Muleshoe, Texas attacked by Russian hackers? It’s the claim of experts from US cybersecurity firm Mandiant who believe a January cyberattack caused a water tower tank to overflow. Muleshoe, in north Texas was the victim as two other towns in north Texas also took precautionary defensive measures after they detected suspicious cyber activity …
Category: Water
Dozens of Texas cities have reported high levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in their drinking water
While Oklahoma City announced this week its testing of drinking water showed no major levels of the existence of forever chemicals, it’s a different story for 49 towns and cities in Texas. The Texas Tribune reports those 49 communities reported surpassing the EPA’s first-ever limits for five “forever chemicals” in drinking water. The …
OKC water beats new EPA “forever chemicals” levels
Oklahoma City reports recent tests show the city’s water surpasses recent new minimum EPA requirements for contamination by “forever chemicals.” In other words, the city’s water level of six PFAS compounds is better than what is required in the first-ever National Primary Drinking Water Regulation released last week. The new EPA regulation establishes limits on PFAS …
Keating and Edmondson team up to protect scenic rivers from poultry pollution
Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, a Republican and former Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a Democrat, have joined forces to protect the state’s scenic rivers against renewed poultry waste pollution. Writing an opinion piece in The Oklahoman, the two former state leaders came out against House Bill 4118 which would repeal language in existing law …
Energy quick reads
** Ford said it will begin shipping to North American dealers 144,000 of its redesigned F-150 and Ranger pickup trucks that it built but held back until now in an effort to head off quality problems. ** American greenhouse gas emissions rose 1 percent between 2021 and 2022 but fell nearly 17 percent from 2005 levels, …
Legislation to finance Arkansas River Levee improvements wins committee approval
The Oklahoma House of Representatives Appropriations & Budget Committee has approved legislation aimed at bolstering the Arkansas River Levees through the establishment of a revolving fund managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Senate Bill 1391, carried in the House by Rep. Lonnie Sims, R-Jenks, paves the way for the creation of the Arkansas River …
Meetings scheduled for update of Oklahoma Water Plan
The Oklahoma Water Resources Board announced the third in a series of stakeholder input meetings, at locations across the state, focused on the 2025 update of Oklahoma’s Comprehensive Water Plan (OCWP). While anyone may attend, we request participation from local officials, water utility suppliers, regulated industry, commercial agricultural producers, economic development entities, and representing organizations. …
Feds to fund Salt Fork River improvements as part of administration’s climate change fight
Oklahoma is among the 37 states receiving millions of dollars in the Biden administration’s latest pouring of federal funds into improvements to the country’s infrastructure and doing so in the name of fighting the harmful impacts of climate change. In all, the U.S. Transportation Department announced Thursday the awarding of $830 million in …
Peter Zeihan says Baltimore bridge collapse doesn’t affect economy as much as some claim
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore and the impact on U.S. shipping. Is it that big of an economic deal as far as the nation’s economy goes? One man who thinks it isn’t, is American geopolitical analyst Peter Zeihan who blames it on something Congress did a century ago. It’s …
Drought Commission extends project deadlines
The Emergency Drought Commission met on Tuesday and voted on several motions regarding the Emergency Drought Cost-Share Program. The deadline for practices related to water well drilling, pipeline, pumping plant and water facilities has been extended to December 31, 2024. In a separate motion, the Emergency Drought Commission voted to maintain the initial June 30 deadline for …