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February 23, 2015

Environmental Headlines for the Houston Region: February 23, 2015

Featured

  1. The Holdouts (Priscilla Mosqueda – Texas Observer, 2/16/2015)
    “When the landman comes knocking, most people living in the Texas oil patch experience something like joy, or at least sweet relief. Here’s someone offering you money up front and the promise of hefty royalty checks in exchange for producing oil and 
gas from the ground… Landmen are agents of oil and natural gas producers; it is their job to get the mineral rights owner to claim a piece of the pie… Almost everyone takes the money…. But across the shale plays—primarily the Barnett in the north and the Eagle Ford in the south—there are some who reject the landmen’s offers. Known in the industry as “holdouts,” these mineral rights owners dare to challenge Big Oil in Texas.”
    www.texasobserver.org
  2. Refinery neighbors hope to breathe easier after air pollution study (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 2/13/2015)
    “Across Avenue R from Valero Energy Corp.’s Houston refinery sits Hartman Park, a tree-lined island roughly as long and as wide as a city block. There are swing sets, two tennis courts and an infield scratched out of its expanse. Beyond center field, in the northeast corner of the decades-old park, is its newest fixture: a high-tech lamp mounted atop four stories of scaffolding. The equipment is part of a monthlong project, set to launch as soon as Monday, to gather real-time data on harmful air pollution in Manchester, a working-class and predominantly Hispanic neighborhood just outside Loop 610 East. Researchers say the government-funded study will be the first to use light beams and mirrors to create three-dimensional maps of the air pollution over a neighborhood next to a refinery.”
    www.houstonchronicle.com
  3. Abandoned plant’s neighbors want city to clean up pollution (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle, 2/16/2015)
    “Only a chain-link fence and some leafless trees separate Judy Jones’ house in south Houston from an abandoned industrial waste facility. They’re hardly enough to stop the noxious fumes that waft from the tanks, drums and sludge that remain more than four years after CES Environmental Services closed. Frustrated by the pace of the cleanup, Jones and her neighbors are urging the city to purchase the Griggs Road property and to pay for the removal of all existing structures. City officials then can decide an appropriate future use for the site, possibly as a park or a housing development, the residents say… The push comes six months after the federal Environmental Protection Agency began to clean up the property, an effort that involves removing several hazardous chemicals such as cancer-causing benzene and methyl ethyl ketone, a nose- and throat-irritating solvent.”
    www.houstonchronicle.com

EcoNotes

  • 20 February
  • 19 February
    • Citigroup sets $100 billion funding goal for green projects (Fuel Fix)
      http://fuelfix.com
    • Texas Parks Hoping for a Funding Boost (Neena Satija – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Legislation Would Let Tesla Sell in Texas (Jim Malewitz – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Houston Conference Highlights Scientific Research On Deepwater Oil Spill Damage (Carrie Feibel – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • Vehicle Registration and Inspection Stickers are Partnering Up in Texas (Karl Wehmhoener – MyHighPlains)
      www.myhighplains.com
    • Why Oil And Gas Taxes Will Not Solve Texas Road Funding Shortfall (Dave Fehling – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • Texas Recycling Data Initiative Report Provides Baseline for Future Recycling Progress in Texas (Market Watch)
      www.marketwatch.com
    • Houston Conference Highlights Scientific Research On Deepwater Oil Spill Damage (Carrie Feibel – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
  • 18 February
    • Texas residents poisoned by toxic waste plant for years: ‘We don’t deserve to live like this’ (Jen Hayden – Daily KOS)
      www.dailykos.com
    • Need an Introduction to All the New Stuff Going into Buffalo Bayou Park? This’ll Be a Good Place To Start (Swamplot)
      http://swamplot.com
    • Houston insurance co. lands naming rights to Buffalo Bayou visitor center (Joe Martin – Houston Business Journal)
      www.bizjournals.com
    • Dealers Reach Out, but Tesla Slams the Door (Jim Malewitz and Bobby Blanchard – The Texas Tribune)
      www.texastribune.org
    • Residents urge City Council to Action (Brian Butler – Air Current News)
      http://airalliancehouston.org
    • Remaking Allen Parkway (Charles Kuffner – Off the Kuff)
      http://offthekuff.com
    • Cars in oil-train derailment newer-model (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – San Antonio Express-News)
      www.expressnews.com
    • Dreaming in Dirt (BK Loren – Orion Magazine)
      https://orionmagazine.org
    • U.S. EPA chief hints at softening carbon rule interim timeline (Valerie Volcovici – Planet Ark News)
      http://planetark.org
    • Gulf Council Seeks Applicants for New Ad Hoc Reef Fish Headboat Advisory Panel (Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council)
      www.wakulla.com
  • 17 February
  • 16 February
    • Abandoned plant’s neighbors want city to clean up pollution (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • The Holdouts (Priscilla Mosqueda – Texas Observer)
      www.texasobserver.org
    • Houston Residents, Council Members Want Empty Chemical Plant Cleaned Up (Syeda Hasan – Houston Public Media)
      www.houstonpublicmedia.org
    • South Houston Residents Claim Abandoned Toxic Dump Causing Sickness (Greg Groogan – My Fox Houston)
      www.myfoxhouston.com
    • Climate, satellite gaps are risky business for feds (Brian Kahn – Texas Climate News)
      http://texasclimatenews.org
    • UCLA study: Social conscience is key to cutting household energy (Tim Radford – Texas Climate News)
      http://texasclimatenews.org
    • Plastic bag bans in Texas seem to be on the rise and working (Eagle Ford Texas)
      http://eaglefordtexas.com
    • Central Station Main to Open for METRORail Passengers (Jo-Carolyn Goode – Houston Style Magazine)
      http://stylemagazine.com
    • Oil-export backers aren’t getting much traction in Washington — yet (Jennifer A. Dlouhy – San Antonio Express-News)
      www.expressnews.com
  • 13 February
    • Refinery neighbors hope to breathe easier after air pollution study (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • Tiny lizard at center of big fight in the oil patch (Matthew Tresaugue – Houston Chronicle)
      www.houstonchronicle.com
    • 2015 Engineer of the Year: Michael Talbott receives top honor (Alice Adams – Houston Chronicle)
      www.chron.com