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The Latest Breaking News from Railroad Commission

A small oil company polluted Midland’s water reserve. The cleanup has dragged on for years.

Cleaning up oilfield pollution in arid West Texas is costly and complicated. The bankruptcy process allows companies to move on while the public pays the price.

The Texas Tribune

Pitted Against Waste

In bucolic areas near the Louisiana line, residents ask, "Why are Texas taxpayers liable for other states’ toxic waste?"

Texas Observer

Texas has thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells. Who is responsible for cleaning them up?

Across Texas, abandoned wells are erupting with chemical-infused liquid and some have created massive lakes of contaminated water. Regulators say they need more money to address the problem.

The Texas Tribune

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Texas regulators grapple with a growing problem: old oil wells leaking polluted water

Two years after lawmakers created a $10 million program to address leaking wells in rural counties, none of the money has been distributed.

The Texas Tribune

For the Texas Railroad Commission, the Last Train Left Years Ago

Misnamed commission oversees the state's vast oil and gas industry. Critics say it's all a smoke screen.

Capital & Main

Republican Christi Craddick reelected to Railroad Commission, the state’s oil and gas regulatory agency

The three-member board oversees Texas’ oil and gas industry. The agency has faced criticism over safety concerns linked to fracking, well blowouts and groundwater protection.

The Texas Tribune

Level of oil and gas regulation at heart of Texas Railroad Commission race

Incumbent Christi Craddick is touting the health of the Texas energy industry and its impact on the economy. Her top opponent says regulation on the commission is too lax.

The Texas Tribune

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Texas proposes first new rules for oilfield waste in 40 years

While environmentalists say the new rules don’t do enough to protect groundwater, oil and gas operators are contesting stricter requirements for waste pits near wells.

The Texas Tribune

Ranchers reported abandoned oil wells spewing wastewater. A new study blames fracking.

An SMU study is the first scientific proof of a phenomenon local landowners have long warned was occurring.

The Texas Tribune

Texas opens more coastal waters for carbon storage wells

The Gulf Coast is poised to be a major hub for underground disposal of greenhouse gas to mitigate climate change, but questions remain over who will fund it long-term.

The Texas Tribune

New Texas Democratic group hopes to pump millions into neglected party infrastructure

The new outfit is hoping that its long-term plan will eventually help Democrats become more competitive in statewide races.

The Texas Tribune

“Nobody really knows what you’re supposed to do”: Leaking, exploding abandoned wells wreak havoc in West Texas

The Texas Railroad Commission is tasked with plugging wells. But the state regulators say their scope is limited.

The Texas Tribune

Railroad Commission approves oilfield waste ponds next to Baptist camp in Permian Basin

Martin Water is building an oil and gas waste recycling facility next to the Circle 6 Baptist Camp in the Permian Basin despite concerns about water and air pollution.

The Texas Tribune

Midland fights disposal of oilfield wastewater near its drinking supply

As oil and gas companies struggle to dispose of their wastewater in the Permian Basin, the city of Midland is challenging applications for disposal wells near one of its drinking water sources.

The Texas Tribune

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The Texas Tribune

Another large earthquake shows seismic activity continues to increase in West Texas, experts say

The 5.2 magnitude earthquake is tied for the fourth strongest in Texas history. It occurred in an area where oilfield companies have long been injecting wastewater from fracking underground.

Capital & Main

Texas Sees ‘Bonanza’ in Carbon Storage Market

Critics say Railroad Commission and politicians focus on business, not environmental protection.

The Texas Tribune

Oil and gas companies spill millions of gallons of wastewater in Texas

An exclusive Inside Climate News analysis found that companies have spilled nearly 150 million gallons of toxic, highly saline wastewater in Texas over the last decade.

Texas Observer

Texas Still Issues Thousands of Permits for Natural Gas Flaring

Advocates say the Texas Railroad Commission process is more of a "rubber stamp" for oil and gas companies to keep polluting indefinitely.

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The Texas Tribune

Oilfield companies helped to craft Texas’ new waste rules for 2 years before the public got to see them

The effort to update the state’s oilfield waste disposal rules was initiated by Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, one of the state’s top oil and gas regulators who has investments in the industry.

The Texas Tribune

Sarah Stogner announces second campaign for the Texas Railroad Commission

After losing in a Republican runoff last year, Stogner said she plans to challenge incumbent Chair Christi Craddick as a member of the Forward Party.

Texas Observer

Ignoring Water Worries, Texas Permits Lignite Mine Expansion

The state has issued only two new coal mining permits in 10 years to a company with a controversial environmental legacy.

The Texas Tribune

Texas’ environmental agency enables companies to increase oilfield wastewater disposal in rivers

Researchers are still studying the chemical makeup of “produced water” from Permian Basin oil fields. But regulators say they’re ready to issue permits to discharge the water into rivers and creeks.

The Texas Tribune

For Texans, fighting state-regulated oilfield waste dumps can be a costly, do-it-yourself effort

Some Texans who challenge oil and gas waste sites must spend significant sums and time on investigating what they say the Texas Railroad Commission should examine. Will new regulations for handling waste increase oversight or just maintain the status quo?

The Texas Tribune

Company that wants to build oilfield dump in East Texas gave $53,750 in campaign donations to regulators

McBride Operating LLC and its owner, Joseph McBride, contributed to the political campaigns of the three commissioners on the Texas Railroad Commission now considering his request.

The Texas Tribune

In East Texas, a town fights to keep an oilfield waste dump from opening near wetlands and water wells

The Texas Railroad Commission has rejected the proposal twice over water contamination concerns, but locals are dismayed that the commissioners keep giving the developer more chances to alter its application.

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