Take Action: Strengthen Texas Clean Air and Clean Energy Policies
This week, the House of Representatives passed the Railroad Commission Sunset bill (HB 1818). The bill barely counts as reform. There is some good in the bill on tracking enforcement practices, requiring a strategic plan, and improving pipeline safety, but many good amendments were rejected. Chief among these were limiting political contributions, changing the name of the agency, requiring that spill and enforcement data be put online, and raising maximum fines. Once again, the Texas Legislature showed that when it comes to oil and gas regulation, they are largely captive.
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In northern Atascosa County, just a few miles south of San Antonio, sits 2,000 acres of beautiful ancient oak tree forest. The area has a very delicate and unique ecosystem, from being a sensitive recharge zone for the Carrizo/Wilcox Aquifer, to also being one of the last great oak tree belts in the area. The live oak forest is replete with fauna that is unique to this place. Now, a large frac sand mining operation and processing plant has set its sights on the town and all this natural wonder could be in danger...
A new study finds Texas Railroad Commissioners took tens of thousands of dollars from energy interests with cases pending before their agency in recent years, contradicting Texas Sunset Commission testimony in 2012 that claimed that the commissioners "self-police" themselves against such conflicts. Are their actions unethical or do they reach the level of corruption?
Do you picture yourself spearheading environmental campaigns, working with scores of passionate and dedicated volunteers? What about working for a national environmental advocacy organization? The Sierra Club's Lone Chapter Volunteer Coordinator job could be the position for you. Find out more details and apply today!
Market Manipulation And Hurricane Rita - Kelcy Warren Before Dakota Access
Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren's ruthlessness is now well known worldwide because of the Dakota Access pipeline, as well as the Trans-Pecos and Comanche Trail pipelines. But those destructive projects were not Warren's first rodeo when it comes to putting petrochemical profits over everything else. In fact, one overlooked instance comes right from our own backyard in Texas.
Water Warriors Win 2017 Blue Legacy Award
The Texas Living Waters Project, a collaboration between the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter, National Wildlife Federation, and Galveston Bay Foundation, has been recognized as a 2017 Blue Legacy Awards winner in the Innovative Projects category for their Texas Water Conservation Scorecard. The Scorecard, released in May 2016, provides analysis of more than 300 public water utilities and their conservation efforts. In addition, the Scorecard was also the feature article in the March 2017 Journal of the American Water Works Association, a nationally-renowned publication for water industry professionals. Congratulations to our Water Warriors!!
If you were to look in the dictionary for a definition of the word "pollution", the example photo next to that definition could be the Pasadena Refining plant located just east of Houston. Pasadena Refining System, Inc. has been degrading the air quality of its neighbors for years with repeated violations of hourly and annual limits on emissions of fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and other air pollutants over the previous five years. In 2016 alone, the plant released 70,129 pounds of unauthorized particulate matter, making it the worst in the entire state of Texas for this type of illegal pollution. Now, we're taking them to court. Read more...
TOPS ON FACEBOOK - Update on the Dripping Springs wastewater discharge permit. Get involved and SAVE BARTON SPRINGS!
- Fossil fuel jobs may be well paid, but they are volatile and they are in decline. The real growth is in renewable power. If Donald Trump wants to talk jobs, he should be looking at wind.
- A family in Texas finally has answers about the explosion that nearly killed them. According to new scientific studies commissioned by the family, the explosion was the direct result of fracking operations a quarter mile away.
- An oil spill in North Dakota was vastly underestimated. The original estimate was around 176,000 gallons of oil. After further review, the pipeline operator now reports about 529,830 gallons of oil spilled making it one of the largest spills in state history and perhaps the largest spill that has contaminated a North Dakota water body.
- Horrifying videos of natural gas leaks from an abandoned water well in Denton; state investigates.
