Tag Archives: Environmental Protection Agency

New methane rules finalized

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Gentlemen, start your lawyers. The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday issued its final rule for methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. The rule limits methane emissions from new oil and gas infrastructure and requires operators to submit to … Continue reading →

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Find those leaks

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t care how. A pair of state and federal government inspectors spent two weeks traveling around northern Colorado’s oil and gas fields in early 2012, filming with an infrared camera. Air pollution was rising in the region, and attention … Continue reading →

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New EPA rules for methane coming

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You know what will follow. Building on already pending rules to cut methane leaks from both new oil and gas wells and those on federal lands, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now plans to bring to the oil sector the … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS allows mercury regulations to remain in effect

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request from Texas and 19 other states to block a landmark federal rule requiring power plants to slash emissions of mercury, acid gases and other toxic metals — a setback for Texas Attorney … Continue reading →

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Texas files another lawsuit against the EPA

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Haven’t we seen this movie before? In the state’s first lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2016, Texas is suing the agency for rejecting parts of a seven-year-old state proposal to reduce haze in wilderness areas. The EPA … Continue reading →

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Environmentalists petition EPA to strip Texas of some authorities

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This unfortunately is not likely to go anywhere, but I relish the idea anyway. Alleging that Texas has dramatically eroded its safeguards against air and water pollution, two environmental groups are asking the federal government to step in. The Environmental … Continue reading →

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Yet another lawsuit by Texas against the EPA

Posted on January 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So what else is new? In another lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Texas is taking aim at tightened standards on ground-level ozone — President Obama’s effort to cut down on smog that chokes the nation’s … Continue reading →

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More rules against polluting your neighbors proposed

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Environmental Protection Agency proposed tougher new limits on Tuesday on smokestack emissions from Texas and 22 other states that burden downwind areas with air pollution from power plants they can’t control. At the same time, the EPA moved … Continue reading →

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Some power companies like the Clean Power Plan

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not that you’d ever know it. Thad Hill, in a split with many fellow power company executives, flatly opposes the lawsuits that Texas and 25 others states have filed to block the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan. The plan, which … Continue reading →

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The inevitable latest lawsuit against the EPA

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As night follows the day. As promised, Texas is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over President Obama’s plan to combat climate change, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday, just after the new regulation had been finalized. The state is … Continue reading →

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Paxton asks judge to block EPA water rules in Texas

Posted on September 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The basic story: Texas has asked a federal judge to block enforcement of a new rule that expands authority over which water bodies the U.S. government can regulate. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made the request Tuesday in an 88-page … Continue reading →

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Who needs wetlands?

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Development is all that matters, right? More than 38,000 acres of wetlands vanished in greater Houston over the past two decades despite a federal policy that “no net loss” can be caused by encroaching development. That’s an area about the … Continue reading →

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Regulating methane emissions

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Get all your gas and fart jokes ready, because they’re just going to be inevitable. The Obama administration’s plan to slash methane emissions will raise costs for the oil and gas industry, forcing energy companies to invest in new pumps, … Continue reading →

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Not everyone wants Texas to sue the EPA again

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It won’t mean anything to those that are hell-bent on suing, but it is worth keeping in mind. President Obama is set to unveil the nitty-gritty of his sweeping, state-by-state plan to fight climate change this week — his most … Continue reading →

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Split decision on cross-state air pollution rule

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not too bad, actually. Texas’ Republican leaders and environmentalists are both claiming victory Tuesday following an appeals court ruling that requires the federal government to ease limits on certain emissions for Texas and a dozen other states. The U.S. Court … Continue reading →

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Texas sues the EPA again (and again, and again, and…)

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday filed a lawsuit over the agency’s rejection of parts of a Texas clean air program, launching the state’s second battle against EPA regulations in less than … Continue reading →

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Now Texas is suing the EPA over its clean water plan

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another day, another anti-environmental lawsuit. It’s what we do. For the 20th time since the Obama administration took office in 2009, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is facing a lawsuit from Texas. Joined by Louisiana and Mississippi, Texas is challenging … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS gives polluters a win

