<p><img class="alignnone wp-image-530383 size-medium" src="https://cdn.houstonpublicmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/09105018/HMCC-Featured-Image-Dark-Blue-2025-1000x563.jpg" alt="A mint green skyline against a dark blue background with the words Houston Matters with Craig Cohen in white" width="1000" height="563" /></p><p>On Friday's show: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/18/texas-lawsuit-dow-chemical-plant-pollution-seadrift-paxton/" rel="noopener">Texas is suing Dow Chemical Co.</a>, citing hundreds of water pollution violations at the company's facility in Seadrift along the coast south of Victoria. Dylan Baddour of <a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/" rel="noopener"><span class="author vcard">Inside Climate News</span></a> explains the lawsuit and how it could actually end up shielding Dow from tougher penalties.</p><p>Also this hour: The nonprofit Sierra Club recently released its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/09/texans-demand-more-from-state-legislators-on-the-environment/" rel="noopener">legislative scorecard</a> for last year, measuring how well or how poorly state lawmakers supported various environmental needs, at least according to the organization’s own measurements. We discuss the ratings and whether such assessments ever move the needle on the state's environmental concerns.</p><p>Then, we break down <a target="_blank" href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/topics/good-bad-ugly/" rel="noopener">The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</a> of the week.</p><p>And a new documentary called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-inquisitor/" rel="noopener"><em>The Inquisitor</em></a> explores the life and career of the late Texas Congresswoman <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Jordan" rel="noopener">Barbara Jordan</a>. The film airs Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. on Houston Public Media, TV 8. In conjunction, we reflect on Jordan's contributions to the political landscape.</p><p><b>Watch</b></p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WsPyVfMOvI8?si=Bl7bXgbDZZS8XnlC&amp;start=444" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

Houston Matters

Michael Hagerty

Dow Chemical and water pollution (Feb. 20, 2026)

FEB 20, 202649 MIN
Houston Matters

Dow Chemical and water pollution (Feb. 20, 2026)

FEB 20, 202649 MIN

Description

<p><img class="alignnone wp-image-530383 size-medium" src="https://cdn.houstonpublicmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/09105018/HMCC-Featured-Image-Dark-Blue-2025-1000x563.jpg" alt="A mint green skyline against a dark blue background with the words Houston Matters with Craig Cohen in white" width="1000" height="563" /></p><p>On Friday's show: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/18/texas-lawsuit-dow-chemical-plant-pollution-seadrift-paxton/" rel="noopener">Texas is suing Dow Chemical Co.</a>, citing hundreds of water pollution violations at the company's facility in Seadrift along the coast south of Victoria. Dylan Baddour of <a target="_blank" href="https://insideclimatenews.org/" rel="noopener"><span class="author vcard">Inside Climate News</span></a> explains the lawsuit and how it could actually end up shielding Dow from tougher penalties.</p><p>Also this hour: The nonprofit Sierra Club recently released its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/09/texans-demand-more-from-state-legislators-on-the-environment/" rel="noopener">legislative scorecard</a> for last year, measuring how well or how poorly state lawmakers supported various environmental needs, at least according to the organization’s own measurements. We discuss the ratings and whether such assessments ever move the needle on the state's environmental concerns.</p><p>Then, we break down <a target="_blank" href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/topics/good-bad-ugly/" rel="noopener">The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</a> of the week.</p><p>And a new documentary called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-inquisitor/" rel="noopener"><em>The Inquisitor</em></a> explores the life and career of the late Texas Congresswoman <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Jordan" rel="noopener">Barbara Jordan</a>. The film airs Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. on Houston Public Media, TV 8. In conjunction, we reflect on Jordan's contributions to the political landscape.</p><p><b>Watch</b></p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WsPyVfMOvI8?si=Bl7bXgbDZZS8XnlC&amp;start=444" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>