In the first segment:
A loophole is letting hundreds of oil and gas companies emit a combined 8.5 million tons of toxic chemicals every year in America and they don’t have to tell the public anything about it.
A new report by the Environmental Integrity Project has highlighted industry in Texas as being THE biggest polluter of the eight states they investigated, noting nearly 100 individual facilities releasing 10,000 pounds of toxic chemicals each year.
The EIP and 14 other organizations are asking the EPA to revise its rules to include these oil and gas extractors so they will tell the public what they are releasing into our communities. EIP attorney Adam Kron tells us more about the report and what could change.
South Texas' Eagle Ford Shale has been criticized for the widespread pollution in a study out last year from the environmental Group, Earthworks. The study took state regulators to task for failing to enforce rules and properly regulate the hydraulic fracturing industry. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality responded saying:
“The TCEQ has a vigorous, effective enforcement operation in the Eagle Ford Shale, and when problems are detected, the TCEQ makes sure they are rapidly fixed."
The Alamo Area Council of Governments is also working on an Eagle Ford emissions inventory, but it isn't complete yet.
In the second segment:
Craft brewing is exploding. There are more craft breweries in the United States than since 1890. It has an economic impact of $2.3 billion in Texas according to a recent study by the Brewers Association, a nonprofit trade association. That nearly quadrupled the $600 million it had the year before. Small brewers are cropping up all over affecting the flavors we drink and they way we drink them.
We’re talking the incredible rise of craft brewing in Texas and across the nation. Scott Metzger, a UTSA professor and founder of Freetail Brewing Company, joins us. He was instrumental in getting legislation passed in Texas that would encourage craft brewers and conducted the initial economic impact report for the Texas Craft Brewers Guild.
- Metzger tweets @beermonkey
Brock Wagner also joins us. He founded Saint Arnold Brewing in Houston, which claims to be the oldest craft brewer in Texas.
- Follow St. Arnold on twitter @saintarnold
Bart Watson, staff economist for the Brewers Association, also joins us to talk about his study.
*The Source airs at 3 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM -- audio from this show will be posted by 5:30 p.m.
