Dec. 17—AUSTIN — After extensive reviews of public comments and stakeholder input, the Texas Railroad Commission has adopted a significant revision to the rules regulating oil and gas waste management facilities in Texas. RRC commissioners voted to adopt the new regulations during their open meeting on Tuesday.
The regulations cover wastes from oil and gas operations, such as rock and other material extracted from the ground during drilling, as well as wastes from other activities for which the Legislature has given the RRC jurisdiction, including geothermal resources, carbon storage and brine mining wells.
It is the first revision of RRC’s waste management rules in four decades. The new rules will help the RRC continue to protect ground and surface water while adapting to modern waste management practices, such as recycling produced water, and recent developments in production methods.
The rule updates requirements regarding the design, construction, operation, supervision, and closure of waste management units, and will improve the RRC’s ability to track and collect data on oilfield waste transported throughout Texas.
The new rules also codify informal guidelines that RRC experts have developed over decades to provide operators and the public with certainty about how regulations for waste management facilities are implemented.
The adopted rules will improve the RRC’s oversight of waste management facilities. The agency now has a staff dedicated to environmental permit compliance: a team that reviews reports and inspections of waste management facilities and follows up on these reviews to quickly resolve any issues.
“The oil and gas industry has developed dramatically since the 1980s. After a years-long process and with thoughtful and thorough consultation from the public, agency experts and industry stakeholders, I am proud to announce that the Railroad Commission has completed its first overhaul passing waste management rules in 40 years,” said Chairwoman Christi Craddick. “I sincerely appreciate our staff for their hard work in modernizing our agency’s rules to reflect current waste management practices and new developments in manufacturing methods, helping the industry thrive.” can continue to stimulate economic growth while upholding our commitment to protecting public safety and the environment.”
“It’s been 40 years since these rules were last updated, and the oil and gas industry has grown and changed in ways unimaginable since then. Updating these rules was a slow and deliberate process, allowing us to listen to everyone affected – small operators, landowners. , royalty owners and waste management companies,” said Commissioner Wayne Christian. “I personally organized meetings with small and medium-sized producers, who shared their real concerns about the first draft, especially as it relates to mines. We took their feedback seriously, revised the rules and created a version that protects small businesses while protecting our environment. The draft received overwhelming support from industry stakeholders, with opposition coming almost exclusively from radical environmental groups whose ultimate goal is shutting off oil and gas in Texas. This is a win for the Texas energy sector and for common sense, balanced regulation.
“By approving this measure today, the Railroad Commission and the State of Texas have taken an important step forward in aligning our practices and procedures to reflect the significant changes the industry has experienced in the forty years since this rule was last reformed,” the spokesperson said. Commissioner Jim Wright. “Thanks to the tremendous effort and dedication of our staff here at the Railroad Commission and the input and participation of the public and stakeholder groups, we have been able to modernize these rules in a way that aligns with the Railroad Commission’s mission and will serve our state and citizens well.”
The RRC’s new waste management rules can be found on the RRC website at https://rrc.texas.gov/general-counsel/rules/proposed-rules/ under “Chapter 4: Environmental Protection.”
