Environmental Insider News articles from June 1999

Environmental Insider News archives from June 1999

Low-Level Radioactive Waste Authority Abolished.
June 14, 1999... The 76th Legislature took two significant actions regarding low-level radioactive waste (LLRW). First, after several nonstarts in prior sessions, state lawmakers made the federal government happy by enacting House Bill 1172, which conforms the...

LLRW Now in Limbo.
June 14, 1999... Chisum reportedly took his drastic action to kill his own bill because of his strong support for assured isolation over underground disposal (a choice backed as well by Texas environmental groups) and his opposition to effectively limiting the...

Wastewater in Margaritaville.
June 14, 1999... Perhaps the most controversial water-related bill during the 76th legislative session was House Bill 1283, which grants TNRCC authority to issue general permits for wastewater discharges under specified conditions. The bill was one of the chief...

The ABC's of Water Districts.
June 14, 1999... In every legislative session there are bills pertaining to individual water and sewer districts and other local matters. The 76th Legislature, however, faced an enormous challenge, in that 22 separate bills had been filed to create new...

Texas Tidbits.
June 14, 1999... *** Texas lignite coal produced by surface mining increased slightly in 1998 to 54,408,065 tons, according to figures released by the Railroad Commission. The state's lignite production zone extends 565 miles across the state from Laredo to...

TNRCC's Legislation to Regulations Priorities.
June 28, 1999... The last legislative session of the 20th Century is barely history, but already TNRCC officials are at work on a list of high-priority, fast-track actions to turn newly enacted state laws into regulatory policy. The highest priority (see story...

A New Permitting Universe.
June 28, 1999... Yet another hot ticket item for TNRCC fast-track action is Senate Bill 766 (the grandfather bill), which the state's environmental community fought long and hard to defeat but were only able to win minor victories - particularly in closing...

Water Development Laws.
June 28, 1999... Of the 6,417 bills and resolutions filed during the 76th Legislature's regular session (of which 1,911 were sent to the Governor, and all but a few of those also signed into law), the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) completed 695 bill...

Cheers for Beers, Kline.
June 28, 1999... Updating a story from our January 28, 1999, issue, the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel has announced a "favorable settlement" for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service whistleblower Jim Beers, the wildlife biologist who was throttled out of federal...

Cherry Blossoms.
June 28, 1999... *** Louisiana environmental activist Wilma Subra is one of 32 winners of the 1999 MacArthur Foundation Award, which includes an open grant of $370,000 that Subra says will enable her to "do the same thing I've been doing." Subra, who operates...