Raise your hand if you think the Railroad Commission of Texas RRC needs change.
That’s what I suspected. I even see some industry hands waving.
STEPS TO CHANGE THE RRC.
The Sunset Advisory Commission is the agency that regulates all Texas agencies. ONCE EVERY 12 YEARS, they examine the agencies and decide what needs to be changed and if the agencies should continue. This year it’s the RRC’s turn for examination.
On Wednesday, December 19th, you can testify (3 minutes) at the public hearing in Austin.
Since there is no drilling in Austin, it doesn’t make much sense to hold the hearings there. This is one of the many things we need to change about the RRC. Hearings should be held in the areas where people are most affected. What Austin does have is plenty of oil and gas lobbyists. This puts us at an unfair advantage and is why it is so important for you to show up if you can.
Comment on the Staff Report (November 2012)
The Sunset Commission staff has written a Staff Report from their examination of the RRC. You can submit your comments on their report. I will give you examples and walk you through submitting comments.
- Write up a general comment about your experiences with the RRC and living in the gas patch. HERE are Earthworks comments I prepared to give orally at the hearing.
- Write up your response to the items on the Staff Report. (You can just say agree or do not agree) HERE are Earthworks responses. These responses will be tallied and you can bet that the oil and gas industry will submit plenty of responses.
- On Issue 4, I referred to some comments Earthworks submitted earlier. Those comments have our Texas Enforcement Report attached.
- Issue 7 is about the Mineral Interest Pooling Act MIPA. This is where the oil and gas industry with the help of the state is trying to railroad your property rights. I delivered comments from Earthworks at that hearing in January so I referred the commission to those comments.
3. Submit your comments through the form or through email sunset@sunset.state.tx.us.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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How they allow the “banned” from operating companies to continue doing business is unconscionable. See below in alphabetical order-go to the name “Ferguson” for perfect example of this.
http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/compliance/enforcement/allops.php
Wow, just reincorporate your company under another name, and just keep on being reckless in your energy production.
Too bad TRRC won’t consider jail time for habitual offenders.
Didn’t they examine it two years ago??? Or was that a dream?
They did the examination but they took no action. I think they were overwhelmed by the train wreck.