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Archive for the ‘Water’ Category

A little bit of rain, a little less drought?

Posted in Coal Plants, Global Warming, Nuclear Plants, Water, tagged , on February 10, 2012 | 1 Comment »

While only 23 percent of Texas remains under “exceptional” drought, 90% of the state is still under some level of drought in spite of the recent rains many parts of the state have experienced.  But we can’t get cocky, as the U.S. seasonal drought outlook indicates most of Texas can expect the drought to persist [...]

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A Texas town runs out of water, will we see more?

Posted in Water, tagged , , on January 31, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Spicewood, Texas, a small community on Lake Travis, is precariously close to becoming the state’s first community to run out of drinking water during this historic drought.  On Monday, under dark clouds and with rain falling, Spicewood got its first delivery of 8,000-gallons of water after it became clear local wells could no longer produce enough [...]

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Bill would give Oklahomans the right to vote on sale of water to Texas

Posted in Coal Plants, Water, tagged , , on January 18, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

As Texas struggles to determine how they will meet their water needs in the face of what could be an extended 5 to 10 year period of drought, Oklahomans are looking to protect their water rights as their neighbors to the south look on lustfully. An Associated Press story says proposed legislation by two Oklahoma [...]

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US environmental authorities have declared for the first time that fracking may be to blame for groundwater pollution.

Posted in Water, tagged , , , on December 9, 2011 | 2 Comments »

A draft finding by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could have a chilling effect on states trying to determine how to regulate the process. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves pumping pressurised water, sand and chemicals underground to open fissures and improve the flow of oil or gas to the surface. The EPA found that [...]

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Radioactive waste dump seeking amendment to its license

Posted in Nuclear, Radioactive Waste, Water, tagged , , , , , , on December 8, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Waste Control Specialists LLC (WCS) is seeking several amendments to its Radioactive Material License # R04100 from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).  Five of the amendments request design changes to the Compact Waste Disposal Facility (CWF) and the Federal Waste Facility (FWF) for commercial and federal low-level radiactive waste disposal. The other two amendment [...]

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Rerouting Keystone XL: From Poisoned Aquifers to Polluted Land

Posted in Air Quality, Water, tagged , , on December 7, 2011 | 1 Comment »

This is a guest blog by departing Public Citizen intern Chantelle B. In recent months, Nebraska’s government has taken a strong stand against the Keystone XL Pipeline’s route, which currently passes through the ecologically fragile Sandhills region and North America’s largest aquifer – the Ogallala – which, if polluted, could have disastrous effects. The majority of [...]

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Drought and coal-fired power plants don’t mix

Posted in Coal Plants, Utilities, Water, tagged , , , on November 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

According to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), at the end of summer 2011, Texas had suffered the driest 10 months since record keeping began in 1895.  Rivers, like the Brazos, actually dried up. And if that wasn’t enough, the dry weather came with brutal heat.  So brutal, that seven cities recorded at least 80 [...]

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NPR reports on how energy and environmental issues affect you

Posted in Air Quality, Coal, Energy, Global Warming, natural gas, Nuclear, Texas Legislature, Water on November 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

StateImpact is a collaboration among NPR and local public radio stations in eight pilot states to examine issues of local importance. The project seeks to inform and engage communities with broadcast and online news about how state government decisions affect people’s lives. In Texas, a collaboration between local public radio stations KUT Austin, KUHF Houston and [...]

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Texas Senator Troy Fraser focuses on the energy industry’s water use

Posted in Coal Plants, Nuclear Plants, Water, tagged , , , , on November 4, 2011 | 1 Comment »

According to the Texas Energy Report, Senate Natural Resources Committee Chairman Troy Fraser, called the energy industry a bit too “thirsty” during a record one-year drought, and warned the oil and gas companies to ramp up the recycling of water consumed during hydraulic fracturing. Currently much of the chemical-laced water and sand that Texas companies blast [...]

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Austin League of Women Voters – Texas Water Study: “Should Water Be Treated as a Commodity?”

Posted in Coal Plants, Nuclear Plants, Water, tagged , , , on October 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

The ongoing drought, extended high temperatures, and wildfires have increased the importance of state water studies. In light of the study by the State of Texas and the critical nature of our water issues, the League of Women Voters (LWV) Austin is sponsoring a meeting for its members and the public featuring an outstanding panel of water experts [...]

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SMITTY discusses impeachment, grand juries, nuclear energy, water supplies, and more on ACCESS News

Posted in Global Warming, Nuclear, Nuclear Plants, Water on October 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

ACCESS News! A program about being a better citizen (Presidents included). What happens when the President of the United States runs afoul of the law? What is a grand jury? Is the future of nuclear energy dead? Is our water supply properly managed? The Director of Public Citizen’s Texas office, Tom “SMITTY” Smith, discusses impeachment, [...]

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Continued Drought Concerns ERCOT for 2012

Posted in Coal Plants, Efficiency, Water, tagged , , , , , on October 19, 2011 | 1 Comment »

The worst drought in more than 50 years in Texas is expected to continue as a weak La Nina weather pattern is predicted to strengthen this winter.  Drought has already reduced cooling water needed by coal-fired power plants and may limit electric output from power plants next summer, an official from the Electric Reliability Council [...]

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The Obama Playbook on Energy and Ethics is the worst Three Stooges episode ever

Posted in Climate Change, Energy, Global Warming, Good Government, Tarsands, Water, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 15, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Solyndra was the pie in the face, but Keystone XL is the rake in the yard the White House needs to avoid. Approval of controversial pipeline is bad for the environment, and bad politics, as it would offend not just environmentalists, but voters of all stripes across America’s heartland who would have the pipeline run [...]

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The Public Needs Protection From Fracking Dangers

Posted in Air Quality, Water, tagged , , , on August 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Public Citizen today urged a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) task force to prioritize the safety of water resources at contamination risk from hydraulic fracturing. Among the solutions Public Citizen proposed is repeal of the various exemptions the natural gas industry has received from federal environmental laws; the denial of drilling companies’ “proprietary” right to [...]

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From toilet water to tap water, the new liquid gold of West Texas

Posted in Coal Plants, Water, tagged , , , on August 12, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

So after years of diminishing water supplies made even worse by the second-most severe drought in state history, some West Texas communities are resorting to a plan to turn sewage into drinking water. A water-reclamation plant believed to be the first in Texas will supply Big Spring, Midland, Odessa and Stanton and is currently under [...]

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