As Louisiana prepares to build sand berms along its barrier islands, a $ 360-million project that BP will pay for, the state of Texas’ General Land Office has dismissed reports of oily critters on the Texas Gulf Coast as “media hype.” But concerns remain about the toxicity of dispersants and effects of a hurricane. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard Texas officials say no oily birds have been found on the state�s shores, such as this Brown Pelican being rescued on June 4 by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from Barataria Bay in Grand Isle, La. Oiled birds and sea turtles did
Texas is preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, if the state’s shores suffer a “tarball” event. Photo: U.S. Coast Guard A Mobile offshore drilling unit holds position directly over the damaged Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer as crews work to plug the wellhead using a technique known as top kill on May 26, in the Gulf of Mexico. The failed procedure was intended to stem the flow of oil and gas and kill the well by injecting heavy drilling fluids through the blowout preventer on the seabed into the well. The good news from the Texas General Land
Vast amounts of low-level radioactive waste could be transported to a new West Texas disposal site if a two-state commission, largely appointed by Gov. Rick Perry (R), allows it to accept waste shipments from 36 or more states. The Texas Low-Level Waste Disposal Compact Commission, one of several U.S. compacts set up to encourage state collaboration on low-level waste disposal, consists of six Texas members and two from Vermont to govern disposal in those states. Their waste, now sent to Utah, would be disposed at the Texas site, likely by next spring. The panel could also decide as early as
Vast amounts of low-level radioactive waste could be transported to a West Texas site if a commission made up mostly of Gov. Rick Perry appointees decides that Texas can accept such waste from 36 or more states. The Texas Low-Level Waste Disposal Compact Commission, established by a federal statute encouraging states to make deals for disposing of LLRW, is run jointly by six Texans and two Vermont members. It could decide as early as June if Texas can import the waste from outside the compact. The commission postponed a May 11 meeting that could have led to a vote on
New designs, unveiled April on 27 for three bridges, shaves $45 million off Fort Worth’s Trinity River Vision project costs. The $909-million urban waterfront plan aims to connect 88 miles of the river and its surrounding communities. The original total cost for the three bridges was about $155 million. Projected cost using the original design, by Bing Thom, Vancouver, was $114 million, not including another $41 million for costs including land acquisitions. The city of Fort Worth worked with a new design team to present a citizen advisory group with cheaper options. Lead designer Miguel Rosales, president of Rosales +
New designs were unveiled April 27 for three bridges that will become an integral part of Fort Worth’s Trinity River Vision project, an urban waterfront plan to connect 88 mi of the Trinity River and its surrounding communities. The project planners hope to save some $45 million through the redesign. The new scaled-back design featuring V-shaped piers was presented by TRV officials. The city of Fort Worth worked with the design team to present a citizen advisory group with design options that were within budget. The lead designer for the new bridges, Miguel Rosales, president of Rosales + Partners, Boston,
The Texas Stadium in Irving, former home of the Dallas Cowboys, will be imploded this Sunday, with Weir Brothers Inc. of Dallas awarded a $5.8-million contract to carry out the plan outlined by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. of Houston. The Texas Dept. of Transportation signed a $15.4-million lease from Irving for the next 10 years to use the site as a staging area for road and light-rail construction projects. Kraft, meanwhile, meanwhile, has naming rights to the implosion from the Irving City Council. The event will be called a "Cheddar Explosion." Photo: Texas Stadium; courtesy city of Irving Related Links:
After contractual juggling and debates over the alleged dangers of steel rail ties, Austin’s Capital Metro opened its 32-mile MetroRail commuter line between the city of Leander, Texas, and Austin’s downtown Convention Center on March 22, a year later than originally planned. “The overall integration of the Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) system took longer to implement than anticipated,” Capital Metro spokesman Adam Shaivitz says. Last August, board-meeting minutes indicate, a system used for switching from freight to passenger rail had field-test problems. The opening comes more than five years after voters approved the “All Systems Go Plan” referendum. The agency
After several stops and starts and some controversy over the alleged dangers of steel rail ties, Austin�s Capital Metro opened its 32-mi MetroRail commuter line between the city of Leander and the Convention Center in Downtown Austin on March 22, a year later than originally planned. Photo: Capital Metro Citing safety concerns, Capital Metro on March 23, 2009, postponed the planned MetroRail opening. At a board meeting, according to official minutes, chairman Margaret Gomez said she was disappointed but having waited 30 years for a rail line, “I can wait another few weeks or so because safety is the most
A battle royal may be brewing as opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed regulation of greenhouse-gas emissions mounts. Recently, three states, along with several industry groups, filed lawsuits challenging the EPA’s December “endangerment finding,” which said greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare. Meanwhile, the EPA says it is confident the finding will withstand legal challenge, and 16 states and New York City say they may intervene on behalf of the EPA. On Feb. 16, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) announced that Texas, which emits more carbon dioxide than any other state, filed suit in the
