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As Houston plots a sustainable path forward, it’s leaving fenceline communities behind. By Raj Mankad August 15, 2017 This article originally appeared on Grist. Juan Parras gives one hell of a tour of Houston’s east side. He’s charming and funny. Wearing a beret, he strikes an old-world look, like he might lead you to a cafe on a plaza. He doesn’t charge a fee for his services. After all, you’re on a “toxic tour,” and Parras is on a mission. Parras grew up in fifties West Texas . He remembers segregated schools, the restaurants that wouldn’t serve him, the unpaved roads, and the people who lived closest to the local refinery. Those experiences led him to a career as a social justice advocate . The resident of Houston’s heavily industrial east side has worked in a city housing department , for a union, for a law clinic, and on a campaign that stopped a PVC factory from being built in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.” For the last decade, he has served as executive director of Texas Enviro...

See more of the story Drones will take to the skies in some Minneapolis neighborhoods this fall to hunt for problems hidden in the city’s sewers. The city is experimenting with the technology as part of its annual smoke testing of the sewers, which helps crews spot trouble spots underground . It will be a first for the city’s public works department , though engineers across the country are discovering public uses for drones — including inspecting bridges and ditches in Minnesota. This year’s smoke testing will focus largely on areas in Northeast and Southeast clustered around the central Minneapolis riverfront . Residents there recently received letters warning they may see a drone flying above the street taking pictures . “We’re not flying the drones over anyone’s homes or over any private property,” said Katrina Kessler, the city’s director of surface water and sewers. Smoke testing helps determine if connections remain between the city’s sanitary and stormwater sewer systems , w...