Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Global Warming’ Category

Stop TransCanada From Bringing Dirty Oil to Your Backyard

Posted in Global Warming, Tarsands, tagged , , , , , , , on January 22, 2011 |

It’s been a while since a status update has been given on the Keystone XL pipeline project here at Public Citizen so the time has come!

The Keystone pipeline project is Canadian initiated undertaking involving both TransCanada and ConocoPhillips.  The pipeline is set out to be about 1380 miles long and the pipe itself is projected to be about 36 inches in diameter.  The Keystone pipeline will enter the United States from Alberta, Canada through Montana, cross through South Dakota and Nebraska to send its 700,000 barrels/day supply into stations in Oklahoma and East Texas.  In doing so, this means the pipeline would be crossing 554 acres of wetlands and 91 streams that support either recreational or commercial fisheries.

The Keystone pipeline will also run right through the Ogallala Aquifer, meaning potential damage to one of the country’s largest sources of water if a spill should occur.  Dirty Oil Picture And we all know how easy it can be for an oil spill to occur.  (see the recent WSJ article on the BP Alaskan pipeline leak)

In fact, TransCanada is supposed to construct the actual pipes to be made out of a thinner material, but the oil will be pumped at a higher pressure than normal, which increases the risks of spills even more.  The last thing we need is another BP disaster in the gulf or pipeline leak in Alaska.  But suppose you say, “So what, what’s another oil spill?”  Well, it just so happens that this pipeline will be transporting some of the dirtiest oil in the world.

This type of oil, known as tar sands oil, produces more global warming pollution than our normal conventional oil, 20% more to be exact.  It also makes conventional oil seem pretty darn clean.  Tar sands oil is full of toxic and harmful materials not only dangerous to the environment but the health of the communities surrounding the pipelines are endangered  as well.  Producing this oil for the Keystone XL will essentially result in the emittance of 11 million more tons of carbon dioxide. (more…)

Read Full Post »

STP license renewal – Opportunity for public participation

Posted in Global Warming, Nuclear, tagged , , , , on January 20, 2011 |

On January 13th, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced the opportunity to request a hearing on an application to renew the operating licenses for the South Texas Project (STP) Units 1 and 2 which will expire on Aug. 20, 2027, and Dec. 15, 2028, respectively.

South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company, submitted the renewal application to the NRC on Oct. 25, 2010. When the agency receives a license renewal application and it is docketed three actions are triggered:

  • technical safety reviews
  • environmental reviews
  • an announcement of an opportunity for a hearing

The deadline for requesting a hearing is 60 days following the publication of a notice in the Federal Register.   This means, by March 14, petitions should be filed by anyone whose interest may be affected by the license renewal and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Hill Country transmission (CREZ) line decision postponed by PUC

Posted in Energy, Global Warming, tagged , , , , , , on January 15, 2011 |

As an end of the month deadline looms, PUC once again postponed a final decision on the route of a controversial portion of the lines and towers that will carry wind power from West Texas through the Hill Country and on to the state’s more populated regions

At this point it looks like PUC will likely act next week at their Jan. 20 meeting, following a marathon meeting Thursday.

The proposal has drawn fire from hundreds of Hill Country property owners on grounds that the power lines and towers would severely damage the area’s natural beauty and devastate property values.

Tune in after January 20th to find out what is finally decided.

Read Full Post »

EPA v. Texas: Showdown in Dallas

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2011 |

The much anticipated hearing between the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas regarding the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions will occur this morning in Dallas, Texas.  The hearing is set to begin at 10:00 AM and is expected to continue through 7:00 PM this evening.  The hearing will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Market Center and will assemble both the public and concerned citizens of Texas for dissent and opinion on the issue.  Many members of the community will be in attendance, as well as other battlemen fighting for justice, including the Sierra Club and of course, Public Citizen, represented by our very own pirate coal activist Ryan Rittenhouse! We will be making our voice heard this morning in Dallas in hopes of changing the current regulations concerning emission standards.  Businessweek has quoted Neil Carman of Sierra Club on the issue, who has assessed that the new rules of the EPA will not in fact be costly to implement whatsoever.

The latest controversy involves the decision made late last year that the EPA would in fact be taking over the permitting process regarding emission regulation in Texas.   In response, Texas is now currently suing the EPA to try and halt their implementation plan which would essentially call for more rigid regulation standards in either new or existing power plant and/or oil facilities.

Old Cowboy western shootout picture

EPA vs. Texas: Emissions Shootout

Texas claims that the EPA is overstepping the state’s authority with respect to emission setting standards.  The EPA’s justification for taking over the permitting process is related to Texas rejecting to comply with the EPA’s new greenhouse gas rules issued earlier this year.  The EPA claims that Texas has left them no other choice but to take over, not only because of the hot-headed letter we sent to EPA refusing to comply with the Clean Air Act, but also since Texas is also the leading nation in greenhouse gas emissions as well as industrial pollution.   By holding this hearing, the EPA is allowing both environmental advocacy groups as well as the public to voice their opinion before the final decision is rendered concerning emission standards.

