Posted on · While government authorities are tasked with investigating industrial accidents, those efforts, particularly here in Texas, are often triggered by industry âself-reporting.â But how does that work exactly? And how far do we defer to and trust companies to report accidents? We talk about the concept of industry self-reporting, consider some recent examples, and welcome your […]
Posted on · Among the lessons learned from recent developments in Ferguson, Missouri, is the need for law enforcement and the community it serves to engage with one another. On this edition of Houston Matters, we discuss how that can be accomplished, and focus on one example here in Houston – the Teen and Police Service Academy. The […]
Posted on · Houston third in nation for CEOs with pilots' licenses.
Posted on · CEOs are dying in private plane crashes more often than you might think. Why? And what does it have to do with Houston? Well, the connection lies in the oil and gas industry, and industries like it, and how the personalities of CEOs which allow them to be calculated risk-takers also lead some of them […]
Posted on · The Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday held a public hearing in Galena Park, where residents called for the federal agency to adopt stricter emissions standards for oil refineries, in order to reduce exposure to benzene, a cancer-causing chemical. The meeting was the second and final public hearing over the new rules, which would require oil refineries […]
Posted on · Texas calls EPA pollution database deceiving
Posted on · A procedure that removes contaminated water is raising concerns.
Posted on · Deadly traffic accidents involving trucks heading to drilling rigs led to millions of dollars allocated for road repairs.
Posted on · Big industrial companies in Texas again trying to restrict cities and counties from suing them for damage done by toxic leaks.
Posted on · Each Tuesday of this month, Houston Matters has explored efforts here in Greater Houston to pursue alternative, renewable forms of energy. In previous weeks, we discussed solar energy, hydrogen, wind power, and biofuels. On this edition of the program, we ask what you'd prefer to see energy companies here in Texas pursue – whether traditional […]
Posted on · On this edition of Houston Matters, we talk with Dave Fehling, Houston Public Media’s State Impact reporter for energy and the environment, about concerns related to what are known as “reserve pits” on drilling sites. These pits are dug on the site of a drilling rig and filled with waste that comes out of oil […]
Posted on · Companies that drill for oil use combinations of chemicals in the hydraulic fracturing process to free oil trapped in rock formations called shale. You probably know that drillers pump thousands of gallons of water mixed with such chemicals down into their wells. You may be aware there are rules about reporting what those chemicals are. […]
Posted on · Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is in Houston today. Perhaps no other Obama administration official, save for President Obama himself, has been on the firing line more amid the troubled roll-out of the final phase of the Affordable Care Act. On today's Houston Matters, we'll have details on the Secretary's visit, and on […]
Posted on · The state of Texas believes the Environmental Protection Agency does not have legal authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from factories and power plants. Such disputes over carbon emissions have pitted environmental regulators against industry for years. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments over this question – and the state of […]