The Brief: July 23, 2014
Story lines continue to spin out from Gov. Rick Perry's Monday announcement that he was activating up to 1,000 National Guard troops to back up existing DPS border operations. Full Story
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![DPS chief Steve McCraw outlines plans for the National Guard role securing the Texas border as Gov. Rick Perry, l, and Guard Adjutant General John Nichols listen on July 21, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
State Slams EPA Website That Compares Pollution Enforcement
Compared with other states, Texas performs far fewer comprehensive inspections of polluting facilities, according to a database run by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. But Texas officials call the database misleading. Full Story
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![This flue gas scrubber, installed at a Valero refinery in Houston in 2006, reduces emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter.]()
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Race for Railroad Commissioner Revives Overhaul Talk
Several thwarted legislative proposals to overhaul the Texas Railroad Commission — the state's curiously named oil and gas regulator — have resurfaced in the race for an open seat on the commission. Full Story
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![Steve Brown (l.) and Ryan Sitton, Democratic and Republican nominees for Railroad Commissioner.]()
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The Brief: July 21, 2014
Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst will make a border security announcement at 2 p.m. at the state Capitol. The two are expected to announce the deployment of 1,000 National Guard troops to the Rio Grande Valley. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry and DPS Director Steve McCraw spoke at a June 23, 2014, news conference following a tour of a federal facility housing unaccompanied minors in Weslaco, Texas. The state is providing $1.3 million per week to step up border patrols.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
The Brief: July 18, 2014
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is on his way out in a few months, but on Thursday he moved to fill some key Senate leadership slots to help the chamber prepare for the coming legislative session in January. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst delivering his concession speech after losing his re-election bid on May 27, 2014.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Denton Council Punts Fracking Ban Proposal to Voters
Voters will decide whether Denton will become the state's first city to ban hydraulic fracturing after the city council rejected a proposal to ban the method of oil and gas extraction. Full Story
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![A hydraulic fracturing site in Fort Worth on Sept. 27, 2013.]()
Credit: Mark Graham -
New in Trib+Water: The Disappearing Rio Grande
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: The Disappearing Rio Grande project, reckoning with water shortages and an interview with Karen Ford of WaterPR. Full Story
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In DFW, Little Traction on Improving Air Quality
The Dallas-Fort Worth region boasts a growing economy larger than that of many countries — but it also sports some of the worst air quality in the nation. Scientists fear the politics of economic growth is preventing improvements. Full Story
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Credit: Tom Pennington -
The Brief: July 16, 2014
Greg Abbott's disclosure that he has close to $36 million in the bank as the campaign for governor starts to kick into high gear dominated a day where he and his Democratic rival Wendy Davis posted big fundraising numbers. Full Story
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![Gubernatorial candidates Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis are shown on primary night on March 4, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich / Laura Buckman -
Video: Ship Channel Fueling Industry, Debate
The Houston Ship Channel has grown in recent years and is now one of the world's most important transportation waterways. But some scientists argue the bustling channel could be vulnerable to what they say are the effects of climate change. Full Story
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As Debate Continues Over EPA Plan, Utilities Say They're Getting Prepared
A federal plan to slash emissions from coal-fired power plants remains a source of deep division. But a number of utilities say their investments in natural gas and renewable energy sources have left them well-positioned to meet their potential carbon targets. Full Story
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![The Webberville Solar Project near Austin.]()
Credit: Mose Buchele -
The Brief: July 15, 2014
A bipartisan effort by two Texas lawmakers — GOP U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar — grabbed headlines as having the potential to break the logjam as to what to do about the surge in unaccompanied minors across the border. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) speaks with state Rep. Doug Miller R-New Braunfels, during a visit to the Texas Capitol on Feb. 19, 2013.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Water Planners Focus on a More Populous Texas, but Not a Hotter One
As state water planners prepare to spend $2 billion in public funds to address Texas’ water needs in the coming decades, scientists say state leaders' skepticism on climate change will only impair such planning. Full Story
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![Scientists say higher temperatures due to global warming are already diminishing water resources, and that climate change will cause the southern and western portions of the state to become drier. Those regions supply water for fast-growing cities like Austin, San Antonio and Dallas, as well as the Rio Grande Valley.]()
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The Brief: July 14, 2014
The challenges to Republican-drawn maps in 2011 return to a San Antonio federal courtroom Monday morning with The Associated Press reporting that the U.S. Department of Justice is deciding to become more closely involved with the case. Full Story
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Climate Scientists: Texas is Missing an Opportunity
Texas-based climate scientists say that Texas could be a global leader in protecting against climate change. But if state agencies continue to fail to take climate change into account when planning for the state’s future, the scientists argue, Texans will suffer a direct impact. Full Story
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![Texas remains one of the most significant contributors to global warming in the world. Year after year, Texas spews out more greenhouse gases than any other state in the country.]()
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State to San Antonio: No, You Can't Own Your Wastewater
Several months after San Antonio Water System's bold move to secure ownership of its treated sewer water even after it gets released back into a public waterway, state regulators are saying they doubt that's possible. Full Story
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![San Antonio Bay is home to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where endangered whooping cranes live. The water that flows into the bay from the San Antonio River is vital to the species' survival.]()
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With Lamb-scaping Crew, Texas Solar Farm Aims to Shave Maintenance Costs
Operators of a 45-acre San Antonio solar farm have turned to sheep – not lawnmowers – as a low-cost, low-effort way to control overgrown shrubbery that might otherwise impede the company’s technicians. Full Story
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![Sheep wander between rows of solar panels at at a 4.4-megawatt solar farm in northeast San Antonio. OCI Solar Power, the farm's operator, uses the sheep – and their voracious appetites – to maintain shrubbery on the 45-acre site.]()
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The Brief: July 10, 2014
In the end, University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers will get his graceful exit. Full Story
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BP Wants Unspent Spill Recovery Money Back
Nearly four years after BP awarded Gov. Rick Perry's office $5 million for recovery projects in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, most of the money remains unspent. Now, the company is asking Texas for its money back. Full Story
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Manufacturing Giant's Water Woes a Sign of What's to Come
Dow Chemical's struggles to secure enough water supplies for its growing operations in Texas have sparked concerns about whether the state's diminishing natural resources can accommodate its exploding population and economy. Full Story
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![Construction at the DOW chemical plant along the Brazos River in Freeport on July 9, 2012.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato
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