Mutual aid agreements are common practice among law agencies and fire departments to be implemented in the event of emergencies. The mutual aid agreement approved this week by the city of Austin, Texas is with neighboring utilities. It came about because of t he February ice storm that paralyzed the city and led to …
New Executive VP named at LSB Industries
LSB Industries, Inc. in Oklahoma City announced that Ashley McKee will join the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective June 5, 2023. McKee will join the executive team reporting directly to Mark Behrman, LSB’s President and Chief Executive Officer. McKee joins LSB from Williams Companies, where she served in …
Energy headlines from around the world
** Folded into the debt-ceiling bill that passed the Senate on Thursday are measures that could speed up the building of energy projects in the US. They are an update of the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA — long a punching bag for critics on both sides of the aisle who say the environmental permitting process for new projects takes too long …
Crude oil and LNG exports mean a busier Port of Corpus Christi
Increased LNG exports are leading the way for a busy Port of Corpus Christi in Texas. The Federal Reserve Bank of Texas reported how the ship channel is being made deeper and wider to accommodate more oceangoing carriers of crude oil and LNG. Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan recently toured the Port and was …
No surprise here—record month of May for tornadoes in central Oklahoma
Central Oklahoma has often been characterized as a haven for tornadoes, with some of that perception based in reality—and myth. There has been nothing mythical about that reputation in 2023, however according to the Oklahoma Mesonet. At least 11 tornadoes touched down in central Oklahoma on May 11, adding to persistent tornadic activity in that region during …
Lankford’s cybersecurity effort introduced in the Senate
Oklahoma U.S. Sen. James Lankford was joined this week by several other Senators in introduction of an act to improve the government’s cybersecurity. He and Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada are co-founders of the Senate Abraham Accords Caucus and were joined by fellow caucus members Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and …
Federal court stops EPA from enforcing air pollution plan in Missouri
In another case of being accused of “unconstitutional overreach,” the Environmental Protection Agency has been stopped from enforcement of a regulation at reducing air pollution in Missouri. The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put the EPA regulation on hold after state Attorney General Andrew Bailey sought a stay. The stay prevents the EPA …
Government imposes ban on drilling around historic New Mexico site
The Biden administration did it…implementation of a 20-year withdrawal banning oil and gas development outside the boundaries of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced the action Friday saying it is intended to protect cultural and historic resources that tribal communities consider sacred. The order will apply to public lands and …
Oil and gas moratorium imposed by New Mexico on state land near schools
New Mexico took a recent step to protect schools from oil and gas exploration. Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard issued an executive order to ban all new oil and gas leases on state trust land with one mile of schools and other educational institutions. The order applies to day care centers, preschools and sports …
Turnpike Authority did not violate open meeting law says State Supreme Court
The State Supreme Court handed a victory to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority in the legal fight with a group of Norman residents fighting a proposed turnpike route their their neighborhoods. The Oklahoman reported the court ruled the Authority did not violate Oklahoma’s open meetings law in February 2022 when it withheld route details of …
