Texas Updates Oilfield Waste Disposal Rules, Sparks Mixed ReactionsTexas Updates Oilfield Waste Disposal Rules, Sparks Mixed Reactions
January 23, 2025
1 Min Read

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Texas regulators have completed the first overhaul of oilfield waste rules in over 40 years, updating regulations for commercial landfills and on-site disposal at drilling rigs. Effective July 1, the new rules require companies to register toxic reserve pits for the first time but do not mandate notifying landowners or consistently using liners to protect groundwater.
Critics, including ranchers, expressed concerns about groundwater contamination and property rights, citing examples of pollution linked to reserve pits. Despite mixed reactions, the Railroad Commission views the updates as a significant step forward in modernizing Texas’s oilfield waste management practices.
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