In Booming Central Texas, Wastewater Is Polluting Rivers and Streams
A bill in the Texas Legislature would protect the last 21 pristine watersheds. But for years, previous attempts have been defeated by powerful homebuilders.
pollution
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.
Court: Lone Star State Violated Emissions Limits on Gulf Coast
Judges argued that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality illegally enabled Port Arthur LNG to avoid air pollution control requirements.
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.
Texas Wants to Adopt Outdated Cancer Risk Standard Despite Concerns
The state is proposing to approve a 17-year-old standard that leading scientists and public health officials call inadequate.
Texas Bets on Undersea Carbon Capture, Despite Concerns
Critics worry about leakage through rock layers, pipeline safety and the lackluster record of the technology onshore.
SIGN UP FOR TEXAS OBSERVER EMAILS
How the ‘1-Mile Rule’ Protects Big Polluters from Citizen Complaints
The policy has been denounced in lawsuits and petitions, but the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality denies that it exists.
Pipeline Operators Release or Flare Tons of Gas During June Heatwave
One company, Targa Resources, vented more than 500,000 pounds of toxins into the air during 17 reported events over a week-long period of extreme heat.
Community-Based Climate Justice on the Gulf Coast
From Appalachia to Texas and Louisiana, new environmental justice reports highlight how our struggles are connected.