Author Archives: Carissa Ries
83rd Texas Legislature: Pending bills would regulate water use in fracking operations
We all need water to survive, and so does the Texas economy. As the population grows alongside the booming oil and gas industry, water issues have come to the forefront to stay. The process of hydraulic fracturing, which is … Continue reading
Unprecedented water shortage in Wichita Falls, Texas
The Texas Tribune published an article this week on extreme water shortages in Wichita Falls, Texas. Last month lake levels dropped significantly, prompting Stage 3 water restrictions, and the city is expected to implement Stage 4 restrictions by the … Continue reading
BP on trial for Deepwater Horizon disaster
The federal trial against BP and its partners started Monday in New Orleans. The first phase of the trial will determine whether the oil companies were grossly negligent in causing the Deepwater Horizon well blowout and oil spill of 2010, … Continue reading
USGS Energy Resources Program establishes national data archive
In accordance with provisions stipulated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the USGS Energy Resources Program conducts research, compiles data, and provides information about energy resources in the United States. Provisions of the bill established the National Geological … Continue reading
EPA releases update on study of hydraulic fracturing
As the use of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) technologies has increased in the United States, so have concerns about its impacts on human health and the environment. In response, the US Congress has requested the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to … Continue reading
Interview with J.B. Bleckley – founder of Banks Environmental Data
The Banks Group has been in business now for over 30 years. I recently had an opportunity to sit down with J.B. Bleckley – founder, president, and CEO of Banks Environmental Data – to talk about how the company … Continue reading