News
Environmental Groups Ask Feds To Protect Threatened West Texas Lizard
Posted on · Two environmental groups asked the federal government on Tuesday to list the dunes sagebrush lizard as threatened or endangered
Texas
Texas Regulator Says ‘Misunderstanding’ Is Making Millennials Shun Oilfield Jobs
Posted on · Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian told House lawmakers on Wednesday that the biggest threat to a burgeoning oil boom is "the acceptance of the politically-correct-driven environmental anti-oil and gas science"
News
Report: Major Texas Industrial Facilities Rank First Nationally In Illegal Water Pollution
Posted on · A study by a Texas environmental group and a California think tank found that about half of Texas’ major industrial facilities released illegal levels of pollution into rivers, lakes and other waterways over the past two years
News
At Houston Energy Conference, Texas Is The Focus Of American Oil Optimism As The Last Bust Fades
Posted on · The Permian Basin in West Texas is the driving force behind what some key energy players say is a coming milestone: The United States passing Russia as the world's top oil producer.
News
Will Texans See Sky-High Electric Bills This Summer? Grid Operator Sends Dire Warning
Posted on · A day after the state's main electric grid operator warned that a variety of factors including record high demand could lead to pricier and dicier electric service, experts added a grain of salt to the predictions
News
New Allegations In Border Fence Lawsuit: Racketeering, Bribes And Money Laundering
Posted on · Recent court filings in a case brought by Hidalgo County against a former employee who oversaw construction of a Bush-era border barrier allege a vast kickback scheme worked out over drinks and steak dinners.
News
How A South Texas Bureaucrat Became A Multimillionaire Amid The Rush To Build A Border Fence
Posted on · Godfrey Garza, the former general manager of Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1, made more than $3.5 million in commissions on a South Texas border fence project that was largely bankrolled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
News
How The Federal Government Abused Its Power To Seize Property For A Border Fence
Posted on · A decade ago, many border Texans got a raw deal when the federal government seized land for a barrier — while others pushed up the price. Will the government's rushed, haphazard process be repeated as it pushes for a border wall?
News
What Does Trump’s Repeal Of Environmental Rules Mean For Texas?
Posted on · The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has moved to unwind several Obama-era regulations designed to slash air pollution, protect the quality of major waterways and spur cities to reduce ozone
Hurricane Harvey
Documents Detail Concerns About Houston Dams — Before Harvey
Posted on · How concerned is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the integrity of Addicks and Barker reservoirs? The agency has never answered the question clearly, but documents offer new clues.
News
EPA Won’t Release Benzene Levels Collected Post-Harvey; Private Tests Show Elevated Levels
Posted on · Environmental groups hired a private firm after the flooding and found higher than normal levels of dangerous chemicals in the air around a refinery.
Hurricane Harvey
Houston’s ‘Flood Czar’ Says Harvey Has Brought The City To A Decision Point On Flood Control
Posted on · Stephen Costello, the city's chief resilience officer, expects to play a big role in how Houston spends it Hurricane Harvey recovery dollars.
Hurricane Harvey
Post-Harvey, Houston Officials Hope Congress Is Up For Funding Ike Dike
Posted on · Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday gave his strongest endorsement to date for constructing a physical coastal barrier to protect the region from deadly storm surge.
Politics
AG Paxton Sues EPA For A Second Time This Week Over Environmental Rules
Posted on · Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday joked about suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency one last time before President Obama leaves office this week. On Wednesday, he did it again.
Energy & Environment
Oil Prices, Pipeline Protests Top 2016 Energy, Environment News
Posted on · From heated pipeline protests to stubbornly low oil prices, these are the top energy and environmental stories the Tribune covered in 2016.