The move of authority to the Texas Railroad Commission from the federal government now makes it easier for energy companies to apply for permits to store carbon underground.

After identifying flaws in the state’s air monitoring, the Tribune hosted workshops to inform Houston Ship Channel communities.

Environmental experts say the ruling will pause measures to reduce smog in some states and influence suits in lower courts.

The new federal limits target six cancer-causing chemicals and aim to reduce the cancer risk of cancer for nearby communities.

The emissions from the plant pose significant health risks such as asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases to the nearby households.

A new report by the Environmental Integrity Project compiled data on every U.S. plastics plant built, expanded or proposed since 2012, revealing massive growth in Texas.

Public data from a network of state air monitors around the Houston Ship Channel is hard to interpret and is often inadequate, leaving Latino-majority neighborhoods like Cloverleaf unaware of whether the air they breathe is safe.

Some environmental experts are skeptical that Texas can meet the new rules on particulate matter, which can cause serious respiratory problems.

The Biden Administration announced a crackdown on methane emissions, a major driver of climate change. Major oil and gas companies also signed on to a voluntary net-zero commitment.

A report by the federal environmental agency’s internal watchdog found that EPA is failing to enforce its own pollution limits for the known carcinogen at many refineries — including some in Texas.

The bill would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to focus enforcement and increase penalties on repeat violators and increase public outreach. Still, environmental advocates say the effort was too “modest” in its reach.

The bill would impose fines when residents make more than three complaints to the state environmental agency in a year if they don’t result in enforcement action. Critics warn the bill would discourage people from reporting pollution.

The federal environment agency says it will continue flyovers of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico until Aug. 15 using infrared cameras to survey oil and gas operations.

One of them is in Laredo, which has elevated rates of cancer, according to a recent state analysis. The findings come after reporting by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune.

Emissions are reacting with the summer heat to create high levels of smog, hazardous air pollution that damages the lungs. But state officials are pushing back on ozone pollution controls proposed by the EPA, arguing such rules would compromise the electric grid.

The high court said a cap on power plants’ carbon dioxide emissions that forces a transition to other fuels may be a “sensible” solution to the climate crisis, but that Congress did not give the Environmental Protection Agency the broad authority to make such requirements. Texas was one of 17 states that joined in the suit.

The Houston and Dallas regions may soon be designated as “severe” violators of federal smog rules, which would prompt more aggressive regulations.

A report from the state climatologist finds that the state is experiencing hotter days with less relief from high temperatures at night.

Air pollution monitoring in 2019 and 2020 show levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, in neighborhoods along the Houston Ship Channel that pose health threats to the largely Hispanic residents living in that area.

HOUSTON – Channel 2 Investigates uncovered a lapse in a safety net that so many of our communities depend on. A gap in air quality monitoring where dangerous chemicals could be released into the air. Nearly two months after our report, the Texas Commission On Environmental Quality is unveiling new technology aimed at improving that effort. Network of 200 Stationary Air MonitorsOne of the criticisms has been, right before a hurricane rolls in, the fixed air monitoring stations would go offline when they’re needed most as plants and refineries burn off excess chemicals as they’re being shut down. “Get real time data about the air, not just where our stationary air monitors are but all around the facility is going to be a game changer for us,” Baker said.

HOUSTON An Austin-based company, the Good Air Team have designed dog masks that protect pets from toxins in the air. The K9 Mask provides N95 air filter protection against smoke, dust, bacteria, smog and other air pollutants, the company says. In 2019, Evan Daugherty and Kirby Holmes, the co-owners of the Good Air Team, launched a fully-funded Kickstarter campaign. The Good Air Team started in 2015 as an educational website about the damages of global air pollution and the solution of wearing a pollution air mask. The duo launched Pollution Air Mask, which protects people from air pollution using stylish designs with innovative face mask technology.