• Ocean

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Laura? Houston and the USG Say the “Ike Dike”

• Army Corps of Engineers
• Galveston
• houston
• Houston Shipping Channel
• hurricane
• Ike Dike
• storm surge
• Texas
• Texas A&M

Twelve years after Hurricane Ike tore up the Texas coastline around Galveston, and three years after Hurricane Harvey stalled over Houston and filled the city with floodwater, the federal government and the state have a proposal to deal with future hurricanes — but it will cost $32b and is still in the planning phase. 

Why This Matters:  There may be a cheaper and more effective solution than the Ike Dike, which is to build a series of barrier islands using the silt dredged out of Houston Harbor.

• Water

Houston Ship Channel Closed After Oil Spill From Tanker Collision

• chemical fire
• explosion
• houston
• marine life
• oil spill
• Reformulate
• shipping
• toxic

After two barges struck an oil tanker, at least nine thousand barrels of gasoline “blending stock” called Reformate spilled into the Houston ship channel, causing it to be closed, and creating a noxious odor in the neighborhoods nearby the spill.  Texas state officials are collecting air monitoring samples and say they will notify the public if any of the readings are at dangerous levels.  

• People

Houston Residents Sue Army Corps of Engineers for Harvey Flooding

• Corps of Engineers
• dam. reservoir
• flood
• flood control
• houston
• Hurricane Harvey

Yesterday a federal claims court began to hear arguments in a novel case in which private homeowners in Houston are arguing that the Army Corps of Engineers is liable for intentionally flooding their homes during Hurricane Harvey.  Ordinarily private citizens cannot sue the federal government for damages caused by the government doing its job.

• Air

Deer Park residents on edge after officials failed to warn them about petrochem fire health hazards

• air pollution
• houston
• petrochemicals
• Texas

Last week after a chemical explosion in Deer Park, Texas sent a plume of black smoke into the air, officials assured residents that the city had things under control. Over the weekend, however, a shelter-in-place order was issued for Deer Park residents due to concerns about air pollution from the massive fire. Making matters worse, […]