news & announcements
Abbott lifts post-Harvey suspension of environmental regulations
Houston Chronicle: Gov. Greg Abbott’s office on Thursday lifted the suspension of environmental regulations put in place almost seven months ago as Hurricane Harvey bore down on Texas.
Advocacy Groups Say Post-Harvey Pollution Waivers Should Be Ended
Houston Public Media: Advocacy groups say Texas needs to reinstate pollution rules that have been suspended since Hurricane Harvey. They argue the waivers just aren’t needed more than seven months after the storm.
Silent Spills: For Crosby residents, a ‘bitter taste’ about Arkema, and little help from government
Houston Chronicle: When it became clear that the chemicals stored at Arkema’s Crosby plant were going to catch fire, emergency personnel evacuated residents within a 1.5 mile radius of the site. Despite this evacuation, chemicals were released into the air and the water during the accident.
Middle schoolers aim to make Houston plastic bag free
Houston Chronicle: Caoilin Krathaus and Lila Mankad, 12-year-old friends and classmates at Hogg Middle School, are sixth-graders on a campaign to save the world.
Hurricane Harvey’s toxic impact deeper than public told
Associated Press: More than a half-year after floodwaters swamped America’s fourth-largest city, the extent of this environmental assault is beginning to surface, while questions about the long-term consequences for human health remain unanswered.
Global campaign challenges Starbucks to keep its promise to curb plastic pollution, create 100% recyclable cup
Press Release: Today, more than a dozen leading environmental organizations announced the launch of “Starbucks: Break Free From Plastic” — a global campaign demanding that Starbucks take accountability for its contribution to the growing plastic pollution crisis.
Dallas “Dashboard” Lowers Bar for Recycling, Barely Clears It
From our blog: The Dallas 365 Dashboard presents a great opportunity for the city to relay data on its progress in many policy areas, but if the city is serious about tracking its progress on waste reduction, then it needs to measure the numbers that matter.
Waste pits activist meets with environmental head in D.C.
Baytown Sun: Environmental activist Jacquelyn Young continues to advocate for the cleanup of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, this time taking the fight to Washington, D.C.
Victoria County sewage sludge dumping dispute officially ends
ABC 25 Victoria: A two and a half year process has finally ended with a settlement agreement where Victoria County Commissioners stopped a land owner from receiving a permit to dump hazardous products on their land.
Dallas could force apartments, offices to offer recycling
Dallas Morning News: Dallas City Council members don’t want to waste any more time waiting for apartment complexes and businesses to offer recycling programs. With a unanimous vote Monday, the council’s Quality of Life Committee directed city staff to draft an ordinance within the next two or three months that would mandate recycling programs for multi-family properties.