Gina McCarthy, President Obama’s nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), advanced in the Senate confirmation process by a 10-8 party line vote on Thursday. The vote occurred one week after Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee boycotted a hearing to vote on McCarthy’s nomination. In the preceding weeks, McCarthy answered upwards of 1,000 questions from committee members regarding her knowledge and fitness for the position.
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New EPA nominee faces hard road to confirmation
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Billboard technology in Peru provides clean water from atmospheric humidity
It is amazing to see what a little ingenuity can do when combined with emerging technologies and creative minds. In this week’s post, I’d like to share a video that might make your mouth water. Many people in developed countries simply do not understand the scarcity of natural resources and fail to consider how tough some people have it. Are you up to snuff on global water issues? Take a moment to gain some perspective and get inspired.
Posted in Groundwater, Opinion, Surface water
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Understanding the basics of aerial photography: Diverse applications
In previous installments of our Understanding Aerial Photography series, we covered the History of Aerial Photography, Scaling and Formatting of Aerial Imagery, and the different types of formats in which aerial imagery can be viewed. Aerial photography is used in numerous ways across many professional fields. The applications of aerial imagery will continue to grow and expand in the constantly changing world of scientific and technological advancement. In this post, we will shed some light on the wide-ranging uses of aerial photography.
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Posted in Aerial photography, Environmental data
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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 widely used in several Texas shale plays, requires millions of gallons of water for each well. This process of gas extraction, which involves injecting a pressurized mixture of water and chemicals into shale formations, has entered into the public consciousness in the last few years. Even New York Times columnist David Brooks is wondering who the next “Steve Jobs of Shale” will be.
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Posted in Groundwater, Industry news, Regulatory issues, Surface water
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A regulatory compliance history of the West Fertilizer Plant in Texas
Please scroll down for more original TCEQ documents.
The West Chemical and Fertilizer Company started in 1962 on the outskirts of Abbot Hill, Texas – just under five miles northeast of its current location in the town of West. In 1967, Monsanto Co. installed a 12,000-gallon storage tank for the purpose of storing anhydrous ammonia (NH3). In 1977, the company was issued a permit to store and transport anhydrous ammonia by the Texas Air Control Board (TACB), an agency that has since been absorbed into the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
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Posted in Environmental data, Industry news, Regulatory issues
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Urban vs. rural site assessments: Things to consider
An urban environmental site assessment differs from a rural environmental site assessment in a number of ways. This post explores the differences between rural and urban ESAs and highlights data considerations when approaching site assessments in each setting.
Posted in Environmental data, Groundwater, Phase I ESA, Regulatory issues, Uncategorized
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