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media inquiries

To request an interview with a member of the BCWK team, please send the following information to info@bayoucitywaterkeeper.org:

  • Name, title, media outlet
  • Deadline and when your story will air or be published
  • What’s your news beat?/ What stories do you like to cover?
  • What angle are you covering in this story? Who else have you talked to?

Bayou City Waterkeeper’s staff can provide expert analysis and local context on water, infrastructure, environmental policy, and environmental justice across the greater Houston region. Our team is available for interviews, background conversations, and commentary on the following topics. 

Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud

Co-Executive Director

  • Environmental and water justice
  • Community-led approaches to systemic change
  • Organizational strategy and nonprofit leadership
  • Arts, culture, and narrative change
  • Regional environmental challenges and solutions

Kristen Schlemmer

Co-Executive Director

  • Clean Water Act enforcement
  • Environmental law and accountability
  • Sewage pollution and wastewater infrastructure
  • Industrial pollution and permitting
  • Community-centered legal advocacy

Guadalupe Fernández

Policy Strategy Director

  • Local, state, and federal water policy
  • Equitable infrastructure investment
  • Water affordability and utility governance
  • Public funding for water and wastewater systems
  • Environmental justice policy and community advocacy

Usman Mahmood

Senior Policy Analyst

  • Water infrastructure policy and finance
  • Drinking water and wastewater systems
  • State and municipal water planning
  • Infrastructure funding and implementation
  • Policy research and data analysis

Alenka Cardenas

Wetlands Policy and Outreach Specialist & Waterkeeper

  • Wetland protection and restoration
  • Floodplains and nature-based flood solutions
  • Coastal development and permitting
  • Community engagement around wetlands and waterways
  • Lower Galveston Bay watershed

Gracie Israel

Organizer

  • Community organizing and resident engagement
  • Neighborhood flooding and infrastructure concerns
  • Environmental justice advocacy
  • Public participation in government decision-making
  • Community education and leadership development

Rachel Jordan

Staff Attorney

  • Clean Water Act enforcement and litigation
  • Environmental permitting
  • Sewage pollution and sanitary sewer overflows
  • Industrial wastewater and water pollution
  • Public participation and environmental accountability

Danielle Newton

Communications and Design Specialist

  • Community-centered design and public engagement
  • Participatory planning and collaborative learning
  • Green infrastructure and neighborhood flood resilience
  • Environmental education and visual storytelling
  • Bayou City Waterkeeper’s Design Lab and Surge Forward programs
Request an Interview

