“Companies aim to release more treated oilfield wastewater into rivers and streams” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
These days the Pecos River barely fills its dry, sandy bed where it crosses West Texas, but the river could be poised to flow again — with treated oilfield wastewater.
Companies are racing to figure out what to do with the tremendous volume of noxious water that comes up from underground during oil and gas drilling in the Permian Basin, but a growing cohort of companies say they’ve developed a means to purify that fluid and release it in the Pecos and other watersheds.
“This is new ground for all of us and we know it’s got to be done the right way,” said Robert Crain, executive vice president of Texas Pacific Water Resources, a company seeking to discharge treated water. “We’re not the only folks that are chasing […]
This article is very accurate but incomplete. For example, there was a national report this morning on NPR regarding Tyson foods dumping tons chicken waste into local streams in Delaware contaminating local wells. All within the Clean Water Act limits. It is this Reagan era mindset of “Privatize the profits and socialize the costs” must be challenged. It ultimately undermines capitalism as it rewards players who abuse the commons. This rule holds true in multiple sectors of the economy: healthcare, fast foods, discount stores, poultry industry , and on….Unless it is stopped, we degrade all our lives. Ultimately, there is no downstream.