news & announcements
Council to consider changes for waste disposal contracts
Austin Monitor: A series of recommendations made by a City Council working group seeks to address concerns from environmentalists and private waste haulers about how the city chooses the companies it pays to pick up and dispose of waste generated by its own employees and departments.
What Environmentalists Are Hoping For In A New City Recycling Contract
Houston Public Media: Joshua Zinn spoke with Rosanne Barone, the Houston Program Director for TCE, about the current state of recycling in Houston, the possibilities of implementing a Zero Waste Plan, and what her organization would like to see come out of a new recycling contract.
Editorial: State of Texas, stay out of our trees!
Waco Tribune-Herald: Taking a cue from Gov. Greg Abbott’s vow to call out those state legislators who defy his agenda during the Texas Legislature’s ongoing special session, we call out legislators who supposedly represent our area but are more intent on undermining local control.
Seuss-inspired story tells Texans to ‘speak for the trees’
KXAN Austin: Tree activists of all ages joined forces at the Texas State Capitol to save the trees, with the help of lawmakers and Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss book used to rally for Tree Ordinances
Fox 7 Austin: Wednesday, a group of tree advocates came to the state capitol to keep local tree protection laws firmly planted in place. Under the canopy of an oak tree, on the east side of the Texas capitol, the words from a popular Dr. Seuss book could be heard.
Opponents of Texas tree bills ‘speak for the trees’ at Capitol
KVUE Austin: The groups Texas Campaign for the Environment and Defend Texas Trees held an event outside the Capitol Wednesday to oppose bills filed in the Special Session related to trees.
In Houston’s Fifth Ward, Concern Over Superfund Site Grows With EPA Budget Cuts
Houston Press: Houston-area activists gathered in the Fifth Ward on Tuesday to announce that they are joining organizers from across the country in influencing how the EPA deals with the Superfund program.
Pruitt to Tap Private Sector to Hasten Superfund Cleanups
Bloomberg News: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt is embracing public-private partnerships and setting aggressive agency deadlines to move languishing Superfund site cleanups forward. But environmentalists and other groups say he’s leaving out people most affected by cleanup decisions—local residents.
Members of Fifth Ward community protest budget cuts to superfund site
CW39 Houston: In Houston’s historic Fifth Ward, neighbors worry that politics and profits are taking priority over cleaning up their community.
One Bin for All is dead. So how should Houston handle its trash?
Houston Chronicle Op-Ed: According to the Houston-Galveston Area Council, when we include composters, hard-plastics reclaimers, electronics processors, construction- and demolition-debris recyclers and manufacturers of goods made from recycled items, we have 21,550 recycling jobs in our region and an industrial output of $4.5 billion per year.