in the news

  • June 30 | HOODLINE | Candlelight Oaks Neighbors Say Storms Turn Streets Into Raw Sewage Streams | Elliott Greene
  • June 20 | The 1839 | Discovery Sands: The Two Paths | David Landriault
  • June 16 | HOUSTON MATTERS | Houston Matters appearance to discuss Consent Decree | Craig Cohen
  • June 13 |  TALKING WATER | w/ Bayou City Waterkeeper Co-Executive Directors: Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud & Kristen Schlemmer
  • May 15 | HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Critics warn Mayor John Whitmire’s budget could strain Houston water-sewer system for years to come | Ryan Nickerson
  • April 30 | HOODLINE | Houston’s $2 Billion Sewer Fix Progress Or Just More Spills | Alyssa Ford
  • April 29 | HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Five years into a sewer repair mandate, it’s unclear if Houston is meeting federal requirements | Ryan Nickerson
  • April 21 | TIDES | Community Power Helped Win This Clean Water Victory: A Conversation with Bayou City Waterkeeper | Kimberly Middleton, Valentina Acosta 
  • April 16 | EIN PRESSWIRE | $690 Billion Crisis: New Study Ranks Philadelphia, NYC, and Houston as Most Vulnerable Sewer Systems in U.S.
  • April 16 | THE CONVERSATION | Washington DC’s 240 million‑gallon sewage spill is a symptom of nationwide trouble | Beth Daley
  • April 12 | HOODLINE | Lagoon Showdown on the West End as Galveston Panel Backs Massive Discovery Sands Plan
  • April 8 | HOUSTON CHRONICLE | New Galveston lagoon development moves to next step as residents push back | Yvette Orozco
  • March 18 | USA TODAY | Green Infrastructure & Drainage Justice: Equitable Flood Solutions 
  • March 16 | THE NATION |  Water Infrastructure in Texas is Failing. A Surge of New Funding Can Fix It. | Lajward Zahra
  • March 3 | HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Tiny Texas town skeptical of yet another ritzy planned development: Discovery Sands would jeopardize wetlands and add traffic issues, some say. | Chris Gray
  • December 29 | UNIVISION | EPA Propone Cambios a La Ley de Agua Limpia | Ana Raquel Bueno
  • December 4 | TEXAS TRIBUNE | Contracts awarded to design gates and dunes for Gulf Coast “Ike Dike” project | Emily Foxhall
  • November 5 | CLICK2HOUSTON | ‘We’re talking about poop’: Houston neighborhoods face raw sewage problems, health risks from sewage spills | Joel Eisenbaum
  • October 23 | UNIVISION 45 HOUSTON | Crisis del agua en Texas: Propuesta 4 pretende millonaria inversión para proyectos hídricos | Ana Raquel Bueno
  • October 16 | TEXAS TRIBUNE; CAPITAL & MAIN|It’s brown and burns your eyes. In small town Texas, clean water can be elusive. | Elena Bruess
  • September 2 | HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Embarrassing sewage spill stinks up Galveston’s holiday weekend | Chris Gray
  • July 31 | UNIVISION 45 HOUSTON | Houston, Una cuidad vulnerable ante inundaciones | Ana Raquel Bueno 
  • July 21 | PRO PUBLICA; TEXAS TRIBUNE | Texas lawmakers largely ignored recommendations aimed at helping rural areas like Kerr County prepare for flooding | Lexi Churchill and Lomi Kriel
  • May 21 | OIL AND GAS WATCH | States sue over Trump ‘energy emergency’ order that fast-tracks wetlands destruction | Brendan Gibbons
  • April 29 | WATERLOOP | The Rebirth of Bayou City: Focusing on Water Solutions in Houston | Travis Loop
  • April 14 | TENESSEE LOOKOUT | Wetlands protections built an industry for mitigation banking. Rollbacks could erode it. | Cassandra Stephenson & Delaney Dryfoos
  • April 4 | DECELERATION | The Climate Movement Needs to Move Beyond Billionaire-Backed Philanthropies | Syris Valentine
  • March 31 | HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA | Houston water bill rates to increase by average of 6% starting in April | Kyle McClenagan
  • March 14 | ENVIRONEWS DC NEWS BUREAU | Trump Executive Order Threatens 700 U.S. Wetlands; Leading Enviro Org Gears up for Battle | Greg Schwarz
  • March 8 | LAREDO MORNING TIMES | RGISC pushes for equitable water infrastructure reforms at Texas Capitol | Maria Ruiz
  • February 19 | INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS | Trump Order Fast-Tracks Projects That Would Damage Wetlands, Environmental Groups Say | Amy Green
  • ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS | Petrochemical plants send millions of pounds of pollutants into waterways each year: Report | Cami Ferrell
  • HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA | New report: Dow Freeport chemical plant leads nation in wastewater polluting | Colleen DeGuzman
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | The EPA does not limit dioxins dumped in rivers by plastic makers. A Texas plant is the top offender | Rebekah F. Ward
  • WATER EQUITY & CLIMATE RESILIENCE CAUSUS | H2O UP Act of 2024 necessary step to ensure safe, affordable water for all | Statement
  • ABC13 | Baytown is in middle of negotiations with EPA in yearslong lawsuit about sewage overflow issue | Rosie Nguyen
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Houston’s ‘poo problem’ is costing its low-income Black and brown residents the most, data shows | Yilun Chen & Matt Zden
  • UNCONVENTIONAL JOURNALIST | Poop Water Part II: Resident Dealing with Systemic Sewage Failures | Sam Oser
  • UNCONVENTIONAL JOURNALIST | Poop Water Part I: Policy and Education for Water Justice | Sam Oser
  • HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA | Environmental groups call for $20 million city investment to address private sewer line leaks in Houston | Sarah Grunau
  • HOUSTON LANDING | Houston is repairing its aging sewer lines. Some residents say it’s not enough | Elena Bruess
  • AXIOS | Houston advocates pressure city for sewage overflow funding | Shafaq Patel
  • TELEMUNDO HOUSTON | Comunidad denuncia problemas con el sistema de alcantarillado y agua sucia al noreste de Houston | Ruby Guzman
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Houston pulls plug on effort to privatize southeast-side water plant | Abby Church
  • CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY | Lawsuit Launched Over EPA’s Oversight Failure on Dangerous Phosphate Mining Waste | Media Release
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Pearland employees violated state water policies, told contractors to dump bleach into Clear Creek | Matt deGrood
  • COURTHOUSE NEWS SERVICE | Texas regulators turn away from proposed microplastics pollution ban | Cameron Langford
  • HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA | Flood control goes green: How Houston is using nature to combat flooding | Katie Watkins
  • THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE | Environmental Groups Warn Congress to Slow Down on Texas Coastal Barrier | Isabel Maney
  • TEXAS PLUS WATER | q&a+water: Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud | Todd Votteler
  • TIME | Hurricane Harvey’s Environmental Toll Will Only Get Worse | Justin Worland
  • WATERKEEPER MAGAZINE | A Broad and Rapid Response to Harvey’s Catastrophic Attack | Pete Nichols, Waterkeeper Magazine
  • CITY CAST HOUSTON | Talking Sh*t with Bayou City Waterkeeper 
  • THE BAYTOWN SUN | Environmentalists seek to join sewage lawsuit | Mark Fleming
  • THE BAYTOWN SUN | DOJ, AG suing Baytown over sewage spills | Mark Fleming
  • LAW 360 | Houston Suburb Accused Of Unlawful Sewage Discharges | Morgan Conley
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Baytown targeted over more than 21 million gallons of sewage waste that spilled in mostly Hispanic communities | Emily Foxhall
  • WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE | Putting People and Nature First in Texas’s Petrochemical Corridor | Regulatory Wins | Julia Wildmann
  • POLITICS DONE RIGHT | Grassroots Water Activists $2 Billion Win
  • BLOOMBERG LAW | Wastewater Leak at Florida Plant Fuels Federal Oversight Debate | Pat Rizzuto, Sylvia Carignan & Jennifer Kay
  • COMMUNITY IMPACT | Federal judge approves Houston’s $2 billion answer to Clean Water Act lawsuit | Emma Whalen
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Judge OKs federal consent decree requiring Houston to make $2 billion in sewer upgrades | Jasper Scherer
  • GRIST | Texas’ water problems started way before the winter storm | Adam Mahoney, Grist
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | $2B sewer consent decree will be felt in Houston’s monthly water bills as soon as next spring | Mike Morris
  • COMMUNITY IMPACT | Environmentalists question proposed coastal barrier, ask for deadline extension to comment on plan | Jake Magee
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | Digging Buffalo Bayou deeper? Houstonians up in arms over Army Corps’ ‘old-fashioned’ flood fixes. | Emily Foxhall
  • TEXAS LIVING WATERS | Harris County Passes Bylaws for Community Task Force to Create a More Resilient Future | Danielle Goshen
  • HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA | Report Finds Unsafe Levels Of Fecal Contamination At Some Texas Beaches | Katie Watkins
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE | City of South Houston to continue testing for mercury in waters downstream of plant | Perla Trevizo
  • FOX 26 | City council approves $2 billion deal with EPA to address chronic pollution | Greg Groogan
  • HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA | Houston’s Sewers Could Soon Get A Multibillion-Dollar Upgrade | Jen Rice
  • INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS | After Hurricane Harvey, a Heated Debate Over Flood Control Funds in Texas’ Harris County | Aman Azhar
  • THE DAILY NEWS | Groups say maps show corps’ true plans for coastal barrier | John Wayne Ferguson
  • COMMUNITY IMPACT | Federal study lays groundwork for Texas coastal barrier | Matt Dulin
  • COMMUNITY IMPACT | UPDATE: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases study on Texas coastal barrier project | Jake Magee
  • TEXAS OBSERVER | Government Asks Court for More Time To Fix Houston’s Decades-Long Sewage Problem | Naveena Sadasivam
  • FOX 26 | Polluted local waterways – EPA sues Houston – What’s Your Point? | Greg Groogan
  • HOUSTON PUBLIC MEDIA | How is the City Addressing Thousands of Sewage Overflows | Abner Fletcher
  • UNIVISON 45 HOUSTON | Houston podría enfrentar una demanda por presuntas violaciones del protocolo de tratamiento de aguas
  • ASSOCIATED PRESS | Officials in Harvey-Hit County Pick August for Bond Election | Juan A. Lozano

