The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
While several Texas officials have thrown support behind some expensive flood control projects, a Houston City Council meeting Monday highlighted the political and financial hurdles that may await such efforts. Full Story
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An advocacy group’s analysis predicts nearly 10 percent of the dunes sagebrush lizard’s habitat could be disturbed or destroyed by sand mining operations. Full Story
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Highlights from more than 60 panel discussions on education, climate change, President Donald Trump, the role of media in 2017 and much more. Full Story
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Eleven additional plaintiffs and a new defendant have been added to a lawsuit against the company whose manufacturing plant experienced a series of chemical fires as a result of floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey. Full Story
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Hurricane Harvey's wrath was unprecedented — and its fallout is far from over. Here's how The Texas Tribune plans to cover the aftermath, and how you can help us. Full Story
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The Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to expedite a low-interest loan program to serve as a financial bridge for local governments rebuilding their water and wastewater systems damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Full Story
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Environmental groups hired a private firm after the flooding and found higher than normal levels of dangerous chemicals in the air around a refinery. Full Story
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Stephen Costello, the city's chief resilience officer, expects to play a big role in how Houston spends it Hurricane Harvey recovery dollars. Full Story
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Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday gave his strongest endorsement to date for constructing a physical coastal barrier to protect the region from deadly storm surge. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other state leaders are eyeing a long-delayed reservoir project experts say would've saved thousands of Houston homes from flooding. Full Story
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Government agencies and scientists are still trying to get a handle on what exactly is percolating in lingering floodwaters — and who might be most impacted. Full Story
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As Houston begins to recover from Harvey, a growing chorus of voices is calling for big policy changes to reduce flood damage from future disasters. Local officials haven't said much about what they might pursue, but history offers some clues. Full Story
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Since Hurricane Harvey first hit the Texas coast on Aug. 25, Texans have had to come to terms with widespread damage caused by the storm. Take a look at just some of what Texans are dealing with. Full Story
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When first responders were sent to the scene of a chemical fire at a manufacturing plant last week, they were never alerted to the toxic fumes in the air, a new lawsuit alleges. And the plant's parent company could face another lawsuit in the next several weeks. Full Story
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Experts say the flooding in the Houston region could have wreaked far less havoc if local officials had made different decisions over the last several decades. But the former head of a key flood control agency strongly disagreed with that take in an interview last year. Full Story
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In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, an exploding chemical plant and spikes in cancer-causing emissions are highlighting how little the public knows about potential dangers from the oil and chemical industries. Critics say one reason for the darkness: tons of campaign money. Full Story
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Animals seeking shelter from floods might be found hiding in debris as Houston residents return for post-hurricane cleanup, state officials warned Tuesday. Full Story
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Oil refineries and chemical plants across the Texas Gulf Coast released more than 1 million pounds of dangerous air pollutants in the week after Harvey struck, according to filings. Full Story
As efforts to rebuild have slowly begun in areas hit hard by Hurricane Harvey, officials continue to warn of lingering environmental hazards, including the health risks posed by receding floodwater. Full Story
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After explosions in a Crosby chemical plant, the public had no option but to trust government and company assurances that billowing smoke presented little danger. Full Story