By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will review Texas’ oversight of wells used to inject wastewater and carbon dioxide from oil drilling into the ground after “substantial concerns” from environmental groups that the operations are behind a spate of well blowouts, sinkholes and seismic activity.
The EPA announced the review in a May 23 letter to environmental groups, seen by Reuters on Friday.
An EPA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nine Texas-based environmental and watchdog groups led by Commission Shift and Clean Water Action requested the review in March.
Texas has the authority to allow so-called “Class II” injection wells, which are used to dispose of drilling wastewater and inject carbon dioxide underground to enhance oil recovery in active fields.
Parts of Texas, especially the Permian Oil Basin in the western part of the state, are plagued by frequent incidents of blowouts from unplugged wells and seismic activity related to the injection of wastewater into the subsurface, the petitioners said.
The groups had urged the U.S. regulator to evaluate whether the Texas Railroad Commission, the state agency that regulates oil production, exploration and transportation, is meeting federal standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect public health and the environment.
A spokesman for the Railroad Commission said Friday that the EPA has not yet been contacted and that it stands by its record.
“The RRC has a long history of regulating underground injection to protect the environment and public safety,” commission spokesperson Patty Ramon said in an email.
According to the EPA, there are approximately 180,000 Class II injection wells in the United States, with the largest concentration in Texas.
The groups that filed the petition have raised concerns that there is no recourse from the RRC when they receive reports of poorly managed Class II wells and that the regulator has not investigated the root causes of well leaks and blowouts or made decisions about has not opened the granting of well permits to the public.
“We believe that a rigorous and transparent review by the EPA will ultimately lead to stronger protections for our water resources and greater accountability for regulatory practices,” said Virginia Palacios, executive director of Commission Shift.
The RRC has also requested permission, or “primacy,” from the EPA to conduct its own permitting program to inject carbon dioxide underground for permanent storage.
Commission Shift said concerns raised about managing wastewater discharge and carbon for oil recovery raise warnings about the company’s ability to regulate carbon sequestration.
