"Drought-Stricken Texas Town Turns To Toilets For Water"
"The city of Wichita Falls, Texas, may soon become one of the first in the country where half of the drinking water comes directly from wastewater."
Source: NPR, 05/06/2014
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX)
Chevron Blocks Access by State Regulators to Gas Well Explosion Site
One worker was killed February 11, 2014, when a Chevron gas well exploded near Bobtown, Pennsylvania, and burned for five days. But inspectors from the state's Department of Environmental Protection were stopped by Chevron from approaching the site — thus keeping them from seeing possible safety violations. The DEP acquiesced at the time, but later cited Chevron for nine violations at the site.
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Texas Punishes San Antonio COG for Disclosing Oil/Gas Pollution
On April 4, 2014, the Alamo Area Council of Governments, the regional area which is supposed to control smog, released its study results — which suggested drilling in the Eagle Ford shale did indeed contribute a lot to smog. Days later, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which had funded the study, cut AACOG's budget by 25 percent.
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Texas Couple Win $2.9 Million Jury Award in Drilling Lawsuit
"FORT WORTH, Texas -- A Wise County couple who sued Plano-based Aruba Petroleum, claiming that natural gas operations near their 40-acre ranch made them sick, has won a $2.9 million award from a Dallas jury."
Source: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, 04/24/2014
"Brushing Teeth With Sewer Water Next Step as Texas Faces Drought"
"Pastor Bob McCartney of First Baptist Church tries to love his neighbor as himself. He’s just not thrilled that Wichita Falls will soon have him drinking water that once swirled down his neighbor’s toilet."
Source: Bloomberg, 04/23/2014
PHMSA Won't Disclose Restart Plan for Arkansas Pegasus Pipeline
Exxon had said it was planning to restart the aging pipeline — which was given to seam ruptures — by the end of March. But the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has so far refused requests to make public the restart plan. Elizabeth Douglass wrote about PHMSA's secrecy in InsideClimate News. Photo: The Pegasus pipeline, exposed and suspended in Houston County, 7 miles NW of Crockett, TX, in May 2013. Credit: Safe Community Alliance.
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"New Study Finds Elevated Cancer Rate in Flower Mound"
"A study by a University of Texas at Austin researcher raises concerns about whether current gas drilling regulations protect public health and questions a state study that found no link between cancer rates and gas drilling in Flower Mound."
Source: Dallas Morning News, 04/01/2014
"Environmentalists Wary About Harm To Birds From Texas Oil Spill"
"Less than a week after an oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel, environmentalists say there has been limited damage to nearby bird sanctuaries, but it is too soon to know whether there will be long-term problems to wildlife."
Source: LA Times, 03/28/2014
"Houston Ship Lane To Have 'Tapered' Reopening; Exxon Cuts Output"
"U.S. authorities expected a 'tapered' re-opening of the Houston Ship Channel, but gave no timeline on Monday of when vessels could start moving again after an oil barge spill shut the waterway for a third day, forcing the nation's second-largest refinery to curb production."
Source: Reuters, 03/25/2014
Oil Spill in Houston Ship Channel Blocks Traffic; Size Unknown
"TEXAS CITY, Texas -- The cleanup of an unknown amount of thick, sticky oil that spilled into the Galveston Bay blocked the movement Sunday of about 60 ships, including three cruise ships, between the Gulf of Mexico and one of the world's busiest petrochemical transportation waterways."
Source: AP, 03/24/2014
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