Past Articles by Dave Fehling
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More Than Their Fair Share? Texas County Questions Frack Water Disposal Wells It's a nice surprise: so much oil and natural gas is now being produced here in Texas and other states that our dependence on foreign sources is dropping. While what's coming out of the ground may be great for the nation, there's concern about how to put a by-product of the drilling back into the ground. StateImpact's Dave Fehling reports from South Texas. |
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As OTC Kicks Off, BP Gulf Disaster Still Sets Conference Agenda One of the biggest energy industry gatherings kicks-off this morning in Houston: the Offshore Technology Conference — better known as OTC. It'll feature the latest equipment to drill under the ocean for oil and gas. Many sessions will focus on what has changed since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy. Industry-wide, the industry spotlight has been on land and the drilling technique called "fracking." Reporter Dave Fehling talked with the chairman of the OTC, Steve Balint. |
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Limiting Environmental Enforcement Raises Fears Of 'Race To The Bottom' It's been called the "Texas miracle" — the way the state has created more jobs than any other. Texas has attracted new businesses — in part through financial and tax incentives, and by promising less regulation. But some economists warn that while that approach may be working for now, the Texas "business-friendly" attitude may cost the state in the environment. |
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Iowa Community Knows Risks Of Fertilizer But Welcomes Plant Expansion There's a community in Iowa that now has a tragic link to the town of West, Texas. Both communities have had fertilizer plants that have exploded killing and injuring people. |
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Bill Would Stop Private Lawyers Who Help Counties Sue Polluters Sometimes, private lawyers can receive millions of dollars when they win big lawsuits that are filed on behalf of the government. Later this morning in Austin, a legislative committee is set to consider putting a stop to some of those "contingency fee" arrangements. But some county governments, who use those arrangements to sue companies for polluting the environment, say banning them would have a devastating effect. |
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Texas County Tries To Stop Illegal Dumping Of Oil Waste In one part of Texas where oil drilling is producing a lot of crude, the drilling is also generating a lot of waste. But some of that oily, slimey waste isn't being disposed of legally. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has the story of the surprising place where some of it is being dumped. |
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An Unusual Search Warrant And What It Says About How Texas Regulates Drilling As drilling for oil and gas has surged in Texas, there has been concern over its threat to groundwater. We're taking a look at the state agency that's supposed to be a watchdog on the drilling industry — the oddly-named "Texas Railroad Commission." Critics have contended the railroad commission is far too friendly to the drilling industry, going easy even when it finds pollution violations. |
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Calling Workers: Small Texas Towns, Big Paychecks In some Texas counties, a basic necessity is running low. The state government calls it an "acute shortage." If you think we're talking about water, we're not. The shortage is one of workers. |
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Environmental Justice And The EPA's New Man In Texas It's on-going clash that pits Texas against a powerful federal agency: the EPA. Texas has had a rocky relationship with the environmental regulator, in some cases suing the EPA to stop it from enforcing federal regulations in Texas. Now, there's a new man heading the EPA's regional office. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has been looking into what this change-at-the-top might mean to Texas. |
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Retired NASA Scientists Enter Climate Change Fray Some say climate change is a done-deal and that the only debate is over how to respond to it. But in Texas — where the response could have a big impact on industry — climate change is hotly debated among politicians and scientists. |
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Teed Up: Slicing Texas Tax Breaks Texas is struggling to find enough money to pay for education and other basic services. That's why some lawmakers are looking at tax breaks that are costing the state millions of dollars. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling begins his story at a golf course. |
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Changing How Texans Pay for Power If this summer turns out as hot and dry as expected, providing enough electricity will be a challenge. But one solution may involve how you spend. |
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Solar Project Languishes in Deregulated Texas Electricity Texas lawmakers are being asked to pass legislation to promote new ways to make electricity. That's important because the state could face shortages. But why then are some innovative projects on hold? |
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Selling Texas As Oil Boom States Vie For Business There's nothing subtle about how Texas is trying to lure business here from other states. You heard recently that Gov. Perry cut a radio ad to make his pitch directly to Californians. But Texas has competitors who have their own pitches. |
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Fraud In The Oil Fields: A Boom In Theft Costs Texas Industry Millions In Texas, a boom in drilling for oil and gas is creating jobs, wealth — and crime. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling tells us how thieves are costing the oil industry millions of dollars. |
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Polluters And Penalties: Will Higher Fines Make A Difference In Texas? When it comes to regulating polluters, Texas has a commission so huge, only the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is bigger. It's called the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or the TCEQ. Over the years, though, there’ve been complaints that the commission does more to protect big business than the air and water of Texas. Now, there are changes underway that might give the agency more bite. |