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. t emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants, but it may only be a temporary setback for regulators. The justices split 5-4 along ideological lines to rule that the Environmental Protection Agency failed to take cost into account … Continue reading →

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Local control still under assault

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Sucks to be us, Harris County. With Harris County in its crosshairs, the Senate on Wednesday tentatively approved legislation that could make it tougher for Texas Counties to sue big-time polluters. If finally passed, House Bill 1794 would notch another … Continue reading →

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Texas plans to sue over EPA’s latest clean air plan

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So what else is new? Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday that he plans to sue the Obama administration over the proposed “Clean Power Plan,” its plan to combat climate change by slashing carbon emissions from power plants. “Texas has … Continue reading →

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Once again to SCOTUS for Texas and the EPA

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Plus ca change, and all that. Texas again went head-to-head with the Environmental Protection Agency before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, this time challenging federal limits on the emission of pollutants like mercury, acid gases and other toxic metals … Continue reading →

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Yes, we can cut back on coal

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It won’t be that hard, and it will come with a lot of benefits. Texas burns more coal than any other state in part because of its large and growing population and industrial base. But the carbon-intensive fuel accounted for … Continue reading →

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ERCOT acknowledges that meeting EPA clean air requirements won’t be that big a deal

Posted on December 27, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From Texas Clean Air Matters: Well, it didn’t take long before the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) released, at the request of Texas’ very political Public Utilities Commission, another report about the impacts of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) … Continue reading →

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Here come the new ozone standards

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Over the objections of Texas officials, the Obama administration on Wednesday proposed a long-delayed rule to slash levels of ozone – a smog-forming pollutant known to worsen asthma, lung disease and heart … Continue reading →

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EPA climate change plan would save water

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what do you know? As state regulators fret about how President Obama’s effort to combat climate change would affect the Texas power grid, a new study says the rules would be simpler to adopt than those regulators suggest – … Continue reading →

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It’s OK if energy costs go up for now

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my reaction to this. As Texas regulators weigh a response to President Obama’s proposal to combat climate change, the operator of the state’s main electric grid says the plan would raise energy costs and threaten reliability – particularly in the … Continue reading →

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News flash: Greg Abbott wants to sue the EPA again

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody could have foreseen this! Foretelling a new environmental battle between state and federal regulators, Attorney General Greg Abbott on Monday demanded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency back down from a proposal to expand the definition of federal waters to … Continue reading →

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From the “Those that disregard history are doomed to repeat it” department

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This is the state of environment protection in Texas. Texas’ top environmental regulator suggested Thursday that the state may ignore a proposed directive from the Obama administration in June to reduce carbon emissions from power plants. “I’m concerned that if … Continue reading →

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What do the Mayors want?

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Action on climate change. The U.S. Conference of Mayors, a bipartisan group that represents the leaders of 1,400 cities, each of which is home to at least 30,000 people, has called on the Obama administration and Congress to “enact an … Continue reading →

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Another win for the EPA at the Supreme Court

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And thus another loss for Greg Abbott and Rick Perry. The Supreme Court on Monday mostly validated the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to regulate power plant and factory emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming while imposing some limits … Continue reading →

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Texas will do just fine under the new EPA clean air regulations

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Unless it wants to fail, of course, which is always an option under the likes of Rick Perry and Greg Abbott. Texas could lead the way into a less carbon-intensive future under the Obama administration’s plans to sharply reduce greenhouse … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS upholds CSAPR

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some very good news for people who like to breathe. The question was who should pay for air pollution that crosses state lines. The answer, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, is blowing in the wind. States in the Midwest and … Continue reading →

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Court rules for the EPA against Texas again

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Another win for the environment. A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the Obama administration’s new rules that for the first time limit emissions of mercury and other harmful pollutants from coal- and oil-fired power plants. In a split decision, … Continue reading →

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Texas stands with polluters against the EPA one more time

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. The Obama administration’s climate change agenda on Monday faced one of its first real tests in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, where Texas and a group of industry leaders challenged an Environmental Protection Agency regulation aimed … Continue reading →

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