Two years after lawmakers created a $10 million program to address leaking wells in rural counties, none of the money has been distributed.
Hawk Dunlap stands at the site of Lake Boehmer, a brine lake that has leaked out of an old well in Pecos County. The Texas Commission on Environment al Quality received $10 million from lawmakers in 2023 to plug such wells but has yet to spend any of the money as it completes the rule making process.In arid West Texas, water seeps and bubbles from old wells, sometimes carrying oil, brackish water or other pollutants to the surface.
Hawk Dunlap, a well control specialist for a private company who has plugged wells for decades, says sealing P-13 wells is far more complex than simply filling them with concrete. “We do not know how much it will cost to plug each well, so we cannot determine how many wells could be plugged under this program,” said Ricky Richter, a spokesperson for TCEQ.
For example, the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District has repeatedly asked the RRC over the years to include 40 wells — some of which are classified as P-13 wells — to its list of orphan wells eligible for plugging with federal money, but the commission denied the request. The TCEQ will have to use well plugging contractors on the Railroad Commission’s approved list and consult with the commission to come up with a plan to make sure each well is permanently plugged.“We don't have an ongoing plan for how to deal with P-13 wells. We don't have an ongoing plan for how to deal with orphaned wells in the state,” she said. “I mean, continuing to do the same thing we've always done is going to lead to water contamination.
Texas Politics Texas Policy Texas Government Energy Environment State Government Oil And Natural Gas Texas Commission On Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Texas Railroad Commission
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