A study from the University of Texas indicates a higher concentration of microplastics at the mouths of Austin’s major urban tributaries, like Shoal and Waller creeks. The majority of particles found in samples had tire and road origins, compared to lower numbers of plastic fibers or fragments broken off of other plastic products. Last week, […]
City of Austin Environmental Commission
An advisory board to members of the Austin City Council. Its purview includes “all projects and programs which affect the quality of life for the citizens of Austin.” In many cases, this includes development projects.
Posted inResources
Austin Resource Recovery expands waste services and reuse programs
Austin Resource Recovery shared the department’s latest initiatives with the Environmental Commission, detailing expanded waste collection services and sustainability programs aimed at keeping Austin cleaner and advancing the city’s zero-waste goals. Ron Romero, Assistant Director of Austin Resource Recovery, said the department continues to enhance its core curbside programs: weekly trash and compost collection, and […]
Posted inDevelopment
Environmental Commission approves heritage tree removal for East Austin housing project
The Environmental Commission voted to approve the removal of a 32-inch heritage pecan tree in East Austin to allow construction of a 120-unit supportive housing project for youth exiting foster care and the juvenile justice system. “This is the exact kind of project I wish we saw all the time on this commission because it’s […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Commission hears briefing on 2026 bond election
The Watershed Protection Department would need an estimated $2 billion to solve the city’s most severe watershed problems and other critical needs. A bond package expected to go before voters in 2026 would cover a portion of those costs, if approved. While the work of the 22-member Bond Election Advisory Task Force is still in […]
Posted inDevelopment
Austin Energy Green Building program logs 21,573 projects since its creation
In 1991, Austin Energy Green Building developed the first rating system in the country to evaluate the sustainability of buildings, creating a model for other cities and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system. Heidi Kasper, energy efficiency services director at Green Building EVET, gave an overview of the […]
Posted inFire
Austin ranks fifth in nation for cities most at risk for wildfires
According to a CoreLogic Wildfire Risk Report conducted in 2024, Austin ranks fifth in the nation for cities most at risk for wildfires. The top four cities are all located in California. David Bock, senior wildfire mitigation specialist at the Austin Fire Department, gave a presentation to the Environmental Commission at its regular meeting on […]
Posted inTransit
Environmental Commission weighs Project Connect’s environmental impact and federal funding
In light of Donald Trump’s recent effort to freeze federal spending authorized by Congress – swiftly blocked by two federal judges – the question on every local policymaker’s mind is: What’s going to happen to all the local projects that rely on federal funding? There are concerns about the future of Austin’s proposed light rail […]
Posted inEnvironment
Tree ordinances continue to take root in Austin
Since 2020, Austin’s tree regulations and protections have preserved a total of 1,397,678 inches of trees within city limits. Thus far in Fiscal Year 2025, 4,670 inches of trees have been surveyed and 4,250 inches have been preserved, with 91 percent of inches surveyed being preserved. That’s what the Environmental Commission learned during a presentation […]
Posted inEnvironment
Texas fatmucket mussel conservation provides significant value in regional water filtration efforts
At its regular meeting Sept. 18, the Environmental Commission heard updates on Austin’s freshwater mussel population from Matt Johnson, Texas freshwater mussel conservation and recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bianca Perez, an environmental scientist with the Watershed Protection Department. Of significant conservation interest was the Texas fatmucket mussel species. Texas […]
Posted inEnvironment
Great Springs Project proposes to partner alongside local government with equity in mind
The Environmental Commission passed a motion at its regular meeting on Sept. 18, recommending local government establish a partnership with Great Springs Project to “serve the City’s interest with respect to connectivity, transportation, conservation, and watershed protection outcomes.” Trails and transportation planner Mikey Goralnik presented an overview of Great Springs Project’s mission and future plans […]
Posted inWater
Austin exploring new ways to look at water quality
A discussion at the most recent meeting of the Environmental Commission revealed that the city is in the process of creating a new way to explain and track how policy decisions impact water quality in Austin. Since 1994, the Watershed Protection Department has used the environmental integrity index, or EII, which scores quality across 50 […]
Posted inWater
Commission drills down on what disannexation could mean for area water quality
Though the city’s current water quality monitoring system has been in place for an impressive 30 years, changes at the state Legislature mean a change at the city level as well. Andrew Clamann, who works for the Watershed Protection Department in the environmental monitoring and compliance division, spoke about his program to the city’s Environmental […]