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Protecting Big Utilties When Hikers And Bikers Invade New legislation — introduced in Austin — is supposed to help build a lot more hike and bike trails. It would do it by using those long ribbons of green space called "rights of way", now used for big, utility transmission lines. But the proposal gives a very big break to the utility companies that own the land, granting them virtual blanket immunity from any law suit should someone get hurt — even if it was the utility company's fault. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has been looking into this. |
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State Regulator Smitherman: 'Much Interest' In Gun Training As part of the debate over guns and violence, there's a new twist developing in Texas. The head of one state agency is proposing that its employees should be provided training, so they can legally carry a concealed handgun — on the job. The agency has inspectors that enforce the rules on the state's surging oil and gas drilling industry. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling learned why some believe those inspectors need protection. |
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Scientists Close To Testing Tracers For Drilling Fluid It's one of the most hotly debated issues dogging the oil and gas drilling industry: Is the now-widespread use of a drilling method called "fracking" a threat to groundwater? StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found some answers by visiting a laboratory in Houston. But he begins his story in Austin, where state officials had gotten a scare. |
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Exporting LNG Raises Fears And Hopes On The Texas Coast It's the next new thing that could create even more energy jobs in Texas: exporting natural gas. The Texas Gulf Coast is by far the hottest spot for proposed export terminals. But there's more to the story than what sounds at first like good news. |
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As Oil And Gas Surges, A Town On The Texas Coast Hopes For Transformation Figures released yesterday show state tax revenues are surging. That's raising expectations that funds will be restored to things like education that suffered painful cuts. That would be good news even in Texas towns where the energy industry has been booming. Because as StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found — even a good local economy hasn't spared some communities from feeling the pinch. |
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All the Rage: Texas Roads Where Bicyclists Are Banned It's a safe bet that in this holiday season, stores have sold a lot of shiny new bicycles. But in Texas, you better watch out where you ride them. With lawmakers set to begin their new session next month, StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling looks at laws that try to dictate where bikers ... belong. |
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Texas Inspectors Chasing Oil And Gas Violators When the Texas Legislature starts its new session next month, lawmakers will be taking a close look at the state's booming oil and gas industry. Some believe the industry has grown far faster than the state's ability to regulate it. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found that while past efforts to improve oversight have failed, this time may be different. |
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Texas Wind Power Faces Future Of Fewer Tax Breaks There's a good chance that some of the electricity you’re using in your home is generated by a windmill. The world's biggest "wind turbine project" is in west Texas. And the state is the national leader for wind power. But it's all come at a cost to taxpayers. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling looks at how that cost is now being challenged. |
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Garbage Gas: Is Methane Going To Waste In Texas? There's a debate over the billions of dollars in tax breaks that promote the use of alternative, "renewable" energy. In Texas, wind energy is the big one. But not the only renewable source of power StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found in one picturesque part of the state. |
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Secret Price Of Power Hides What Texans Really Pay Texans who live in cities, including Dallas and Houston, need to be very careful about how they buy their electricity. It could be costing them a lot more than it should. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has been looking into prices that have been kept secret. |
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'Landfarms' For Disposing Drilling Waste Causing Problems In Texas There's a lot more drilling for gas and oil in Texas these days. But a recent court case is raising questions about how the waste from drilling sites is being disposed of. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has our story that begins in Beaumont. |
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Texas Legislature May Target Overweight Trucks It's Election Day and one issue sure to confront the lawmakers you send to Austin: How to pay for the billions of dollars in road damage from heavy trucks. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling with the story on why the wear and tear is getting worse. |
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Drilling Regulators Using Outdated Computers As Industry Booms There's a good chance you might do your banking online, file your taxes, or renew your driver's license on-line. But the electronic revolution has only gone so far. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found that in the state's number one industry, it's like going back in time. |
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Will Texas Taxes Pay For Damaged Counties In Eagle Ford? When it comes to why the Texas economy is doing better than most, you can thank some of the rural counties south of San Antonio. That's where an enormous amount of oil is now being produced. It means new jobs and more tax revenue. But it's all happening very quickly. |
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What Are The Mangrove Trees Telling Us About The Texas Coast? The coast-line of Texas is changing. But this isn't a story about rising sea levels. What's changing is what's growing along the Gulf Coast. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has more on what scientists are finding. |
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Gulf Coast Oil Glut: Texas Crude Flows to Refineries The United States is importing about 20 percent less crude oil since imports peaked in 2005, and a big reason is what's going on in Texas. Oil production is surging right here at home, with consequences affecting the Texas Gulf Coast. |
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How Power Outages Increase Pollution From Gulf Coast Refineries With the kind of powerful thunderstorms we have in Texas, it's no big surprise that sometimes there are power outages. They're an inconvenience for most of us. But they can be down-right dangerous when they happen to the state's massive petrochemical plants and refineries. |
