Legislative Subcommittee Addresses Growing Concerns over Fracking and Seismic Activity in Texas
Last week, a special committee of the Texas House of Representatives began to address the emerging issue of possible links between seismic activity and hydraulic fracturing. The Special Seismic Activity Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy Resources was formed to hear concerns coming from a group of citizens living in the Azle and Reno communities northwest of Fort Worth who have been beset by a series of earthquakes they believe are linked to the numerous oil and gas wells in and around their community.
Cities, citizens, environmental groups urge TX House Committee to strengthen Contested Case Hearings
Last legislative session, a concerted attack on citizens’ rights to contest environmental permits was launched by the Texas Chemical Council and others ran up against opposition from citizens, property rights advocates, environmental groups, and local government representatives. During an invited-only interim hearing this month, those same interests told the House Committee on Environmental Regulation that Texas’ unique Contested Case Hearing (CCH) process was worth preserving, and in fact, could be strengthened.
TWDB Executive Administrator Recommends to Move Ahead with Marvin Nichols
Last week, Kevin Patteson, the executive administrator for the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), issued his long-awaited recommendation on the proposed construction of the Marvin Nichols reservoir, deciding to keep the controversial proposal within the 2011 Region C water plan. The reservoir, proposed to be developed along the Sulphur River in East Texas (TWDB Region D), would potentially serve as a source of water for the growing Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex.
Here’s an easy one for the Legislature
Here’s an easy problem for the Legislature to solve next session: Texas’ cities are facing additional federal regulations to clean-up their dirty air. Fortunately,, the state just happens to have over a billion dollars sitting in its coffers for that expressed purpose. The state programs have already been created; the fees for those programs have been collected; yet the Legislature has decided to withhold that money, leaving it sitting idle in the state’s bank account.
Sierra Club Air Alerts
As summer ozone season approaches, Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Team is looking ahead to ways we can raise community awareness not only of the hazards of ground-level ozone, but also of how coal-burning power plants are a prime driver of this hazardous pollution. One way to make that link is by offering our users a service to alert them to the local risks of smog pollution -- and always presenting them with information and ways to to take action.
What does the Cross-State Air Pollution Ruling Mean for Texas?
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court upheld EPA regulations that could have implications for the Lone Star state. From our Beyond Coal Team, here's a rundown of what's happening with Cross-State Air Pollution rules and what we can expect.
Join us for the third and final webinar in our series, "Keeping Rivers Flowing"
Wednesday, June 25th 2:00 – 3:00 PM CST – Focus on Murray-Darling Basin Plan
The third (and final) webinar in our series takes us across the globe to Australia to learn about the historic Murray-Darling Basin agreement. The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is a comprehensive program involving scores of stakeholders to preserve water use at environmentally sustainable levels. The webinar will highlight the research, policies and agreements necessary to make this program work. Mike Young, the Chair of Water and Environmental Policy at the University of Adelaide, was involved on the development of the M-D Basin Plan. Mr. Young will also explore aspects of the M-D Plan that could be applicable in Texas. Myron Hess, a Texas water policy expert with National Wildlife Federation will highlight why this issue is important and which aspects he feels are particularly applicable in Texas.
It’s time for 2014 Chapter Awards Nominations!
Each year the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club recognizes its hardworking volunteers and other individuals with special awards to show its appreciation for their contribution of time, effort and resources. The Awards Committee is seeking your assistance in selecting those individuals who, on the Group or Chapter Level, have excelled in some administrative, conservation, outings, or media capacity and deserve this special recognition.
Regional Round-up
SpaceX clears regulatory hurdle to build its spaceport in Brownsville: The Federal Aviation Administration issued its Environmental Impact Statement on the project this week, stating that "building and operating the site likely would not jeopardize protected animal species and would create few unavoidable impacts." Those "unavoidable impacts" include noise for a nearby neighborhood and the dramatic alteration to sand dunes, wetlands and grass.
Sierra Club sues EPA over Dallas-area smog: The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) missed a key deadline in 2013 to classify smog air pollution in Dallas-Fort Worth as ‘severe,’ prompting the Sierra Club to file suit against the agency yesterday afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for failing to properly act to protect the health of the people of North Texas.
The levels of smog in Dallas-Fort Worth are among the highest in the country, and only smoggy California, Houston and Baltimore have levels higher than North Texas. Ozone is the main ingredient in the smog in Dallas-Fort Worth. It triggers asthma attacks in children and is responsible for the red and orange bad air alert days the region sees every year.South African Oil Company, Sasol, to build one of the world's largest chemical plant in Lake Charles, LA: The 3,034 acre facility will cost over $21 billion (possible paywall) and aims to take advantage of the region's fracking boom to convert cheap natural gas into chemicals used in plastics, paints and food packaging.
Austin seals the deal obtaining super cheap utility-scale solar: Earlier this month, Austin Energy finalized negotiations with Recurrent Energy to obtain 150 MW of solar energy at less than 5 cents/kWh. (That's really cheap.)
Lone Star Chapter Water Resources Coordinator Jennifer Walker named to Austin's Water Resource Planning Task Force: The task force will take on the important task of analyzing the city’s water needs and making recommendations concerning how to augment the city’s future water supply.
Lone Star Chapter’s Conservation Director Cyrus Reed laid out Sierra Club’s vision for Austin Energy’s 2024 Generation Resource and Climate Protection Plan: Reed told his fellow Task Force members and Austin Energy that AE must create a glide path to a zero-carbon future and that meant retiring the oldest and dirtiest fossil fuel units within the next few years, as we bring on new storage, demand response, energy efficiency and renewable resources. The Sierra Club presentation, along with other presentations made before the Task Force, can be found here.
Message From Director Scheleen Walker
Happy birthday, Sierra Club! In case you missed it, our wonderful organization turned 122 this week.
If you haven't checked out our new website, give it a look. We're very pleased to be able to deliver to the public timely articles on our work and updates on the issues you care about - water, energy, wildlife and public lands. This new website is an important part of our renewed effort to engage the public, inform the media and influence our state leaders. We hope you like it.
Scheleen Walker, Director
Lone Star Chapter