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The Latest Breaking News from the Railroad Commission

An old well began gushing oilfield wastewater in a West Texas church parking lot, sparking a costly cleanup

By the time the Texas Railroad Commission shut down nearby oilfield injection wells to control the leak, 1.5 million gallons of toxic wastewater had spilled to the surface.

The Texas Tribune

Texas Railroad Commission race pits oil field engineer against energy trader running on culture wars

Republican Bo French is keeping Islam, immigration and LGBTQ+ issues at the fore of his campaign for Texas’ oil regulatory agency. Democratic foe Jon Rosenthal is betting on his technical expertise.

The Texas Tribune

Dan Patrick picks sides in Texas attorney general, Railroad Commission GOP runoffs

The lieutenant governor endorsed state Sen. Mayes Middleton over U.S. Rep. Chip Roy for the Republican attorney general nod. And he backed Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright over challenger Bo French.

The Texas Tribune

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Texas Railroad Commission GOP runoff: Who is running and what to know

The May 26 runoff pits incumbent Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, who’s pitching himself as a “proven advocate for Texas energy,” against Bo French, who has cast himself as a “MAGA conservative.”

The Texas Tribune

Low-producing oil wells linger for years, causing headaches for Texas landowners

Jackie Chesnutt, who lives outside San Angelo, is tired of pollution from nearly inactive wells. Experts say Texas rules allow companies to defer plugging wells for far too long.

The Texas Tribune

Texas oil and gas regulator Wayne Christian peddles oil-backed crypto coin

Government watchdogs raised conflict-of-interests concerns, but Christian said his involvement in the venture is “separate” from his elected position on the Railroad Commission.

The Texas Tribune

Texas has taken over issuing permits to store carbon underground. Here’s what to know.

The move of authority to the Texas Railroad Commission from the federal government now makes it easier for energy companies to apply for permits to store carbon underground.

The Texas Tribune

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Texas Railroad Commission primary: Who is running and what to know

The Railroad Commission regulates energy infrastructure across Texas. Here’s a look at who’s running in the 2026 Democratic and Republican primaries and where they stand.

The Texas Tribune

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 oil and gas regulators win new power to approve projects that shoot carbon underground

The EPA handed over power to the Railroad Commission after a two-year review. Critics say the commission has been too lax with the industry.

The Texas Tribune

Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French announces run for Texas Railroad Commission

French will face commission Chair Jim Wright in the Republican primary. The three-person panel is in charge of the agency that oversees Texas’ oil and gas industry.

The Texas Tribune

Embattled Texas Oilfield Waste Company Fined After Worker’s Death

A 26-year-old employee at McBride Operating in Waskom was killed when a valve blew off a pump last year. Another worker had sued the company two years earlier after being injured on the job.

Texas Observer

What Texas lawmakers did after the state’s largest wildfire

A package of bills aims to better prepare the state to prevent and fight wildfires.

The Texas Tribune

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The Texas Tribune

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

Bill would stop Texas oil drillers from secretly burying toxic waste on private property

House Bill 4572 would introduce new requirements for pits where drillers bury oil and gas waste.

The Texas Tribune

An abandoned West Texas oil well has created a 200-foot-wide sinkhole

The rapidly-growing sinkhole in Upton County is the latest of many problems caused by old wells in the Permian Basin.

The Texas Tribune

A Republican effort to set deadlines to plug orphan wells in Texas hits resistance

The bill would have set deadlines for the oil and gas industry to plug inactive wells, which can pose a danger to the environment.

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The Texas Tribune

Bills introduced a year after state’s largest blaze seek to limit wildfires

Among the proposals is a bill that would force more inspections of power lines, which a committee concluded ignited a blaze that burned more than 1 million acres last year.

The Texas Tribune

A year after Texas’ largest wildfire, Panhandle residents tugged between hope and anxiety

The Panhandle town of Canadian is determined to move beyond the deadly fire. And yet, they are reminded almost daily another catastrophe is possible.

The Texas Tribune

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

Texas regulators overhaul oilfield waste rule for the first time in four decades

The new rule modernizes some aspects of commercial oilfield waste disposal and recycling. But rules for burying oilfield waste on private property remain limited.

The Texas Tribune

Texas regulators report more than 250 new cases of groundwater contamination

An annual report documents 2,870 active cases of groundwater contamination around the state. Groundwater provides more than half of the state’s water supply.

The Texas Tribune

Recycled oilfield water could aid drought-stricken West Texas

Oilfield wastewater injected underground is causing earthquakes and blowouts. Now, pilot projects are exploring whether this water could be treated and used to grow crops.

Capital & Main

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.

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