After West Disaster, Little Discussion on Soil Issues
As the fertilizer plant explosion in West continues to elicit debate about regulation, one factor that hasn’t been discussed as much is the unique needs of the soil in Central Texas. Full Story
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Credit: Colette Kessler, USDA -
No Reforms for Railroad Commission This Session
A name change and several ethics reforms on the table this legislative session for the Railroad Commission of Texas, which oversees oil and gas drilling, died on Tuesday in a House committee. Full Story
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Pitts: Budget Leaders Close on School and Water Financing
State lawmakers would spend $3.2 billion for public education and $2 billion for water funding under plans being worked out by budget leaders, House Appropriations Chairman Jim Pitts said Tuesday. Full Story
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Interactive: Mapping Texas Facilities With Ammonium Nitrate
More than 110 facilities across Texas store ammonium nitrate in some form, according to state records. Use our interactive to see where in the facilities are located and how far they are from schools and hospitals. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Criminal Investigation Launched Into West Explosion
The Texas Rangers and the McLennan County sheriff's office are launching a criminal investigation into the fertilizer plant explosion last month in West. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Public Safety patch worn on a uniform during an April 7, 2011 graduation ceremony in Austin.]()
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After West Explosion, Other Chemical Stockpiles Come Under Scrutiny
As state and federal regulators analyze the patchwork of policies governing the fertilizer plant that exploded in West, the incident has prompted a closer look at communities that lie near stockpiles of chemicals. Full Story
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![The Gavilon facility in Amarillo sits near residences. Officials say that the ammonium nitrate on site is stored safely, so that it cannot explode.]()
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TribLive: Tea Party Freshmen on the Rainy Day Fund
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, state Reps. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth; Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford; and Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, explained their objection to dipping into the Rainy Day Fund to jump-start the state water plan. Full Story
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With Disposal Wells in High Demand, One County Pushes Back
Texas' fracking boom has given rise to an influx of wells used to dispose of drilling wastewater. But the proliferation of disposal wells is raising environmental and safety concerns, as one South Texas county has discovered. Full Story
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![Texas Railroad Commission lead engineering technician for districts 1 and 2, Michael Polasek, inspects a salt water disposal injection well at a Heckman Water Resources commercial disposal facility on the LAMZA lease near Highway 80, January 22, 2012.]()
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Agenda Texas: What's Left to Do?
On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Water, transportation and education were priorities at the beginning of this year's legislative session, but how much progress has been made on each? Full Story
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Bill Would End Environmental Compliance History Program
A program that gives the public information about the compliance history of facilities overseen by the state's environmental agency would end under a bill House lawmakers will consider this week. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Groundwater Levels Suffer Sharp Drop, Study Finds
Groundwater levels in Texas dropped considerably between 2010 and 2011, according to a report published recently by the Texas Water Development Board. The Ogallala was among the major aquifers experiencing significant declines. Full Story
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Sale of Longhorns Sparks Debate on Breed's Future
The recent sale of about 100 longhorns by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has triggered a debate on how to best protect the future of a breed that has stood as a symbol of the state. Full Story
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![A longhorn stops at a water source on the 311,000-acre Big Bend State Park Ranch in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has recently sold off about two-thirds of the herd to build a smaller pasture to display the remaining animals.]()
Credit: Mary Lou Saxon for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Money, Explosions and Deadlines
In the latest Newsreel: The House fights over whether and how to tap the Rainy Day Fund, lawmakers hold hearings on the explosion in West and Gov. Rick Perry says there is plenty of time left in this session to get things done. Full Story
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TribLive: Staples on Paying for the Water Plan
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples explained his strong reluctance to use money from the Rainy Day Fund to jump-start the state water plan. Full Story
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Video: Lawmakers Want Answers on West Explosion
A dozen officials from six different state agencies came before the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday to reflect on what worked and what didn't in the West fertilizer plant explosion. Full Story
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Lawmakers Want Answers on West Explosion
While not downplaying the devastation of the deadly fertilizer plant explosion in the town of West, the head of the state's emergency management operations told lawmakers on Wednesday that "the system worked." Full Story
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![Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd testified before the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee Wednesday about the response to the deadly April 17 fertilizer plant explosion in West, TX.]()
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Video: What's Next for Water Infrastructure Funding
The day after the leading measure to fund state water projects stumbled in the House, legislators shifted their focus to a bill that some members hope will also include money for education. Full Story
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Straus: House Will Find Way to Fund Water
UPDATED: The morning after a major bill to authorize spending billions of dollars on state water projects faltered in the House, Speaker Joe Straus' office released a statement saying he wouldn't "let a technicality seal the debate." Full Story
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The Polling Center: Public Opinion Creates Rough Sailing for Water Policy
The rough seas that sank the Texas House's attempt to fund the state water plan on Monday night with a $2 billion draw on the Rainy Day Fund highlighted the limits of consensus on both how to pay for water development and whether it's a top priority. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman / Guillermo Esteves -
State's Shale Boom Has Major Impact on Budget
Besides boosting the economies of remote towns, the shale boom has big implications for the Texas economy and budget. Already, taxes on oil and gas production have soared above the comptroller’s estimates. Full Story
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![A worker waits to load a piece of pipe, or casing, that will be lowered into the well at a Chesapeake Energy drill site in Dimmit County on the Eagle Ford Shale.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune
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