Southwest (AZ NM OK TX)

"Pollution Has Made Houston Ship Channel Communities A ‘Sacrifice Zone’"

"The average life expectancy in predominantly nonwhite communities along the Houston Ship Channel, the site of largely unregulated petrochemical production, is up to 20 years less than nearby predominantly white communities, according to a report released Thursday by Amnesty International"

Source: The Hill, 01/26/2024

Tribes, Greens Ask US Court To Block $10B Transmission Project In Arizona

"A federal judge is being asked to issue a stop-work order on a $10 billion transmission line being built through a remote southeastern Arizona valley to carry wind-generated electricity to customers as far away as California."

Source: AP, 01/24/2024
February 2, 2024

Meet-and-Greet With SEJ Board Members and Staff in Phoenix

Join SEJ board members and staff at State 48 Brewery in downtown Phoenix, Ariz., 5:00-7:00 p.m., for a happy hour meet-and-greet. Get to know your fellow local environmental journalists, share your SEJ ideas and start gearing up for the 2025 SEJ annual conference, which will take place in Phoenix. All are welcome!

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Clearing the Smoke — Collaboration Exposes Impacts of Wildfire Pollution-Reporting Rules

Climate change is fueling the frequency and severity of wildfires, but a little-known Clean Air Act rule lets environmental agencies downplay the impacts of wildfire smoke. A collaborative investigation into this loophole connected dots that even the experts didn’t know about. Journalists Dillon Bergin and Molly Peterson explain their reporting process and offer advice for following your own local leads.

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January 22, 2024

DEADLINE: Advancing Democracy Fellowship

Hearken, Trusting News and Solutions Journalism Network are inviting 20 U.S.-based newsroom teams to apply for this fellowship which is designed to help newsrooms think big, plan long term and reinvent coverage of politics, governance and elections with and for their communities. Deadline is Jan 22, 2024.

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‘Major’ Problem in Texas: Polluters Evade Federal Law and Get Away With It

"Industrial developers describe facilities as “minor” polluters to avoid federal permitting requirements, and environmental lawyers say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lets it happen."

Source: Inside Climate News, 01/03/2024

"Floatovoltaics Could Help The Southwest Generate Power And Conserve Water"

"Just southeast of Phoenix, over 150 miles of canals sit uncovered in one of the hottest and driest regions of the country. The Gila River Indian community’s solar panel project, which would cover some of those canals with solar panels, could be the start of a new wave of such solar projects, known as floatovoltaics."

Source: Yale Climate Connections, 01/03/2024

Recycled Sewage Water — Overcoming the ‘Yuck Factor’

Toilet-to-tap water jokes aside, the technology and economics of turning sewage into potable drinking water is increasingly seen as a remedy for water-stressed communities. The new BookShelf review of “Purified: How Recycled Sewage is Transforming Our Water,” explains how water shortages, climate change, unsustainable growth and other factors have led some communities, most recently Los Angeles, to consider going “all in” on purified wastewater.

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New Mexico Extends Ban On Oil And Gas Leasing Around Sacred Chaco Park

"New oil and natural gas leasing will be prohibited on state land surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park, an area sacred to Native Americans, for the next 20 years under an executive order by New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard."

Source: AP, 12/15/2023

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