Naveena Sadasivam
By Naveena Sadasivam:
Flood Expert Jim Blackburn: Houston Must Plan or Perish
Experts: Much of Harvey-Related Air Pollution was Preventable
About 40 petrochemical companies released more than 5.5 million pounds of hazardous chemicals as a result of the hurricane.
Huge releases of hazardous air pollutants during Hurricane Harvey could’ve been prevented if companies had simply shut down their plants ahead of time or used more advanced emission controls, experts say. According to an Observer analysis, about 40 petrochemical companies … Read More
Texas Warbler Suit Could Test Trump Administration’s Handling of Endangered Species
A little Texas bird could become a test case for the Trump administration’s willingness to defend Obama-era endangered species decisions.
Several prominent environmental organizations are citing the Trump’s administration’s hostility toward the Endangered Species Act as the reason for stepping into a legal fight over the golden-cheeked warbler, a little songbird native to Texas. The warbler could become a test … Read More
Gulf Coast Environmental Group Sues Plastic Company After Slow Response from TCEQ
The nonprofit San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper and an environmental activist are suing to stop Formosa Plastics from discharging plastic pellets into nearby bays and estuaries.
For the last year and a half, Bobby Lindsey and other volunteers with the San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper have collected more than 1,600 clusters of BB-sized plastic pellets from the shorelines of Lavaca and Matagorda bays. Formosa Plastics, an … Read More
Despite Knowledge of Climate Change in 1970s, Texas Utility Companies Funded Climate Denial
Newly uncovered documents show Vistra Energy’s predecessors were involved in climate change research in the 1970s.
The predecessor companies of Texas’ largest power provider, Vistra Energy, helped fund climate change research in the 1970s and 1980s that warned of the risks of burning fossil fuels, according to a new report by the Energy and Policy Institute, … Read More
Dancing with Denial
Rick Perry has danced his way back into the climate denial camp. At his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this year, the secretary of energy admitted that the climate is changing and that “some of it is caused by man-made activity.” … Read More
Susan Combs, Fierce Critic of Endangered Species Act, Tapped for Agency in Charge of its Implementation
As Texas comptroller, Combs led the charge against endangered species listings, likening them to “incoming Scud missiles.”
In May, we published a deep-dive into the Texas comptroller’s office and its funding of endangered species research. We found that the comptroller’s office, in 2011, wrested away control of the endangered species program from the Texas Parks and Wildlife … Read More
Report: Loopholes Allow Polluters to Get Away With Worsening Air Quality
A new report finds TCEQ only issued fines for about 3 percent of unauthorized air pollution releases from 2011 to 2016.
Every year petrochemical refineries, chemical plants, oil and gas wells and other facilities emit thousands of tons of pollutants illegally into the air. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is responsible for policing these polluters, but a new report … Read More
Getting Wise to Bad Air: North Texans Take Smog Monitoring Into Own Hands
After TCEQ refused to place smog monitors in Wise County, a local environmental group decided to take action.
How bad is the smog problem in Wise County? Situated just west of the Dallas-Fort Worth sprawl, Wise County is in the heart of the Barnett Shale gas patch and since 2012 has been designated by the EPA as out … Read More
Mean to Green: How the Texas Legislature Took its Toll on the Environment This Session
Lawmakers have weakened citizens’ ability to challenge polluters, made flying drones over oil and gas facilities a jailable offense and slashed funding for the state’s environmental agencies.
Lawmakers weakened citizens’ ability to challenge polluters, made flying drones over oil and gas facilities a jailable offense and slashed funding for environmental agencies. Read More