Business

DALLAS—Five subsidiaries of West Texas Gas Inc. will spend up to $5 million on compliance measures in a settlement that resolves allegations in the United States’ complaint, last week, that they violated federal Clean Air Act chemical accident prevention requirements at several of their natural gas processing plants. The companies will pay more than $3 million in civil penalties to resolve claims stemming from fatal chemical accidents and accident prevention program violations.

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressmen Ronny Jackson (R-TX) and Filemon Vela (D-TX) introduced the bipartisan Foreign Adversary Risk Management (FARM) Act, which would combat foreign interference in America’s agriculture supply chain through reforms to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate. “Foreign interference in America’s agriculture supply chain poses a serious national security threat, especially given that the worst proponent is the Chinese Communist Party,” Jackson said. I represent the top-rated agriculture district in Texas, so protecting this vital industry and its overarching supply chains will always be among my top priorities in Congress. Our adversaries are working overtime to undermine American interests, and the FARM Act will be an important step to secure America’s food supply by identifying and responding to inappropriate interference.” The bill text can be found here. Additional background from Bill Thompson of Agri-Pulse can be found online at https://jackson.house.gov/uploadedfiles/farm_act_bill_text.pdf. Jackson serves as Co-Chair of the Texas Agriculture Task Force.

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today said state sales tax revenue totaled $3.15 billion in September, 22.3 percent more than in September 2020. The majority of September sales tax revenue is based on sales made in August and remitted to the agency in September.

Speakers of international, national, state, and regional prominence will talk on shifting the hope-diminishing paradigm that the Ogallala aquifer must inevitably be depleted to zero during Coming Together Around the Water Table, a day-long discussion and tour to be held Oct. 27, from 9 am to 5 pm, at the Hereford Civic Center. The Hereford event will conclude over a month of Regenerate 2021 field days being hosted by a collaboration of Holistic Management International, the Quivira Coalition, and the American Grassfed Association. Sponsors for the Hereford event will also include the Dixon Water Foundation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, NCAT Soil for Water, and the Tecovas Foundation. Topics for the field days are related to the overall theme of Weaving Water, Land, and People. Advance registration for the Hereford session, priced at $50 including lunch, is now underway by calling the Quivira Coalition office at 505.820.2544 or by emailing conference@quiviracoalition.org. Registration deadline is Oct. 20.

Rangelands in the Great Plains, and the ranchers who depend on them, are losing battles against an invasion of brush and shrubs on historical grasslands. Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientist Brad Wilcox is among a group of researchers, extension specialists, and educators who hope pyric herbivory will one day become a routine point of conversation in rangeland conservation and wildfire mitigation.

AUSTIN—Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced last week that he was sending cities, counties, transit systems, and special-purpose taxing districts $925.1 million in local sales tax allocations for September, 20.9 percent more than in September 2020.

AUSTIN—Data from the Texas Workforce Commission suggests that Texas upstream oil and natural gas employment expanded by 2,800 jobs in August. Also, July’s estimated job gain in the upstream sector was raised to 2,100 from the original 1,500. Since the low point in employment in September 2020, months with job gains have outnumbered decline months 9-to-2.

‘Business of Water’ is theme of Water for Texas 2021 conference Register now for the Water for Texas 2021 conference, which will be held Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 27-29, at Austin’s AT&T Hotel and Conference Center.

TEMPLE—The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas will hold a meeting of the State Technical Committee next Tuesday, Sept. 14, from 8:30-11:30 am via Microsoft Teams/Teleconference. To participate via teleconference, audio only, dial 1.469.294.4461 and use access code 395 074 743#. Meeting links and call-in information can also be found on the NRCS Texas website at www.tx.nrcs.usdsa.gov/. Through the State Technical Committee meeting, NRCS seeks input from Texas citizens and representatives of organizations and agencies on natural resource priorities and concerns. This input helps guide the delivery of NRCS conservation programs and technical assistance within the state. NRCS and other USDA agencies will provide brief updates on Farm Bill programs and be available for participants to ask questions and offer suggestions. Questions can be directed to Charles Kneuper, NRCS state resource conservationist for Texas, at 254.742.9873. Participants are encouraged to submit written comments and suggestions.

CANYON—After raising more than $1 million in 20 years, the West Texas A&M University Ag Development Association will continue its annual Ag Day festivities Sept. 11.