November 27, 2018 archive

Senators want Oklahoma’s car tax eliminated

If two legislators get their bills approved by the 2019 legislature, Oklahoma would eliminate the automobile sales tax. Identical Senate bills calling for an end to the 1.25 percent sales tax on vehicles bought after July 1, 2019 have been filed by Republican Sen. Kim David of Porter and Sen. Julie Daniels, a Republican from …

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Three more Texas roads are added to Oklahoma PikePass system

More toll roads in Texas are now on the list of those where the Oklahoma PikePasses can be used. The Oklahoma Turnpike authority announced this week the PikePasses are interoperable with three roads operated by the Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority around Houston. OTA spokesman Jack Damrill said they are the Fort Bend Parkway, …

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How one environmental group depicts the impact of fracking in SW Texas

The money’s good but not everyone is excited about the spread of oil and gas exploration in southwest Texas.  Some are angry about the increased traffic at the edge of the Permian Basin where rigs dot the landscape with bright lights at night. One environmental publication, DeSmog did a recent article on the impact around …

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Earthquake reported in central Kansas

  Earthquakes aren’t all that rare in southern Kansas where wastewater well operations have been blamed. But one quake was recorded late Monday in the central part of the state only about 8 miles from Salina, the city that sits at the junction of Interstate 70 and I-135. The U.S. Geological Survey indicated the 2.3 …

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Plans are unveiled for $150 million liquid hydrogen plant

  Plans have been unveiled for construction of a $150 million liquid hydrogen plant to be built in the western U.S. to make enough hydrogen to provide fuel for 35,000 fuel cell electric vehicles. The announcement was made by the Houston office of the French-owned industrial gas company Air Liquide. The company, with an office …

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SEC filing reflects acquisitions of shares by NGL management

New filings with the Securities Exchange Commission reflected major share acquisitions by leaders of Tulsa-based NGL Energy Partners LP. The Nov. 26 filings indicated Michael Krimball, Chief Executive Officer had the largest acquisition of 300,000 shares in the company. Chief Financial officer and Executive Vice President Robert W. Karlovich III picked up 25,000 more shares …

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Tallgrass Energy gets major support for new pipeline to carry Cushing crude to Louisiana

Tallgrass Energy, LP, the Kansas City area based midstream company announced it’s made a binding agreement with a firm to be the potential to be an anchor shipper on a line to move crude from Cushing south to Louisiana. Tallgrass wouldn’t name the third-party but said it has the potential to be an anchor shipper …

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GM plant closures bring back similar nightmares in Oklahoma

That brush of north wind in Oklahoma might not be mother nature but more of a gigantic sigh of relief in Kansas City that the GM plant wasn’t among five proposed by General Motors to be closed. The company is also planning a reduction of its workforce by an estimated 14,000 workers. The Fairfax plant …

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Oklahoma regulators continue work on emergency wind farm rules to protect military flight routes

Emergency wind rules are being taken up by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission following the controversial stoppage of construction of a Hinton wind farm because it appeared to violate a new state law designed to protect military flight spaces. New rules were adopted earlier in the month but there have been additional changes so the rules …

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Boil order issued for rural water district near McAlester

State environmental regulators say they’ve found a rural water district in Oklahoma where users need to boil their water. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has advised the Pittsburg County RWD #14 water system, located in Pittsburg County, to inform its customers and users of its drinking water to use water that has been brought to …

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