Photo from The Big Bend Gazette
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In case you missed it, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller proposed the use a poison called Kaput Feral Hog Bait to kill feral hogs. His proposal was met with serious questions and concerns. The active ingredient in Kaput is warfarin. You or someone you know might have a prescription for Coumadin, a brand name for warfarin. Warfarin is commonly prescribed as a blood thinner to treat blood clots or to reduce their future occurrence. Warfarin can be a life saver for some people, but it started out as the active ingredient in rat poison. Now, the Texas Wildlife Association has jumped in and publicly expressed serious concern about Ag Commissioner Sid Miller's plan. In a recent blog post they share what dangers Kaput poses from a read of the label.
As Solar Takes The Lead, Will Storage Be Next?
Solar energy is booming nationwide. 2016 saw the largest number of new solar installations in history, nearly doubling 2015's mark. The 14,800 megawatts (MW) of installed solar - enough to power roughly 1.5 million homes - accounted for 39% of all new generation in the U.S., beating natural gas and making solar the leader for all new resource capacity for the first time. Experts are now predicting that solar generation could increasingly displace older coal and natural gas generation. The last remaining hurdle? Energy storage. Read more...
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This Spring, the U.S. Forest Service begins the four-year process of revising the Forest Plan for the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (NFGT), more commonly known as Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine, and Sam Houston National Forests, and Caddo-LBJ National Grasslands. The first phase of the revisions, the Assessment Phase, has begun. The Forest Service is hosting two more public meetings April 5 and April 6. These meetings are a time for you to tell the Forest Service what you love about the NFGT or what changes you would like to see. More information about the revisions, public meetings, and suggested talking points can be found under the Resources tab on the Lone Star Chapter's website.
Image Credit: US Forest Service
Trail Between The Lakes! The Golden Triangle Sierra Club's Annual Hike
From April 28-30, the Golden Triangle Sierra Club will have their annual hike on the Trail Between The Lakes (between Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn Lakes). Three days, 28 miles of well-maintained primitive trail, and numerous options each day for shorter hikes. Join us for great camping and fun with friendly hikers!
Lege Update
Things are starting to move quicker as we head into April. In addition to the Texas House passing a weak Railroad Commission Sunset bill (HB 1818), several other bills that would reform the captured agency will get a hearing in committee next week. Meanwhile, the budget bill, SB 1, passed out of the Senate with some "gimmicks" that the House didn't appreciate. For its part, the House Appropriations Committee substituted their own version of the bill and passed it. The House version is somewhat kinder to air quality programs, clean water, and parks but the real battle is yet to come in conference committee once the House passes it, which could come on Thursday, April 6. With your help, we did stop a bad wind bill (SB 277) for now, but it could come back. Meanwhile, two bad bills moved out of committee, SB 1045 (limiting public participation in air pollution permits at TCEQ) and SB 225 (limiting the public's ability to contest water rights). We'll need your help in opposing these bills, so be ready to call your legislators!
TOPS ON INSTAGRAM
In honor of #worldwaterday2017 we wants to celebrate the gift that is water! We also want to remind everyone that water knows no race, culture, or boundaries. Water is our universal language, and its conservation is something we can all speak about挑Let us not forget that not only does our environment件 depend on water, but so are we!! On World Water Day we want to inspire everyone to remind one another the importance of water conservation and preservation笨嬉沛ｾ､會沛ｽThe earth is made of 96.5% water, let's put in that 100% effort to defend it. Happy World Water Day! Special thanks to@jesusvbarraza for the amazing art work which expresses the message that water knows no language or boundaries!月決
Do you have a photo you'd like to share with us? Please send it to Olka Forster at olka.forster@sierraclub.org. We'd love to share it with our growing Instagram community. Be sure to follow us @TexasSierraClub.
Turn Texas Green
Spring is the time for municipal elections in many Texas cities. In San Antonio and Dallas, among others, the SierraClub Political Committee of Texas is making endorsements in mayoral and city council elections scheduled for May 6. Check out endorsements at TurnTexasGreen.org and consider making a contribution there to help elect our environmentally friendly candidates in these all-important local elections! |
