Environmental Insider News articles from August 2002

Environmental Insider News archives from August 2002

Shameful Sham Recycling Requirements?
August 9, 2002... The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on August 7 was poised to adopt rules aimed at ridding the state of "sham" recyclers, as mandated by section 9.03 of House Bill 2912 (the agency's Sunset legislation). Even after hearing...

TCEQ Prepares Legislative Appropriations Request.
August 9, 2002... TCEQ staff are walking around with gloomy looks on their faces - as are all state agency personnel - because of the early warning signs that significant cuts will almost surely be necessary for the 78th Legislature to have any hope of balancing...

EPA Damned for Diesel Engine Penalty Rule.
August 9, 2002... EPA on August 1 finalized a rule establishing monetary penalties (of up to $12,000 per engine) that could be imposed on manufacturers of heavy-duty diesel engines unable to meet 2004 and later model year emission standards for hydrocarbons and...

Cherry Blossoms.
August 9, 2002... Suarez Confirmed at EPA The U.S. Senate on August 1 confirmed John Peter Suarez, another of the New Jersey cohorts of Administrator Christie Whitman, as EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assistance. Suarez has most...

Bluebonnets.
August 9, 2002... TCEQ Samples Soils in Mission TCEQ on August 5 announced results of soil sampling done in two neighborhoods near the site of a former pesticide mixing plant and storage warehouse in Mission. Except at a few sites, levels of contamination...

ASARCO Story Gets Nastier.
August 19, 2002... For now, it appears negotiations are stalled in the El Paso soil contamination fight between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and ASARCO Incorporated (a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico S.A. de C.V.) - a fight spurred on by El Paso elected...

Shell Center for Sustainability at Rice.
August 19, 2002... The Shell Oil Company Foundation recently announced the establishment of the Shell Center for Sustainability at Rice University. The Center, with an endowment of $3.5 million, will be a hub for collaboration by experts dealing with societal and...

Cherry Blossoms.
August 19, 2002... Whitman Stresses Water Conservation EPA Administrator Christie Whitman has gone on the stump for water conservation - a theme Texans have been singing for some time. Nationally, she said, an average of 14% of the water we buy is lost...

Bluebonnets.
August 19, 2002... TCEQ Seeking New ED Pronto! The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has scheduled a series of closed agenda sessions - on August 19, 22, and 26 - to deliberate on whom they will hire to replace Jeff Saitas as its Executive...

ASARCO's Johnson Resigns from Mayor's Task Force.
August 21, 2002... Lairy Johnson, environmental manager for the ASARCO Incorporated El Paso Plant, on August 19 formally resigned from the Mayor's Environmental Task Force (ETF), for which he had been one of two industry representatives. Johnson said that he had...

TCEQ Narrows List to Eight.
August 21, 2002... The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has announced it will be conducting interviews with eight candidates for its Executive Director position being vacated next month by Jeff Saitas. The agency said there were 34 applicants for the...