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

"Texas is inching closer to adopting revised oil and gas waste management rules for the first time in four decades.

The Railroad Commission of Texas announced the draft rule at its Aug. 15 meeting and is now soliciting public comment. The rule regulates a range of disposal sites for oil and gas drilling wastes, from pits dug next to drilling rigs to large commercial facilities managing toxic waste from numerous drillers. Waste streams that fall under the rule include drilling mud, sludge, cuttings and produced water.

The rule also aims to encourage more recycling of the drilling wastewater, which can be five to eight times saltier than ocean water and, like other oilfield waste, is often laced with fracking chemicals, hazardous compounds such as arsenic, benzene and toluene."

Martha Pskowski reports for Inside Climate News September 5, 2024. [2]