Pitted Against Waste
East Texans are uniting to fight oil waste pits in bucolic areas near the Louisiana line—all run by an operator who’s been cited for dozens of violations, and a worker’s death.
Martha Pskowski
Martha Pskowski covers climate change and the environment in Texas for Inside Climate News. She previously was an environmental reporter at the El Paso Times. She began her career as a freelance journalist in Mexico, reporting for outlets including The Guardian and Yale E360. Martha grew up in Maryland and graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in Environmental Studies. She holds a master's degree in Journalism and Latin American Studies from New York University and is a former Fulbright research fellow in Mexico.
Articles by Martha Pskowski
Embattled Texas Oilfield Waste Company Fined After Worker’s Death
A 26-year-old employee at McBride Operating in Waskom was killed when a valve blew off a pump last year. Another worker had sued the company two years earlier after being injured on the job.
A Legal Fight over Legacy Oil Industry Pollution Heats Up in West Texas
A “first of its kind” lawsuit contends that oil companies including Chevron failed to properly plug and decommission wells on private property, challenging common assumptions about plugged wells.
Funds to Help Low-Income Families With Summer Electric Bills Are Stretched Thin
A federal program helps people in poverty cover the costs of heat and cooling. But advocates say it disadvantages states like Texas, even though extreme heat is a key cause of weather-related deaths.
How Texas Commission On Environmental Quality Helps Polluters Evade Federal Law
Environmental lawyers say the state watchdog agency lets polluters escape regulation through legal loopholes.
Oil and Gas Wastewater Spills Pollute the Lone Star State
Pollution from the energy sector has impacted soil, contaminated water resources and killed wildlife while the state resists new regulations.
Texas Still Issues Thousands of Permits for Natural Gas Flaring
Advocates say the approval process is more of a "rubber stamp" for oil and gas companies to keep polluting indefinitely.
In Mexico, Tensions Rise Again over 1944 Water Treaty
After decades of negotiations and even a dramatic occupation of a dam in Chiahuaha state, two nations struggle to find a compromise.
June Heat Wave Sends Hundreds to Texas ERs
Prolonged triple-digit temperatures also dramatically increased 911 calls for heat-related illness.
EPA Backs Down from Permian Air Pollution Crackdown
Oil sector advocates pushed hard against an ozone nonattainment designation, which would have required oilfield emissions reductions.