The latest environment news from The Texas Tribune.
UPDATED: Texas’ only radioactive waste site has permission to dramatically expand its capacity, take in new types of waste and reduce its financial liability should its owner suddenly close up shop. Full Story
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Call it the frozen custard heard round the world. Gov. Rick Perry and his booking on two felony counts late Tuesday afternoon captured national attention — on social media, most of all. Full Story
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Drillers’ mad dash to the Eagle Ford has spurred a printing boom, as publishers court new advertisers and audiences — including industry executives, natives of transformed communities and oil workers with little to do in isolated towns. Full Story
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One consequence of announcing the felony indictments against Rick Perry late Friday was to give the governor the following day to begin his full-throated counterattack. That meant the front pages of the state's Sunday papers were dominated by pictures of a defiant Perry. Full Story
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Texas should not bank on legal action to free itself from the Obama administration’s proposal to tackle climate change, two state regulators said Friday at a Public Utility Commission workshop. Full Story
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The Railroad Commission's new chairman on the agency's dual role as an industry watchdog and champion, the push to ban fracking in Denton and the commission’s efforts on earthquakes and disposal wells. Full Story
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One of the most intractable questions in Texas politics in recent years is why the state hasn't moved blue despite drastic demographic changes. A new analysis from The New York Times sheds new light on why this is so. Full Story
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Two candidates for the Railroad Commission welcomed the agency's newly proposed requirements for disposal well applications, saying they were a good first step in addressing the spate of earthquakes that have shaken up parts of North Texas. Full Story
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San Antonio's water utility is negotiating to pipe in 16 billion gallons of water a year from Burleson County. Officials say the plan is key to securing future water needs, but others still have questions. Full Story
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The reactivation of a stretch of the 66-year-old Pegasus pipeline has stirred concerns among some Texans who live along its path. Some worry that the 2013 Mayflower spill is an example of what could go wrong in their backyards. Full Story
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Reporter Colin McDonald and photographer Erich Schlegel have resumed their journey to tell the story of the vanishing Rio Grande. To mark the renewal of their trip, we've added a new feature to our archive page – a map that tracks every check-in and post made during their trip. Full Story
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As cities across Texas continue to spread out, water suppliers and local governments are faced with the question of who should pay for building the infrastructure needed to handle the growth. Full Story
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Water systems in the Panhandle and South Plains last week started drawing water from a once-empty lake that is now just over 4 percent full. It's a sign of just how strapped the region is for water supplies. Full Story
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Texas’ top environmental regulator suggested Thursday that the state may ignore a proposed directive from the Obama administration to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. Full Story
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In an unexpected move, the Texas Water Development Board on Thursday punted a final decision on the controversial Marvin Nichols Reservoir a few months down the road. Full Story
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Galveston is still recovering from Hurricane Ike in 2008. Dilapidated homes and empty lots dot the streets. Nearly six years after the storm, though, lawmakers continue to grapple with preparation for the next big one. Full Story
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A plan to provide low-income Texans with the tools to help them interact with "smart" meters and improve energy efficiency at their homes has been stuck in a bureaucratic limbo with no end in sight. Full Story
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A proposal by the federal government would place stricter limits on emissions from petrochemical and other industrial plants. An EPA hearing this week in the Houston area reflected the heated debate over balancing economic growth with air quality concerns. Full Story
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A committee of Texas lawmakers met Tuesday to discuss possible legislation aimed at preventing another disaster like last year’s explosion in West — with some still skeptical of imposing regulations on fertilizer storage facilities. Full Story
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SpaceX on Monday chose to place its first commercial launch complex on Boca Chica beach near Brownsville. The announcement solidified Texas' leading position in the country's space program even as it transitions to one with greater opportunities for private companies. Full Story
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