Tag Archives: Environmental Protection Agency

TCEQ a no-show at EPA hearing

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

They’d rather sue than engage. At the hearing in a hotel ballroom, Al Armendariz, the EPA’s regional administrator for Texas and five adjacent states, said the federal agency prefers to let the state issue the permits, as it does for … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EPA 3, Texas 0

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

How many times will the courts have to bench-slap our Governor and Attorney General before they get the message that Texas must comply with the same laws as every other state? It’s three and counting. Texas had asked the Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Federal court denies stay in Texas’ lawsuit against EPA

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

No love from the Fifth Circuit. Texas’ bid to stop the federal government’s efforts to regulate greenhouse gases hit another roadblock today, when the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals turned down the state’s request for a stay of a move … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Federal court denies stay in Texas’ lawsuit against EPA

TPA announces its Texan of the Year for 2010

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

While this was a pretty lousy year for progressive politics in terms of election results, it was in many ways a great year for progressive achievements, from the passage of the Affordable Care Act to the repeal of Don’t Ask … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Here comes the EPA

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The EPA has seized control of the permitting process in Texas for refineries, power plants, and the like. In a letter sent this week to state regulators, an EPA official wrote that 167 facilities in Texas – many of them … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Here comes the EPA

Federal court clears the way for greenhouse gas rules to be enforced in Texas

Posted on December 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, Texas is subject to the same laws as those other states. Who knew? A federal appeals court on Friday rejected pleas from Texas, some other states and industry allies to block nationwide rules on greenhouse gas emissions slated to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More Texas v. EPA

Posted on December 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The stakes keep getting higher. The EPA has threatened dozens of Texas refiners and chemical and plastic makers with penalties if they don’t begin taking steps to bring their air pollution permits into compliance with federal law by late December. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on More Texas v. EPA

Burning biomass

Posted on December 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t say I knew much about this before I read the story, but now that I have my initial reaction is to be skeptical. Interest in building power plants fueled by wood waste has recently surged in East Texas, … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas thumbs its nose at the feds again

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Why bother to secede when all you need to do is disobey? Texas has refused to meet new federal greenhouse gas emission rules that go into effect in January, the latest anti-Washington move in an ongoing battle that could halt … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Texas thumbs its nose at the feds again

Lawmakers ask TCEQ to help plants comply with EPA

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good idea. After a lobbying push by oil giants, a bipartisan group of Texas legislators have asked state environmental regulators to quickly solve a permit dispute with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that has left some of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coal ash

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Sierra Club would like your help at some EPA public hearings. The EPA has proposed two rules to regulate toxic coal ash, and they’re going to hold only five hearings across the country to hear from citizens. One of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

State sues the EPA again

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Round and round we go… Texas has sued the federal Environmental Protection Agency for the second time in six weeks, escalating a feud over the state’s rules for air pollution from refiners and other large industries. State Attorney General Greg … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State sues the EPA again

EPA cracks down further

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. The Environmental Protection Agency has formally denounced the state’s air-pollution permitting system for some of its biggest industrial plants — and reactions are pouring in. Texas’s system, the EPA said in its release, “allows companies to avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

EPA goes after more permits

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it was taking over the issuance of operating permits for two more Texas facilities — Chevron Phillips Cedar Bayou and Garland Power and Light — further escalating the federal-state fight over … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on EPA goes after more permits

Texas sues the EPA

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose this was inevitable. Texas filed a federal court challenge Monday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to reject part of the state’s air-quality program. […] State Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office — in a statement accompanying the … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

TCEQ versus EPA

Posted on June 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This fight between the TCEQ and the EPA, or more broadly between polluters and people who like to breathe, has been coming for a long time. Environmentalists are excited by the EPA’s new aggressive posture and hope it prompts an … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Some people want the EPA to do more

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Sierra Club is taking legal action against the Environmental Protection Agency, saying it has dragged its feet in Texas. The group said EPA officials have missed legal deadlines for action on limiting Texas pollution’s effects on neighboring states; reducing … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Some people want the EPA to do more

The TCEQ has no one to blame but itself

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

What the DMN says: For more than a year, the Obama administration has been beating the same drum, telling the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that its permitting system falls short of federal standards. Yet some Texas leaders and regulators … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The TCEQ has no one to blame but itself

Why should anyone trust the TCEQ?

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Rick Perry wants the EPA to back off. I know, I’m as shocked as you are. Gov. Rick Perry, citing improvements in Texas air quality, asked President Barack Obama on Friday to get regional Environmental Protection Agency administrators to back … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Here comes the EPA

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

No one can say they weren’t warned. Objecting to how Texas regulates air pollution, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it is taking over the issuance of an operating permit for a Corpus Christi refinery and could step in … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Texas State Climatologist on the EPA and greenhouse gases

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Did you know that Texas had a State Climatologist? I didn’t. His name is John Nielsen-Gammon, he’s a professor at Texas A&M, and you should read this brief interview in Think Progress about his opinions on carbon dioxide, the Environmental … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas State Climatologist on the EPA and greenhouse gases

Texas takes a stand in favor of global warming

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There was a time when stuff like this would have surprised me. But then, there was a time when being anti-science wasn’t a point of pride for the Republican Party. Texas on Tuesday became the first state to challenge the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The EPA hearing on smog

Posted on February 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story on that EPA hearing on smog from Tuesday. The EPA’s plan calls for a smog limit between 60 and 70 molecules of ozone per billion molecules of air, down from 75 parts per billion set in … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

EPA public hearing on hazardous ozone standards in Houston

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The following was sent to me from the Sierra Club: Right now the EPA is accepting public comments on proposed new ozone standards that will make the air we breathe cleaner and our communities healthier, but they are facing fierce … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Of smog and hot air

Posted on January 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready for the upcoming fight over Texas’ – and Houston’s – air quality. The federal government proposed a tougher limit on ozone pollution Thursday that will force Houston to make deeper emissions cuts just as the former smog capital … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Our air might be cleaner than we think

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This is a pleasant surprise. Houston, once considered the nation’s capital of dirty air, is on the verge of meeting federal limits for smog for the first time. If the numbers hold as the smog season draws to an end, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

If that’s your best, your best won’t do

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We may never actually comply with federal clean air regulations. Texas’ new plan to improve the Houston area’s famously dirty air may not meet federal limits for smog. The pollution-fighting plan that state regulators are rolling out today predicts marked … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

EPA to tighten air quality standards

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Federal regulators signaled Wednesday that they would abandon Bush-era limits on smog pollution that scientists said didn’t go far enough to protect public health. Amid concerns that the current rules don’t adhere to the federal Clean Air Act, the … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Our illegal air

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, we don’t sufficiently enforce clean air standards in Texas. Who ever could have guessed that? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that many of the air pollution rules Texas uses to control the state’s industry do not comply … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

In the long run, we’re all dead

Posted on February 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There’s long-term planning, and then there’s long-term planning. Big Bend National Park is known for its jagged beauty, but sometimes the mountains are blotted from the horizon by a sky the color of mud. The air is so dirty on … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on In the long run, we’re all dead