Tag Archives: air quality

How gassy are we?

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I’m talking about greenhouse gases, of course. And the answer is, now you can find out for yourself. The greenhouse gas wars are about to heat up again in Texas. Next month, a federal court hears oral arguments in lawsuits … Continue reading →

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

Valero will not appeal tax break decision

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Valero Energy Corp. has decided not to appeal the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s rejection of its request for a controversial property tax exemption. […] Valero spokesman Bill Day said the company no longer would seek the exemption because … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Valero will not appeal tax break decision

It’s hard to get beyond coal

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The city of Austin is trying, but there are many obstacles along the way. In Austin politics, it’s almost an article of faith that the city must aggressively curb its contribution to global climate change, regardless of what transpires across … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on It’s hard to get beyond coal

CSAPR stayed

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There was some bad news at the end of the year. A federal court ordered [last] Friday that the Environmental Protection Agency’s controversial cross-state air pollution rule be stayed — to the delight of Texas officials and the chagrin of … Continue reading →

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

TCEQ denies Valero tax break

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas environmental regulators have rejected Valero Energy Corp.’s request for a tax break that cities, counties and school districts feared would lead to devastating cuts to their budgets. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality denied the request because the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on TCEQ denies Valero tax break

Luminant and the CSAPR

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have not followed the dustup between energy producer Luminant and the EPA very closely. What I know is that like most other disputes between those who want cleaner air here in Texas and those who don’t is that someone … Continue reading →

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

New clean air rule from EPA

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A new rule from the EPA that seeks to limit pollution that originates in one state but affects others as well should have a big effect on Texas. The rule, which covers 27 states and the District of Columbia, will … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New clean air rule from EPA

EPA-TCEQ agreement in the works

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A compromise is in the works between the EPA and the TCEQ over the controversial “flex permits” that the EPA has deemed not in compliance with the Clean Air Act. “We’re very close,” said Richard Hyde, deputy director of permitting … Continue reading →

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

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

The Great Texas Clean Up Festival

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Looking for something to do Saturday? The Sierra Club has a suggestion. RAY JOHNSTON BAND LOS PISTOLEROS DE TEXAS ROBERT ELLIS & THE BOYS MRS. GLASS Join us on JULY 24TH, from 4-10pm for a day of music and art. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

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

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 Valero effect

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is just what all of our cash-strapped local budgets need right now. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is not typically a big player in school finance debates. But an upcoming decision by the commission could strike a major … Continue reading →

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

“Don’t ask, don’t smell”

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron takes the TCEQ to task for it’s screw-the-public decision regarding the Lyondell permit. “They’re proposing to put thousands of tons of a cancer-causing chemical into our air,” says former Mayor Bill White. “They say they’ll reduce the amount … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “Don’t ask, don’t smell”

Why TCEQ is broken

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Back in 2008, Mayor White and the city of Houston made a request of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to hold a hearing before a judge on the latest permit application for Lyondell Chemical Co.’s refinery along the … Continue reading →

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

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

Air cleanup progress report

Posted on December 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news about efforts to get manufacturing plants to pollute less. In 2005, following Houston Chronicle and state reports about alarming levels of butadiene in neighborhoods near Texas Petrochemicals, the company signed a non-binding agreement with the TCEQ to … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Air cleanup progress report

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

Be like Bill

Posted on October 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

On the matter of where the Mayoral candidates stand on environmental issues, I don’t mind that they’re basically indistinguishable. As long as they follow the good example that has been set for them, it’s fine by me. To improve air … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Be like Bill

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

The science of smog

Posted on May 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I thought this was a very interesting article about a current research project that is investigating the effect of industrial flares from refineries and chemical plants on ozone levels, but one bit of it really amazed me. Industrial flares burn … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The science of smog

Clean Air update

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Some news of interest from ACT Texas: The House Committee on Environmental Regulation will hear important clean air bills today including SB 16 – Senator Averitt’s omnibus clean air and energy efficiency bill. Several address flaws in the TCEQ permitting … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Clean Air update

Senate passes clean air bill

Posted on April 10, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This sounds pretty good. New plants in heavily polluted areas like Houston’s Ship Channel could have a harder time getting state permits under a clean air bill tentatively passed Wednesday by the Texas Senate. Environmental regulators would have to examine … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

California breathin’

Posted on January 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We may get some cleaner air to breathe here in Texas thanks to California and President Obama. Obama ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to review the Bush administration’s refusal to allow California and 13 other states to set the nation’s … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on California breathin’