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Homeland Security's Focus On Photographers At Texas Refineries Two weeks ago, a bomb threat led to the evacuation of the UT campus in Austin. There was no bomb. But coming on the heels of violence directed at Americans in the Middle East, the incident raised what has become a perplexing — and costly — security issue for Texas: How to respond to the threat of terrorism. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has been investigating this with regard to what’s called "critical infrastructure." |
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'It's All About the Money': TransCanada Pipeline Takes Holdouts to Court After a hearing yesterday, a judge in Beaumont is now considering how he will weigh-in on the controversial keystone pipeline project. Construction has already begun in Texas but there's a hold-up. |
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Texas Coal Powers East Texas Jobs, But For How Long? Texas has been a stand-out recovering from the recession, creating more jobs than many other states. But it's not all good. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found a place where jobs are few. And that's why people who live there are very concerned when they hear about stricter government regulations that could have an effect on employment. |
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Moving Crude Relies On Aging Pipeline System Starting last year, federal regulators began urging pipeline operators to replace aging systems. Nowhere may that be more critical than in Texas where old pipelines are being used in new ways. |
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Paying For Energy Efficiency Programs: Texas Industry Opts Out Big companies in Texas are saving millions of dollars by not having to pay a fee that millions of smaller companies and residential customers do pay. The fee helps fund programs aimed at making houses and commercial buildings more efficient. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling tracked down the story behind why some pay the fee ... and some don't. |
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Texas To Investigate Health Risk Of Living Near Drilling Sites Dramatic increases in the amount of oil and gas being produced in Texas has brought with it an increase in air pollution. That could be a threat to people living near well sites. But there's conflicting information about the threat — and whether it's already meant higher cancer rates in some places. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling begins our story in North Texas. |
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What's Texas Winning In Its War On The EPA? Texas is waging a legal battle against the federal government's efforts to toughen regulations on industries that pollute. But who's winning and at what cost? |
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Fracking's Link To Smog Worries Some Texas Cities Texas is a big state where perceptions can vary greatly depending on where you live. For example, air pollution and whether drilling oil and gas wells may be making it worse. |
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Texas PUC Waits For Power Companies That Dare Raise Prices Starting tomorrow, the state-regulated maximum price for wholesale electricity takes a big jump. The "peak price" as it's called can be hit on very hot days when demand for power surges. But as StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found, there's controversy over whether those higher costs can be passed on to consumers. |
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'Like Working In A Refinery': Fracking's New Chemical Hazards For Workers Thousands of oil-field workers in Texas may be at risk from what they're breathing at drilling sites. Here's what StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found in south Texas, one of the busiest places in the nation for oil and gas production. |
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Not Enough: Even Higher Price For Electricity Urged For Texas To hear some tell it, Texas is in a bad way when it comes to having enough electricity. The Texas Public Utility Commission is trying to encourage construction of new power plants by raising prices. Next month, those new, higher prices for wholesale electricity take effect. But now, as StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling found, some utility companies say the higher price may not be nearly high enough. |
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The "Rebirth" Of Texas Gulf Coast Refineries One executive says it's nothing short of a "rebirth" of the petrochemical industry. It's happening along the Texas Gulf Coast as big companies are sinking billions of dollars into new plants. StateImpact Texas reporter Dave Fehling headed to one city near the coast to find out why, and what it's doing to create jobs. |
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Rolling Blackouts: A Black Eye for Texas? With this week's 100 degree weather, there's been concern over rolling blackouts to reduce demand for electricity. But insuring they never — or almost never happen — could cost you hundreds of dollars a year. StateImpact Texas reporter Dave Fehling has been investigating what state regulators want you to pay for. And he starts by looking back at a time last year when Texas was hit with abnormal temperatures — abnormally cold temperatures. |
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Urban Renewal: Toxic Brownfields Tough To Redevelop They're some of the ugliest places in Texas. What are called "brownfields" — old industrial properties where there's often toxic waste still in the soil and groundwater. With cities like Dallas and Houston re-developing their urban cores, brownfields are a growing concern. |
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Revolving Door: Oil & Gas Companies Hire Former Texas Regulators It's called "the revolving door" — people who once worked for the state of Texas, but who quit to work — sometimes — for the very companies they used to regulate. Critics say the state's ethics laws are too lax. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has been looking into this. |
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Toxic Legacy: 30 Years Later, A Superfund Site Still A Threat They were once deemed to be among the worst threats to human health in Texas. It took a federal program to clean them up. And the work isn't finished — even after 30 years. StateImpact reporter Dave Fehling has the story of "the Superfund." |
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Raising the Cost of Texas Electricity: Consultant Report Supports Higher Prices With the summer heat headed our way, a new report says Texas should allow electricity prices to go up dramtically during critial times of high demand. |