opinion pieces

  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Build the Ike Dike to secure the Gulf of America | Opinion
    • OCT ’25 Coalter Baker
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Opinion: Boil-notice confusion is the rule in Texas, not the exception
    • DEC ’22, Kristen Schlemmer
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: SCOTUS isn’t to blame for wetlands decision. EPA overreach is. (Opinion)
    • JUN ’23, Kristen Schlemmer
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Wetlands protect us from floods. Now it’s our turn to protect them. (Opinion)
    • JUN ’23, Kristen Schlemmer
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Opinion, Clean water for Houston takes work
    • NOV ’22, Ayanna Jolivet McCloud, Danielle Goshen
  • GALVESTON DAILY NEWS: Forum to discuss alternatives to coast spine
    • JUN ’22, Jordan Macha & Joanie Steinhaus
  • GALVESTON DAILY NEWS: Meeting set to talk about Ike Dike alternatives
    • APR ’22, Jordan Macha & Joanie Steinhaus
  • IMPACT FUND: After Years of Suffering By Low-Income and BIPOC Communities, Court Orders Houston to Obey Clean Water Act and Invest $2BN on Major Upgrades to Sewer System
    • JUN ’21, Kristen Schlemmer
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Opinion, Reliable water is a right, Houston don’t miss chance to make repairs for poorest
    • FEB ’21, Kristen Schlemmer
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Opinion: Can’t wait for Ike Dike? We must act now to protect Galveston Bay. Here’s how.
    • SEP ’20, Jordan Macha & Bob Stokes
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Opinion: More concrete ditches and paved-over prairies? Houston must pivot to nature-based flood mitigation
    • AUG ’20, Amanda Fuller & Jordan Macha
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Trump administration rule could worsen flooding by removing protections for our wetlands [Opinion]
    • JAN ’20, Jordan Macha & Kristen Schlemmer
  • GALVESTON DAILY NEWS: Protect coastal wetlands to fight floods, pollution
    • APR ’19, Jordan Macha
  • HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Our billion-dollar chance to fix Houston’s wastewater [Opinion]
    • APR ’19, Jordan Macha

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