Updates

environment texas in action

Saving the Christmas Mountains: In September 2011, we won permanent protection for the Christmas Mountains of Big Bend when Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson agreed to transfer the mountains to the Texas State University system. This deal ensures that the Christmas Mountains will continue to be owned by and for the people of Texas and remain wild and protected forever.

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One Year After Severe Budget Cuts, Texas State Parks Hurting | Luke Metzger

Summer is here, which means that many Texas families will want to go out and visit their state parks. More than 7 million Texans each year head out to the 93 Texas state parks to spend quality time in the great outdoors doing family-friendly activities like camping, boating, hiking, and fishing. Texas state parks are a huge part of Texas’ tourism and travel industry, which is the third largest industry in the state and brings $51.8 billion into the Texas economy, and employs over half a million Texans. Clearly, state parks are an incredibly important to Texas’ economy. Thanks to last year’s budget cuts, however, Texas Parks and Wildlife is losing 21.5% of their funding this year and next year. 

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Banning BPA on Children's Products | Luke Metzger


On Wednesday, May 4th, 2011, the House Public Health Committee took testimony on HB 129, authored by Rep. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston), which would ban the use of Bisphenol A in most children's products.

Environment Texas strongly supports this legislation. Below is our testimony given at the hearing:

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Environmental Bills to Watch | Luke Metzger

With just 21 days left in the legislative session, I wanted to give you a quick update on how Environment Texas' priorities are faring at the Legislature. 

State Energy Plan: What started out as a bold vision to retire some of Texas’ dirtiest coal-fired power plants and replace them with cleaner sources of energy has unfortunately devolved in to a bill which would actually move Texas backwards on clean energy.

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Part 2: Environmental Bills to Watch | Luke Metzger

A few more bills to watch in the final weeks of session.

Fracking Disclosure: Yesterday, the House approved HB 3328 (Keffer) on second reading. The bill requires drillers of natural gas and oil to publicly disclose each chemical ingredient used in hydraulic fracturing (aka “fracking”) on each well - the first such law in the nation.

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Bills Still Standing | Luke Metzger

With just a few days left in the session, here are some of the key environmentally-related bills still moving. 

Good Bills

Fracking Chemical Disclosure (HB 3328) - passed Senate, going to conference committee. More.

Solar Leasing Bill (SB 981) - passed House. Once the bill's author - Sen. John Carona - concurs with the House amendments, it'll go to the Governor

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