Energy & Environment
Texas oyster season starts with more than half of the state’s reefs closed
Posted on · Texas oysters have had a hard time rebounding from the hurricanes, drought, and heavy rainfall that have impacted them over the past decade.
Category: Energy & Environment
City of Houston
City of Houston collecting Halloween pumpkins for composting
Posted on · The city's Solid Waste Management Department will accept discarded pumpkins from Tuesday through Friday at its reuse warehouse. The idea is to divert the gourds from the landfill.
Energy & Environment
Shell 3Q earnings double, stir debate on energy profit tax
Posted on · The company, whose U.S. office is headquartered in Houston, also announced a $4 billion share buyback and plans to increase its fourth-quarter dividend by 15%.
Energy & Environment
Researchers work to protect coral, as signs of a deadly disease appear off the Texas Gulf Coast
Posted on · A deadly coral disease has devastated reefs in Florida and the Caribbean. Now, scientists fear it may have made its way to a protected marine area off the coast of Galveston.
City of Houston
Houston to protect more than 7,400 acres of nature preserves under new city ordinance
Posted on · City-owned land in a total of 26 parks will be protected under Houston's first land preservation ordinance, which aims to combat climate change along with improving air and water quality.
Energy & Environment
Gulfton is one of Houston’s warmest neighborhoods. A new nature-based plan aims to change that
Posted on · Areas like Gulfton that have a lot of concrete and little greenspace can get significantly hotter than other neighborhoods across Harris County. A new plan aims to help change that by bringing more greenspace to the neighborhood.
Houston Matters
OPEC cuts oil and gas production by millions; consumers could see impact at the pump
Posted on · According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of gas in Harris County on Monday was $3.21, and on Tuesday it was up an additional three cents.
Housing
Columbia Tap Trail to receive $150,000 in renovations
Posted on · The Columbia Tap Trail is a four-mile hike and bike trail through Third Ward and the Cuney Homes community.
Energy & Environment
Chemical exposure at Houston-area power plant sends six workers to hospital
Posted on · An ongoing cleanup operation in a fire-damaged unit at the W.A. Parish Generating Station in Fort Bend County is suspended pending the completion of an investigation into Thursday's chemical exposure, according to NRG Energy.
Energy & Environment
Fifth Ward residents push for robust testing after toxic chemical found in 47 soil samples around UP railyard
Posted on · The Houston Health Department announced last week that they had found traces of dioxin -- a highly toxic chemical compound — in all of the samples collected near the rail facility.
Business
FedNat insolvency puts Gulf Coast property owners at risk of losing insurance coverage
Posted on · The Florida-based company, which is licensed in Texas, has about 1,000 policyholders in Harris County or along the Texas Gulf Coast. Impacted customers can seek windstorm and hail damage coverage through the TWIA.
Economy
Entergy partners with United Way to offer electricity bill credits to Houston-area customers
Posted on · The one-time $150 credit is available to Entergy Texas customers with low-to-moderate annual incomes.
Houston
Houston to expand Buffalo Bayou Park to Houston’s East End with new funding
Posted on · Projects include restoring, expanding and improving park land, including the Tony Marron and Japhet Creek Park.
Energy & Environment
Fifth Ward residents notified of toxic chemical found in soil samples near Union Pacific railroad
Posted on · The railyard has been a source of contention for nearby residents for decades, with critics blaming Union Pacific for contaminating the area with cancer-causing chemicals.
Energy & Environment
Rise in Houston-area alligator sightings doesn’t mean there is a population increase
Posted on · There hasn’t been any kind of explosion in the alligator population in Harris County, rather there are multiple dynamics at play for the recent uptick in sighting.