July 2011 Newsletter

San Antonio is First in Texas to Close Coal Plant
A coal-fired power plant that has supplied electricity in San Antonio since the 1970s will be the first in Texas to shut down.  The move by San Antonio’s community-owned gas and electric company, CPS Energy, comes as many coal-fired plants nationwide face the prospect of stringent federal regulations on mercury and other emissions. The announcement to shut down the Deely plant in 2018 could pressure the state’s energy companies to focus their efforts on alternative power sources. The Deely facility was supposed to be retired in 2030, but to meet the anticipated environmental regulations, CPS Energy would have to install a $550 million “scrubber” — equipment that helps decrease emissions. The company decided the scrubber would not be a wise financial investment, opting instead to close the facility and put its money in newer forms of energy, including natural gas, “clean coal” and solar, CPS spokeswoman Lisa Lewis said . . . MORE

Texas Has Statewide TV Recycling Law
Environmentalists and local government leaders have praised Texas legislators for passing a bill that will have TV manufacturers take back and recycle obsolete televisions, keeping toxic materials such as lead and mercury out of Texas landfills and water sources. SB 329, sponsored by Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin) and Representative Warren Chisum (R-Pampa), requires manufacturers selling TVs in Texas to offer free, convenient recycling programs for Texas residents. “We applaud Governor Perry for signing the TV TakeBack Recycling bill into law,” said Robin Schneider, Executive Director of Texas Campaign for the Environment. “This bill is the long-awaited companion to the Computer Takeback Law that Governor Perry signed in 2007. TV takeback in Texas is long overdue, so this law is a crucial step toward bringing free and convenient recycling to all Texans”. . . MORE