New in Trib+Water: Stressed Supplies, Water Consultant
In this week's edition of the Trib+Water newsletter: water woes out west and an interview with water consultant Robert Cullick. Full Story
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Volunteers Playing Pivotal Role in Galveston Bay Cleanup
Volunteers complained they were turned away from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup in 2010. Four years later, after another spill in Galveston Bay last month, volunteers have been helping officials determine where to send cleanup crews. Full Story
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![Galveston Bay]()
Credit: Michael Stravato -
GOP Railroad Commission Hopefuls Trade Ethics Barbs
A former Texas Railroad Commission chairman is helping Ryan Sitton fight back against conflict-of-interest allegations in the Republican primary runoff for an open seat on the commission. Full Story
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![Candidates for Texas Railroad Commissioner, Ryan Sitton, left, and Wayne Christian.]()
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Galveston Bay Oil Spill Leaves Hundreds of Oiled Shorebirds Dead, Dying
Wildlife officials have reported hundreds of dead and dying birds covered in oil as cleanup efforts continue in the aftermath of a fuel oil spill late last month in Galveston Bay. Full Story
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![Galveston Bay near the Texas City Dike and the Valero Refinery in Texas City, Wednesday March 26, 2014.]()
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Is Pot the Next Cash Crop for Farmers in Texas?
Agriculture commissioner candidate Kinky Friedman argues that marijuana legalization is the future of Texas. But for farmers in states where growing it is legal, the crop has come with a new set of problems. Full Story
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![Candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture, Kinky Friedman at home on his ranch in Medina on Dec. 12, 2013.]()
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Texas Hoping for Edge Over New Mexico in Battle Over Rio Grande
With the official support of the U.S. government, Texas now hopes it has a substantial edge over New Mexico in an interstate legal battle over water from the Rio Grande. Full Story
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![Texas claims New Mexico is using more water from the Rio Grande River than it is entitled to.]()
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EPA Seeks to Clarify Federal Water Law
The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are backing a rule change that would better define bodies of water protected by the Clean Water Act. That could mean increased government oversight of streams and wetlands across Texas. Full Story
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Federal Radioactive Waste Arrives in West Texas
UPDATED: A radioactive waste site in West Texas has received its first truckload of transuranic waste from the federal government’s nuclear weapons program, following wildfires and a radiation leak in New Mexico. Full Story
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![An overhead view in 2012 of Waste Control Specialists' low-level radioactive waste storage facilities near Andrews, Texas.]()
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A Tour of the San Antonio Water System
More than 80 lawmakers, legislative staffers, water planners and reporters toured the facilities of the San Antonio Water System on March 19. Here's what they saw. Full Story
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![The lobby of San Antonio Water System headquarters in San Antonio, featuring an 11-foot model of a low-flow toilet.]()
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Despite Conservation Success, Water Still Vexing for San Antonio
Despite its internationally renowned successes in water conservation, San Antonio is still struggling to quench its thirst amid explosive growth. Will its search for new water supplies risk its reputation as a green city? Full Story
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![A cascade aerator is shown at the Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant outside of San Antonio, where the San Antonio Water System maintains an underground storage reservoir.]()
Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez -
Abbott, Davis Oil and Gas Records Show Contrast
Neither Greg Abbott nor Wendy Davis has spent much time talking about the energy industry and regulations. But Texans should have little trouble distinguishing their positions. Full Story
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![Gubernatorial candidates Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis are shown on primary night on March 4, 2014.]()
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Lesser Prairie Chicken Listed as Threatened
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursay that the lesser prairie chicken will be listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act, potentially affecting economic development activity in five states, including Texas. Full Story
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![The lesser prairie chicken roams in the circled areas above, according to research by state environmental officials and scientists.]()
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As AG Weighs Plastic Bag Laws, Dallas Passes Its Own
Amid debate over whether plastic bag bans violate the state's health and safety laws, Dallas on Wednesday became the largest city in Texas to pass an ordinance restricting use of the bags. Full Story
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Galveston Bay Oil Spill Threatens the Area's Lucrative Fishing Industry
While the most compelling scenes of devastation from the oil spill in Galveston Bay have been above the water, scientists and fishermen worry about the underwater ecosystem that feeds a multibillion-dollar industry. Full Story
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Texas Program Has Made Gains in Spill Response
Oil spills are not uncommon in Texas waterways, particularly along the Gulf Coast, where more than 50 billion gallons of oil are transported each year. But the number of spills has declined in recent years. Full Story
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![A barge loaded with marine fuel oil sits partially submerged in the Houston Ship Channel on March 22, 2014.]()
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Galveston Bay Spill Presents Grave Risks
With no end in sight to containing a spill that may have dumped 150,000 gallons of fuel oil into Galveston Bay on Saturday, the hit to Texas’ economy and environment is already huge — and sure to grow. Full Story
![A barge loaded with marine fuel oil sits partially submerged in the Houston Ship Channel on March 22, 2014.]()
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Despite National Efforts, Texas Not Enthusiastic About GMO Labeling
A small group of Texas farmers and environmental advocates is pushing for the labeling of genetically modified foods. But the effort has received little interest from Texas' Republican-dominated Legislature or from major agribusinesses. Full Story
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![Gerald Cole, owner of Organicare Farms in Taylor, checks his kale plants. The vegetables are grown using aquaponics, a system in which waste matter from fish in tanks is broken down and used as nutrients for the plants.]()
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Houston's Bold Recycling Plan: No More Separating
The city of Houston, which recycles only 6 percent of the waste it collects, has a new idea to improve that figure: Eliminate that extra blue bin altogether. Full Story
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![Glenn Bailey cleans out a city of Houston recycling truck on March 18.]()
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TribLive: Friedman on Legalizing Marijuana
At our 3/20 TribLive conversation, Kinky Friedman, a Democratic candidate for Texas agriculture commissioner in 2014, talked about why he wants to legalize marijuana — and what it would mean for the state. Full Story
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Claims of Dumping in West Texas Raise Oversight Questions
Allegations that a drilling equipment company illegally dumped dangerous chemicals in Ector County have stirred concerns over whether state agencies are doing enough to monitor and regulate hazardous waste in the drilling industry. Full Story
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![A water truck parked near a drilling rig operated by Fasken Oil and Ranch, Ltd.. Drilling rigs use of water is a salient issue for the industry, particularly under drought conditions such as those experienced in the past year by Midland, Texas, and other similar areas of oil production.]()
Credit: Jerod Foster