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Reliant Energy Supports GEAA through Carbon Offset Campaign Year Three

GEAA is pleased to announce the third year of The Reliant EcoShareSM, a way that Texans can support GEAA and offset their own carbon production at the same time. Reliant and EarthShare of Texas have launched a program that allows Reliant customers to help reduce their carbon footprints through the purchase of carbon offsets. And for each customer-purchased offset, Reliant will make a contribution to EarthShare of Texas and its participating organizations. As an EarthShare of Texas participating organization, GEAA will benefit from this program. For more information, follow this link to the EarthShare of Texas website http://www.earthshare-texas.org/2012/02/the-reliant-ecosharesm-program-supports-texas.html or go directly

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Xeriscaping Bills will conserve Texas Water

Dear GEAA members and friends, In today’s news are two excellent bills that GEAA is pleased to endorse. Senate Bill 198 and House Bill 449, by Sen. Kirk Watson and Rep. Dawnna Dukes would prevent Home Owners Associations (HOA’s) from restricting xeriscaping. It’s an issue that has received rising attention as the drought continues. Thanks and a tip of the hat to now SAWS President and CEO Robert Puente for filing similar bills during his past life as a State Representative. Read more here. GEAA is looking for support in the form of witnesses who would be able to testify about

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If you can’t see it, does that mean it’s not there?

Dear GEAA members and friends, Heads up on bad bill filed last Friday: H.B. 824 – Callegari would triple the volume of sewage spills that require reporting from the current 500 gallons to 1,500 gallons. It would also exempt from reporting a spill that “does not reach waters of the State”. We read this to mean that many spills occurring in the Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone and the recharge and contributing zones of the Trinity aquifers would be exempt from reporting. The bill also gives the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) more latitude in determining which spills are considered harmful

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Using “Rainy Day” Funds for Water Conservation a Great Idea!

The Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) endorses the position stated jointly by the Lone Star Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation – Meeting Texas Water Needs. Recognizing the need for Texans to address our water needs, GEAA supports Representative Ritter’s HB 4 and HB 11 authorizing a one-time allocation of $2 billion from the State’s “Rainy Day” funds to capitalize a new, dedicated revolving fund for use in financing water projects in the State Water Plan. HB 4 especially recognizes two very important principles that the environmental community and others have flagged as critical to our water future: the need

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House Committee Recommends Keeping the Status Quo

The Interim Report of the House Committee on Land and Resource Management has some overall good news in regards to what might or might not come up during the 83rd session. Among other charges, the committee was directed to “Examine current regulatory authority available to municipalities in their extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ)” and to “Make necessary legislative recommendations to ensure a proper balance between development activities and municipal regulations.” We had dreaded the prospect that two bills filed last session that would have prohibited Texas cities from enforcing tree ordinances in their ETJ’s would be refilled this session. The interim report stated

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Season’s Greetings and Many Thanks!

Dear GEAA members and friends, I am delighted to be here one more year to wish you a Happy Holiday Season. We have made so much progress on so many important issues during the past year; we have a lot to celebrate. I am especially grateful to our Board of Directors, the GEAA Staff, our member groups, and all of our wonderful volunteers. Special thanks to Travis Mann, Mark Wilkinson, Jim Smyle, Betty Dabney, and our interns from Texas State University, Our Lady of the Lake University, and Trinity University. None of us here at GEAA, however, would be able to

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Joe Straus Elected Speaker

AUSTIN – Texas legislators unanimously elected Rep. Joe Straus III speaker of the state House Tuesday, making Straus the first San Antonio leader of the

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