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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.

Christi Craddick, Commissioner of the Texas Railroad Commission, Chairman Wayne Christian, and Commissioner Jim Wright listen during an RRC hearing in the William B. Travis Building in Austin on Nov. 30, 2021.

Residents want more protections; new rules would allow industry-created pilot programs

Cows roam on Ron Pilsner's Nordheim, Texas property on Sept. 10, 2023. Pilsner's land rests next to a drilling waste dump, which is visible in the distant background.
Ron Pilsner stands next to a cistern to store well water on his Nordheim, Texas property on Sept. 10, 2023. For the past few years, he's been testing the water quality from the underground well, which can be dirty or contaminated. Pilsner's land, which has been in his family for over a century, rests next to a recently-built drilling waste dump.
Ron Pilsner lays out the contents of a soil testing kit on his Nordheim, Texas property on Sept. 10, 2023. Pilsner's land, which has been in his family for over a century, rests next to a recently-built drilling waste dump.
Sister Elizabeth, a longtime activist and opponent to Nordheim's drilling waste facility, stands at a meeting hall near the city park in Nordheim, Texas, on Sept. 10, 2023. The hall is where Sister Elizabeth first gathered to meet with other opponents to the drilling waste facility.
A home down the road from Ron Pilsner's property shows a sign reading "DON'T DUMP ON NORDHEIM" on Sept. 10, 2023. The home sits across the street from an entrance to the oil disposal facility. According to Pilsner, a family who used to live at the home recently left due to frequent deposits of dust and mud.

Industry drafts the rules

Christi Craddick, Commissioner of the Texas Railroad Commission, Chairman Wayne Christian, and Commissioner Jim Wright listen during an RRC hearing in the William B. Travis Building in Austin on Nov. 30, 2021.

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Energy Environment Politics State government Texas Railroad Commission