau – Express News)
      www.expressnews.com
    • Celebrate Halloween This Year at a Texas State Park (Texas Parks & Wildlife)
      www.tpwd.state.tx.us
  • 13 October
    • Five things you need to know in Texas energy this week (Jordan Blum – Houston Business Journal)
  • 12 October
    • Texans Coming to Grips With Rising Water Costs (Christine Ayala and Neena Satija – Trib + Water)
      www.texastribune.org
  • 9 October
    • Texas added 23,100 oil-and-gas jobs over last year (James Aldridge – San Antonio Business Journal)
      www.bizjournals.com