Earlier this month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized federal rules to help limit emissions of the potent greenhouse gas, methane. Apart from its climate impacts, methane and other flared gasses cause preterm births, asthma, and cancer, among other health impacts. As a climate warmer, methane packs a stronger punch within the first 20 years of being emitted. Preventing emissions of methane can stabilize the climate within our lifetimes. The methane safeguards include first-ever standards for existing equipment while also strengthening standards for new equipment in the oil and gas sector. Texas leads the country in oil and gas production, yet our state oversight agency, the Railroad Commission, has not enacted rules to lower methane emissions or rein in routine venting and flaring.

According to EPA’s analysis, the final standards are projected to avoid 58 million tons of methane emissions nationwide by 2038, as well as 16 million tons of volatile organic compounds and 590,000 tons of air toxins. These reductions will come from requirements for:

• Strengthened leak detection.
• Repair of all wells regardless of size or operation status and up until they are permanently plugged in.
• Installation of non-polluting pneumatic equipment.
• A phased-in prohibition on routine flaring of gas at new wells.
• Program to leverage third-party monitoring data to identify and stop large emission events.

In 2024, we look forward to holding the Railroad Commission accountable to properly implementing and enforcing the final standards to protect communities from the impacts of oil and gas pollution.

Dec. 13: RRC December Open Meeting - Austin, Virtual

RSVP

For the December public meeting, we followed agenda items concerning “no good faith” claims, new EPA rules for methane flaring, as well as public input from West Texas Rancher Schuyler Wight and Commission Shift’s Virginia Palacios. Virginia reflected on a year of RRC oversight, noting some improvements in weatherization rules and language accessibility, with room for improvement in areas related to orphaned wells, carbon dioxide injection rules, public engagement, the monitoring and enforcement plan, the draft waste pit rulemaking, and pipeline safety.

View Virginia's full comments here.

Jan 13: Loteria Meet and Greet (Asherton, TX)
Jan 17: CCUS Deep Dive Part 3 (virtual)

Jan 18: Water in the Desert Conference (Alpine, TX)

Jan 24: Waste Pits Community Meeting
Jan 30: RRC Open Meeting (Austin, TX, virtual)

Tell the EPA: Deny Texas CCS Primacy! 

As the Railroad Commission seeks EPA approval to oversee carbon dioxide injection wells in Texas, now is the time to urge the EPA to protect our groundwater and deny the RRC’s application to oversee these dangerous projects.

Send a Holiday Card

Public agencies require dedicated public servants to protect public safety and the environment. This holiday season, we are recognizing the diligent work of RRC staff who do their best to serve our state with limited resources and funding. Use our digital download to print and mail a holiday postcard thanking RRC staff. Read the instructions and download the card here.

Announcing our 2024 Poster Contest!

Commission Shift's annual poster contest is now accepting submissions!

Designs can come from anyone based in Texas. This year’s theme is The People of Texas. Messages and images can include the call that the people of Texas deserve stability, safety, clean air, and clean water. We can't wait to see your submissions!

RRC Open Meeting - Austin, virtual

Tuesday, Jan. 30

9:30-10:30 AM CST.

Waste Pits Community Meeting

Wednesday, Jan 17, 2024 
6:30-8:00 PM CST.

With Cyndhia Ramatchandiranee, Earthjustice Staff Scientist

Have you been seeing a lot of hype around “blue” hydrogen or “blue” ammonia lately but not sure what that means? Come to this talk to learn more about how methane gas (aka “natural gas”) with carbon capture is proposed as part of a new buildout and how that might impact local communities in Texas and beyond. We’ll cover the types of proposals we’re seeing most on the ground including blue hydrogen, blue ammonia, and blue methanol projects as well some proposals for LNG export terminals that want to add CCS. These projects can have large impacts on communities such as increased air and water pollution, and CCS doesn’t address all of those problems and sometimes makes things worse. Join us to learn more!

Waste Pits Community Meeting

Wednesday, Jan 24, 2024
6:00-7:30 PM CST.

Join us for an informative session on the informal comment period for Chapter 4 Subchapters A & B. We'll discuss what to expect during the formal comment period and how we can work together to make sure that community voices are heard and incorporated in this rulemaking. Find more background on the informal comment period for the waste pit rule here.

We're Hiring!

Commission Shift is hiring for a position to expand our organization’s capacity and reach! Are you or someone you know a good fit? Take a look at our listing for Organizing Director.

• A new report from the International Energy Agency says that over-reliance on carbon capture is an implausible solution to reaching global energy and climate targets.

• The new methane rule is expected to have a significant effect on Texas oil industry emissions."Almost every single meeting, we have at least one or two of the commissioners saying something to the operators about how they should 'do better on venting and flaring,' but then they just go right ahead and approve the flaring rule exception request," Palacios pointed out.

• Oil and gas communities in West Texas are getting involved in the fight to get the Railroad Commission to protect groundwater from oil and gas wastewater disposal wells.

Relevant news stories on all areas of our work and Railroad Commission activity can be found on our website.

P.S. Be sure to follow Commission Shift on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Commission Shift
212 Flores Avenue
Laredo, TX 78040
United States

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