Will the outcome of this battle prove to be victorious? Tune in next time to find out!

Related Articles:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-06/epa-texas-feud-escalates-over-new-carbon-regulations.html

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7381200.html#drop

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/print-edition/2011/01/14/epas-takeover-of-permitting-to-have.html

Read Full Post »

Competitive Power “Advocates” launches new website to support deregulation of the electric market

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , on January 12, 2011 |

The industry group, Texas Competitive Power Advocates, today unveiled its spiffed-up new website to help drive its message in support of choice in the retail electric market.

In addition to advocacy information, the site provides links to state and local government regulatory agencies, the major news outlets and the association’s social media networks.

Check out their site and let us know if you think it provides information that helps you navigate the competitive electricity market here in Texas – http://www.competitivepower.org/. 

If you get your electricity from a municipal utility or are a member of a rural electric cooperative, this does not apply to you.  But if you are in an area where you have market choices and are wondering if you are getting the best deal, check it out.  Much has been said about electric deregulation in Texas, and we are curious to hear from you to let us know how you think that has been going.

Read Full Post »

Texas’ 82nd Legislature – a bumpy ride?

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , on January 12, 2011 |

The Texas Legislature opened its 2011 session yesterday amid a great deal of fanfare, but little substance at this point.  However, we can expect more interesting things to happen starting today when the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission makes their legislative recommendations for such controvercial agencies as the Texas Railroad Commission, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and even the Public Utility Commission, who have come under some scrutiny during the hearings that were held back in December of last year. 

Yesterday the Republican caucus gathered to hash out what turned into a fizzled leadership challenge.  Today the Texas House met and affirmed Speaker Joe Straus‘ leadership, so we will move forward.  We still expect some changes in committee membership and leadership (in part due to the vast numbers of freshmen legislators that came out of the backlash elections in November), but perhaps not so much as might have been expected from a change in the speakership.  Most interesting as we begin this session is the gigantic budget shortfall that could change state government as the people have come to know it.

Republicans, having amassed their largest House majority in Texas history, now dominate the Legislature. Most of them are promising to make deep cuts in spending, balance the budget without new taxes, re-visit ID requirements for voters, “crack down” on illegal immigration and require women to get a sonogram — and then look at it — before having an abortion.

In remarks to the Senate yesterday, Perry warned lawmakers it won’t be easy to balance a budget facing such a massive shortfall.  The official revenue estimate shows the state is short billions — as much as $27 billion — of the amount that would be required to maintain the current level of services when adjusted for inflation and caseload growth.  Proportionally, Texas’ budget shortfall is worse than that of California and it is likely that any new initiatives that have a fiscal impact on the state’s budget bill, will go down in flames.

Democrats blamed Republican leaders for creating the shortfall and posit that critical programs will be curtailed as a result.

In the inimitable words of Bette Davis in All About Eve, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

Read Full Post »

Sunset Recommendations Coming Wednesday

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , , , on January 11, 2011 |

The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission will make its recommendations on how and whether to allow such state agencies as the Railroad Commission, the Public Utility Commission and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to stay in business, tomorrow, January 12th.

The meeting convenes at 8 a.m. in the Senate Finance Committee room Room E1.036, Capitol Extension, 1400 Congress Avenue, Austin, Tx.  However, we don’t expect the Commission to get around to the Railroad Commission or TCEQ until after noon and the final Vote on Commission Recommendations to the 82nd Legislature is the last thing on their agenda.

Meeting materials are available on the Sunset Commission’s website at http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/whatsnew.htm.

Staff reports on the above agencies are available at http://www.sunset.state.tx.us/82.htm.

If you want to watch the meeting via the internet rather than attending, access is available through a live  broadcast at www.senate.state.tx.us/bin/live.php.

Current status of the proceedings will be posted at www.sunset.state.tx.us.

Join this meeting however you can.  It should prove to be interesting.

Related Articles

Read Full Post »

Net Metering Policies in Texas

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , , on January 11, 2011 |

Texas Net-Metering Report This past summer, interns in Public Citizen‘s Texas office were busy calling utility companies (including rural electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities) to find out what their policies were on net-metering. 

Net-metering is an arrangement by which excess renewable electricity produced by consumers who own (generally small) renewable energy facilities, such as wind, solar power or home fuel cells, is supplied to the electrical utility grid, causing the customer’s electric meter to spin backwards and generate credit to the customer’s electric utility account

What the policies are for customers to connect to the grid and how any credits are assessed to them for their excess energy is the subject of this report.  To read our report, click here.

Read Full Post »

VOTE on Radioactive Waste – We Got Screwed

Posted in Global Warming, Radioactive Waste, tagged , , , , , , , on January 4, 2011 |

Well for those who have been waiting to hear how the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission (TLLRWDCC) voted on the new rule that would open Texas up to accepting radioactive waste from as many as 36 other states (and possibly beyond that), it is no surprise that the Compact Commission voted in favor of the rule.

