Today the Texas Railroad Commission failed to take decisive action on controlling gas flaring and venting at fracking sites and at petrochemical industrial complexes that the Commission is responsible for around the state of Texas.

Texas Campaign for the Environment and other environmental organizations and local residents’ groups motivated by concerns about climate change and communities’ and workers’ health, have communicated in a series of over 2,400 emails from Texas voters to the Railroad Commissioners and in testimony at recent online meetings of the Commission. They urge the Commission to end the oil and gas industry practice of burning off what is considered “waste” gas. Methane emissions, for one example, from the Permian Basin are now the target of climate change campaigners, including TCE, who consider the region a “climate bomb.”

Robin Schneider, Executive Director with the Texas Campaign for the Environment commented today following the Railroad Commission meeting:

The Commission's industry report recognizes climate change but unfortunately the leaders of the State of Texas do not.

What was most revelatory today was Chairman Wayne Christian’s comment that a Wall Street financier told him that Wall Street “was bailing on fossil fuels.” Chairman Christian seems to think that a little hand pat on flaring will bring the finance community back to oil and gas, but the Chairman ignores what’s pushing Wall Street away from fossil fuels -- that is the massive problem of climate change and the bad economics of fracking. The band-aid approach of the Railroad Commission and industry coalition will not address the real and significant problem of climate change or the financial disaster of fracking.

The industry recommendations do not include any substantive strengthening of standards to stop flaring and venting. Mostly they are recommending improved data, which is a step in the right direction, but not nearly enough to address the health and climate crises we are facing right now.

The Texas Railroad Commissioners are staying on a sinking ship. The trouble is, they are taking neighbors and the planet down with them. Communities who live near the fracking and refinery flares and who work there, deserve better -- healthy neighborhoods and healthy, good jobs. We all deserve a livable planet. It's time to transition this economy to clean energy and clean jobs.

Background Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Wayne Christian on Climate Change

Industry Coalition Flaring Report

Assessment of flaring by Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis -- High levels of flaring are occurring at a time when the industry is performing at its financial worst

We endorse our partner group’s recommendations -- Sierra Club’s Recommendations on Flaring

One of the pioneers of fracking, Chesapeake Energy plans to file for bankruptcy this week. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/chesapeake-energy-starts-bankruptcy-countdown-2020-06-15