Houston-area Shell Refinery Had Troubled History Before Fire
Recent “upsets” like tripped compressors, pressure loss and freezing weather resulted in thousands of pounds of illegal pollution but no fines or citations.
Environment
The Texas Observer Lives!
After a terrifying near-death experience, we live to muckrake another day.
Farewell to a Beloved State Park
Texans—already starved for public land—have bid adieu to Farfield Lake State Park, a well-visited patch of parkland between Dallas and Houston.
Natural Gas Terminal Reopens After Massive Explosion
Regulators say the company fixed flaws at Freeport LNG which led compressed methane to burst from a pipe and catch fire.
The Lost Reservoir Inside Our Water Infrastructure
Texas could meet much of its future water need simply by plugging leaks.
Breaking the Brazos
Development is straining the river that Spanish explorers once called "the Arms of God."
San Antonio to End Use of Coal Within Five Years
But CPS Energy’s decision to switch to natural gas highlights the potential and peril of cities’ clean energy transition.
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A Hot, Dry 2022 by the Numbers
Our record-breaking summer provided a preview of what’s to come.
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.
Climate Advocacy’s Elder Statesman
Al Gore talks about what’s next for the environmental movement in Texas and beyond.