Public Citizen‘s Texas director, Tom “Smitty” Smith and the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) Coalition’s executive director, Karen Hadden drove through the night to the edges of the state in order to attend the hearing this morning, and have spent the better part of the day listening to the public and the Commissioners debate issues around this rule.

Karen Hadden just texted us to say:

In an outrageous demonstration of ignoring public opposition, the unfunded Compact Commision, which has no office, no bylaws and only one staff person, still managed to vote to open Texas up to radioactive waste from around the country.  In Andrews County, a late afternoon vote followed public testimony, predominantly in opposition to the radioactive waste expansion, and heated debate between the Commissioners.

Legal challenges are likely.  The Commissioners rushed this crucial vote through during the holidays ahead of the swearing in of a new Governor in Vermont and the beginning of the 82nd Texas legislative session.  They rushed this vote through in spite of concerns being expressed by legislative members of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission during a December 15th Sunset Commission hearing. They rushed this vote through in spite of issues around citizens’ ability to submit their comments because of a incorrect email address listed in the Texas Register posting of the rules and instructions to the public about where to submit comments.  They rushed this through despite a motion by Commissioner Gregory to extend the comment period which they refused to do.   They rush this through and Texas got screwed.

We will post more on this vote tomorrow.

Related Articles

Read Full Post »

Happy Holidays from the Texas office of Public Citizen

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , on December 17, 2010 |

To make a year end contribution, click here

Read Full Post »

Texas Sunset Advisory Commission Hearing Today – TxDOT, Railroad Commission and TCEQ

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , , on December 15, 2010 |

If you want to watch the hearing on streaming video, click here.  The hearing is being held at the Texas Capitol, hearing room E1.036 (scroll down to Video Broadcast #8).

The Alliance for a Clean Texas (ACT) is working with numerous concerned citizens who have come in from all over the state – Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Victoria, Abilene, El Paso and other smaller communities – to testify on improvements they think need to be made at the Railroad Commission and the TCEQ. 

Thank you to these everyday citizens who have taken time out of their lives to ask the state to do a better job of protecting all Texans from pollution.

###

By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Read Full Post »

E.P.A. delaying tougher rules on emissions. Are global warming gases next?

Posted in Air Quality, Global Warming, Toxics, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 12, 2010 |

Air pollution

Image via Wikipedia

In the face of the changes in the political dynamic in Washington, the Obama administration is retreating on long-delayed environmental regulations.  The new rules were set to take effect over the next several weeks, but this move will leave in place policies set by President George W. Bush while it pushes back deadlines to  July 2011 to further analyze scientific and health studies of the smog rules and until April 2012 on the boiler regulation.
Environmental advocates fear a similar delay on the approaching start of one of the most far-reaching regulatory programs in American environmental history, the effort to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

The delayed smog rule would lower the allowable concentration of airborne ozone to 60 to 70 parts per billion from the current level of 75 parts per billion, putting several hundred cities in violation of air pollution standards. The agency says that the new rule would save thousands of lives per year, but saving lives now seems to have taken a back seat to saving the costs to businesses and municipalities of having to meet those standards.

Read Full Post »

TCEQ and RRC on Sunset Advisory Commission December 15th agenda

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , , on December 9, 2010 |

The Sunset Advisory Commission has put TCEQ on the agenda for December 15th, following the Department of Transportation and the Railroad Commission. What this means is that public testimony on TCEQ should begin sometime after lunch.

We hope some of you can make it to the December 15th hearing.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us directly with your questions! Feel free to email us at texasfeedback (at) citizen.org.

###

By promoting cleaner energy, cleaner government, and cleaner air for all Texans, we hope to provide for a healthy place to live and prosper. We are Public Citizen Texas.

Read Full Post »

Texas State Climatoligist talks about Texas and Climate Change

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , , , on December 8, 2010 |

A Dust Bowl storm approaches Stratford, Texas ...

A Dust Bowl storm approaches Stratford, Texas in 1935. - wikipedia.org

Texas is not immune to the effects of increasing greenhouse gases, according to the state climatologist, John Nielsen-Gammon, of Texas A&M University’s Department of Atmospheric Sciences. Dr. Nielsen-Gammon also says the international science on climate change is fundamentally sound despite challenges from state officials, and the drought in Central Texas is likely to continue.  Below are excerpts from an interview with the Texas Tribune. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Supreme Court set to review CO2 suits

Posted in Global Warming, tagged , , on December 7, 2010 |

In an article today by BRENT KENDALL And TENNILLE TRACY of the Washington post, they write that the Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether eight states and other plaintiffs can proceed with lawsuits that seek to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by utilities.

[scotus]

Read more about the Supreme Court, including upcoming cases and details on the justices. (more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »