Environment
Fanning The Flames
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,...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 Te...Read More
Over the Wall
After a decade of living in the shadow of the border wall, people in the Rio Grande Valley are ready to move on. But Donald Trump has other plans.
Over the Wall After a decade of living in the shadow of the border wall, people in the Rio Grande Valley are ready to move on. But Donald Trump has other plans....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 s...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 environ...Read More
Governor Abbott’s Beef with Tree Ordinances Has Its Roots in a Pecan Tree He Destroyed to Build a New Home
In his haste to build a new home and swimming pool, Greg Abbott killed a protected pecan tree in violation of Austin’s rules.
In his haste to build a new home and swimming pool, Greg Abbott killed a protected pecan tree in violation of Austin’s rules....Read More
After 17 Years, EPA Settles Racial Discrimination Case Against TCEQ
TCEQ has agreed to install an air monitor in a majority African-American neighborhood near the Beaumont Exxon refinery, but advocates say it’s too little, too late.
Reverend Roy Malveaux learned in the late 1990s that reporting the overwhelming rotten-egg smell coming from ExxonMobil’s Beaumont refinery was fruitless. Man...Read More
Texans Could Soon Be Jailed for Flying Drones over Oil Facilities, Animal Factory Farms
“It’s taking a law that’s already unconstitutional and making it worse,” said one media attorney.
Texans caught flying drones over oil and gas well pads, cell towers and large animal feeding operations could face jail time if a bill that has cleared the Hous...Read More
Endangered Science
Can Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar oversee objective scientific research into rare species? Or is he rigging the process to keep them off the endangered list, as his critics charge?
Lars Letaru From the looks of them, it’s hard to imagine that the smooth pimpleback, the Texas fawnsfoot or the Texas fatmucket could threaten the Texas econo...Read More