News Release | Environment Texas

Texas House passes major water legislation

AUSTIN – By a vote of 141 to 4, the Texas House today gave final approval to legislation which more than doubles the state’s investment in water conservation and creates a new water infrastructure fund to provide state financing to reservoir, pipeline and conservation projects. Once the Senate approves the conference report to HB 4, the bill will finally head to the Governor’s desk. The bill directs that 20 percent of the funding go towards water conservation measures and another 10 percent go towards rural projects, for which agricultural water conservation projects also qualify. The 2012 State Water Plan calls for just 11 percent of state funding to go towards conservation, but with the passage of HB 4, as much as 30 percent of the funding will now be directed to water-saving measures.  

News Release | Environment Texas

Progress made on water conservation, Budget funds local parks

AUSTIN – In a series of promising developments for the environment, important progress was made today in the Legislature for Texas parks and rivers. First, the House Appropriations committee approved a constitutional amendment to authorize $2 billion in spending in water infrastructure. If conservation targets in companion legislation HB4 are maintained, the combination of actions would result in a historic investment in water conservation. Second, the House approved a bill to prevent homeowners associations from blocking members from planting of drought-tolerant landscaping. Finally, the budget conference committee restored $15.5 million to the local parks grant program.

News Release | Environment Texas

Court rejects Exxon bid to dismiss citizen enforcement suit

HOUSTON – A federal court has rejected, for the second time, an attempt by ExxonMobil Corporation and two subsidiaries to get rid of a lawsuit filed against them by Sierra Club and Environment Texas.  The lawsuit alleges thousands of violations of the Clean Air Act at the nation’s largest oil refinery and chemical plant complex, located in Baytown, Texas. 

News Release | Environment Texas

Senate panel votes to weaken citizen rights to protect communities from pollution

AUSTIN – This afternoon, the Senate Natural Resources committee voted 6-3 in favor of legislation to weaken the rights of Texans to protect their communities by challenging the permits of polluters. SB 957 (Fraser) makes major changes to the contested case hearing process, which has helped Texans win stronger environmental protections in permits to build new or modify existing landfills, hazardous waste facilities and power plants.

News Release | Environment Texas

Funding for local parks zeroed out in budget

AUSTIN – Local parks would get zero funding under the latest version of the state budget, according to parks advocates at a news conference on the Capitol grounds this past Thursday. The group called on budget writers to restore funding for the program as they reconcile the budgets passed by the House and Senate.

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