EJToday is SEJ's selection of new and outstanding stories on environmental topics in print and on the air, updated every weekday. SEJ also offers a free e-mailed digest of the day's EJToday postings, called SEJ-beat. SEJ members are subscribed automatically, but may opt out here. Non-members may subscribe here. EJToday is also available via RSS feed. Please see Editorial Guidelines for EJToday content.
"EPA Ordered to Wait on Taking Over Texas' Greenhouse Gas Permitting"
Greenwire, 01/04/2011"U.S. EPA's plan to sidestep state officials and oversee climate rules in Texas has been temporarily blocked by a federal court, making the Lone Star State the only place where businesses cannot apply for greenhouse gas permits that the Obama administration now requires."
U.S.-Mexico Pact May Help Solve Southwest Water Supply Woes
Greenwire, 12/23/2010Water shortages in the Southwest may be postponed for a while after Mexico agreed to store some of the Colorado River water it is entitled to in U.S. reservoirs while it repairs canals and pipelines damaged in a recent earthquake.
"E.P.A. Challenges Texas Over Rules on Emissions"
NYTimes, 12/23/2010"HOUSTON — The feud between Texas and the Environmental Protection Agency reached a new level this week, with federal officials saying that they will take over the granting of permits for new power plants and refineries in the state because Texas refuses to regulate its emissions of greenhouse gases."
"Tar Creek Buyout Costs Less Than Expected"
Tulsa World, 12/20/2010"A federal buyout of homes and businesses in the Tar Creek Superfund site is nearly complete and is expected to cost about $10 million less than original estimates."
"EPA Says Gas Driller Contaminated Texas Aquifer"
AP, 12/08/2010"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency order against a gas driller in Texas on Tuesday, accusing the company of contaminating an aquifer and giving it 48 hours to provide clean drinking water to affected residents and begin taking steps to resolve the problem."
"Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Critiqued on Transparency"
Houston Chronicle, 11/19/2010"The Texas agency that regulates industrial pollution should be more responsive and transparent to the public, according to a state analysis released Thursday."
Lawyer Who Helped Write Texas Env. Laws Now Helps Industry Skirt Them
Austin American-Statesman, 11/08/2010"As a young state attorney in the early days of environmental regulation, [Pamela Giblin] built up the laws that regulate pollution of the state's water and air. Today, age 64 and still raven-haired and self-effacing, she is the senior attorney for some of the state's largest polluters — dedicated, some would say, to finding cracks in those same laws."
"Woman Loses Bid to Lead Navajos"
NYTimes, 11/04/2010"Lynda Lovejoy, a state senator in New Mexico, and her running mate, Earl Tulley, have lost their bid to become the first woman and the first environmental leader to lead the Navajo Nation, the largest American Indian tribe."
"Judge Suspends Navajo Mining Permit"
Green (NYT), 11/02/2010"In a significant legal victory for Navajo campaigners, a federal judge has voided a permit for the expansion of one of two operating mines on the Navajo reservation, calling for a more thorough review of the project's impact on the environment and on cultural sites."
"Oklahoma Fails Small Town In Fly Ash Regulation"
News on 6 Tulsa, 10/29/2010People in Bokoshe, Oklahoma, say they are sick because the state and EPA have failed to regulated fly ash from a nearby coal-burning power plant.
Water Is New Weapon in Texas Coal Plant Fights
Houston Chronicle, 10/25/2010"There is a new front in the fight over whether Texas should build more coal-fired power plants -- water."
"Economic Study Funded by Prop. 23 Backers Questioned"
Sacramento Bee, 10/25/2010A study claiming that California's Proposition 23 would create jobs failed to disclose that it was funded by big out-of-state oil companies and the Koch brothers, who have been anonymously funding political causes that boost profits of their oil business. Proposition 23 would delay California's climate change law, which environmentalists say would create green jobs.
"A Fishing Paradise Gains a Deadly Reputation"
NYTimes, 10/08/2010"HOUSTON — For decades, Falcon Lake was known primarily as an anglers’ paradise, a tranquil reservoir straddling the border with Mexico where a clever fisherman could catch enormous largemouth bass. These days, however, the lake is developing a reputation for something else: piracy."
"Arlington Mayor: Gas Drilling Needs Testing"
WFAA-TV, 10/04/2010"ARLINGTON, Texas — Mayor Robert Cluck wants to test the air near every new gas well in Arlington and a neighboring city has started its own air quality study."
"EPA Issues Final Plan for Auditing Rejected Texas Permits"
Greenwire, 09/22/2010"For the roughly 130 power plants, refineries and other facilities embroiled in the air permitting dispute between U.S. EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, a new program being finalized by EPA could allow them to get on with business as usual."

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