Building "Bridges" Across the Bayou City!
How soon we forget. Hurricane Harvey was just 4.5 years ago. Since then I have documented dozens, if not hundreds of questionable practices that erode margins of flood safety. It Didn’t Have to Be That Bad Harvey was the largest rainfall event in the history of North America. However, with better regulations and construction practices, […]
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Read MoreThe TCEQ says discharges of sediment-laden stormwater are not allowed across public or private property under the terms of its Construction General Permit. Two weeks ago, I photographed contractors at the Laurel Springs RV Resort construction site discharging silty stormwater from its detention pond into the wetlands and cypress ponds of Harris County’s Precinct 4 […]
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Read MoreAfter photos showed clear construction permit violations at the Laurel Springs RV Resort, a City inspector said he found no problems there. Then, 311 closed the case. But Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin’s office said another group was investigating. Martin’s chief of staff did not elaborate. Discharging Silty Stormwater into County Park On Saturday, I […]
The post City Inspector Finds No Problems At RV Park. 311 Says “Case Closed.” Martin’s Office Says “Not So Fast.” appeared first on Reduce Flooding.
Read MoreBelow are my personal picks for the top flood-mitigation stories of 2021. The Fight for Funding In 2019, Commissioners Court established “equity” guidelines that prioritized projects in Low-to-Moderate Income watersheds. Then this year: Harris County won no US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Grants in the first round of Harvey competition. To compensate […]
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Read MoreThis morning, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), notified me that they again cited the controversial Colony Ridge development in Liberty County for lack of pollution controls. In early June, TCEQ reprimanded Colony Ridge after eight separate investigations into its construction practices. Last October, TCEQ said Colony Ridge construction practices had a “reasonable likelihood […]
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Read MoreThe month after Woodridge Village flooded Elm Grove Village and North Kingwood Forest for the first time in May, 2019, the TCEQ investigated construction practices there. In the ensuing months, six investigations found 13 violations on the Woodridge site. More than two years later, the charges against Double Oak Construction will finally be heard by […]
The post TCEQ Commissioners to Consider Agreed Order With Double Oak Construction on Woodridge Village Enforcement Action appeared first on Reduce Flooding.
Read MoreFor those wishing to submit comments about sand-mining Best Management Practices (BMPs), but who may feel daunted by the technicalities, I’ve compiled a list that you can submit with one click. To automatically submit those suggestions, click this link. It should address and title an email for you and automatically insert recommended text shown below. Don’t […]
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Read MoreThis is the eighth in a series about Best Management Practices (BMPs) proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed. This post will focus on the Final Stabilization Report that operators should file after mines cease operation. As we saw yesterday, operators abandon many mines with little thought […]
The post BMPs for Final Stabilization Report Omit Crucial Elements appeared first on Reduce Flooding.
Read MoreThis is the eighth in a series about Best Management Practices (BMPs) proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed. This post will focus on the Final Stabilization Report that operators should file after mines cease operation. As we saw yesterday, operators abandon many mines with little thought […]
The post BMPs for Final Stabilization Report Omit Crucial Elements appeared first on Reduce Flooding.
Read MoreThis is the seventh in a series about Best Management Practices (BMPs) proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for sand mines in the San Jacinto watershed. This post will focus on post-mining activities – what should happen after the mine ceases operations. The six previous posts have talked about: Scope and Need […]
The post TCEQ Proposes BMPs for Post-Mining Phase, But Is There Any Incentive to Comply at That Point? appeared first on Reduce Flooding.
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