AT THE TRAIL
2023 brought with it environmental progress and challenges statewide. As we step into 2024, we will see the effects of these unfold, and, of course, we at The Cibolo, will be watching closely.
Two major decisions from last year concern water and water infrastructure and pollutants from oil and gas companies.
Last year, Texans voted in favor of Proposition 6 which created the Texas Water Fund to develop new water infrastructure to meet growing water demands. This is a crucial step toward ensuring water security in a state that has been growing exponentially and grappling with increasing water scarcity.
With over 600,000 lead-based water lines, inadequate piping in both rural and urban areas, and wastewater and flood relief systems that have received a “C” grade or lower from the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, our state has a lot of improvements to make, with real people suffering from these insufficiencies daily.
All eyes are on how this allocated funding will be utilized to secure a sustainable water future for the Lone Star State.
Just last month, The Environmental Protection Agency announced new regulations for oil and gas companies to reduce methane emissions. Crude and natural gas production in the U.S. reached all-time highs last year, and Texas was responsible for more of that production than any other state.
Implementing regulations to curb methane means a lot of changes for how companies large and small operate in Texas. And understanding the significance of this, the EPA considered over one million comments on previous proposals before making their final ruling.
Additionally, part of these regulations was modeled after already existing statelevel methane regulations in New Mexico and Colorado. How these regulations are monitored and enforced has yet to be seen.
These developments not only impact the state but also contribute to the larger conversation surrounding sustainability, responsible resource management, and the impact of politics on the environment.
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