Past Contributions

• Report: Permian Basin oil producers flaring more natural gas than they told the state

  By Kiah Collier Jan. 24, 2019

  An analysis of government satellite data by the Environmental Defense Fund shows that the amount of natural gas that energy companies burned off in 2017 is twice as high as what they reported to state regulators. Full Story 

• Report: Texas coal power plants leaching toxic pollutants into groundwater

  By Kiah Collier Jan. 17, 2019

  Analyzing groundwater monitoring data that power companies are now required to report to the federal government, the Environmental Integrity Project found that groundwater under 16 Texas coal plants had unsafe levels of contaminants including arsenic. The pollution is linked to disposal pits for spent coal. Full Story 

• Bill would prevent Texans from unknowingly buying homes in areas designed to flood

  By Kiah Collier Jan. 11, 2019

  After Hurricane Harvey inundated the Houston area with rain, scores of homeowners learned too late that their properties were designed to flood. Senate Bill 339 would require sellers to disclose that risk, as well as whether a home has previously flooded. Full Story 

• Harris County's first Latina county judge takes the helm

  By Kiah Collier Jan. 8, 2019

  Democrat Lina Hidalgo — a 27-year-old Colombian immigrant with a rich life story — will preside over her first Harris County Commissioners Court meeting as county judge on Tuesday. The political newcomer rode into office on a Democratic wave that swept the state's most populous county. Full Story 

• How a new oil boom is transforming West Texas and altering climate change math

  By Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune, and Jamie Hopkins and Rachel Leven, Center for Public Integrity Dec. 28, 2018

  Our series on the global implications of a new golden age for Permian Basin oil began with a very local story: How towns large and small are trying to deal with an explosion in drilling activity, population, traffic and other effects of the new boom. Full Story 

• How does the government use eminent domain to seize land from Texans?

  By Kiah Collier Dec. 26, 2018

  And should Texans expect to give up more of their property to the government as border wall and high-speed train projects move forward? Full Story 

• Galveston residents weigh in on hurricane levee proposal that some call "a really bad, bad plan"

  By Kiah Collier Dec. 12, 2018

  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas General Land Office proposed a massive levee system for the Houston area in late October that would cost as much as $20 billion. It's part of a larger plan to protect the state's coastline from hurricane storm surge. Full Story 

• Fearing outages, Texas regulators consider controversial plan to boost power generation

  By Kiah Collier Dec. 6, 2018

  The Public Utility Commission is considering measures to ensure Texans don't lose power in the hot summer months. A plan generators are pushing could cost $4 billion — and lead to higher electric bills. Full Story 

• Legislative report: Harvey recovery has cost $2.7 billion so far — most paid by feds

  By Kiah Collier Nov. 30, 2018

  A report released Friday by the Texas Senate's budget-writing committee laid out past and future costs related to recovery from "the most costly disaster ever to hit the Texas coast." Full Story 

• Surge of oil and gas flowing to Texas coastline triggers building boom, tensions

  By Jamie Smith Hopkins, Center for Public Integrity, and Kiah Collier, The Texas Tribune Nov. 29, 2018

  For Texas ports, the rise in oil and gas exports is a windfall. For some communities, it’s not so simple. Full Story