Denton Council Punts Fracking Ban Proposal to Voters
Voters will decide whether Denton will become the state's first city to ban hydraulic fracturing after the city council rejected a proposal to ban the method of oil and gas extraction. Full Story
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![A hydraulic fracturing site in Fort Worth on Sept. 27, 2013.]()
Credit: Mark Graham -
Methane Inquiry Closes, but Questions Linger
Last month, the Railroad Commission of Texas rejected an argument that drilling activity was to blame for methane migrating into a North Texas neighborhood's water supply. But independent geoscientists remain divided on the issue. Full Story
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![Steve Lipsky shows the methane contamination of his well by igniting the gas with a lighter outside his family's home in Parker County near Weatherford, Texas on June 17, 2014.]()
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Railroad Commission's Media Policy Has Some Expressing Concerns
A key Republican lawmaker and a Democratic candidate for railroad commissioner are among those expressing concerns about the Railroad Commission of Texas' practice of preventing staffers from talking to members of the media. Full Story
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![State Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, and Steve Brown, the Democratic candidate for Texas railroad commissioner.]()
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Scientists: Data Shows Fracking's Link to Methane in Well
While Barnett Shale gas producers deny any connection between methane-contaminated wells and their operations, a pair of scientists dispute that. They say test results just released by state regulators provide concrete evidence of a link. Full Story
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Railroad Commission Sides With Driller on Well Protest
UPDATED: The Railroad Commission on Thursday sided with Marathon Oil Company’s bid to dismiss a groundwater conservation district’s protest of its application to inject waste into part of South Texas’ Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. Full Story
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![Each day, dozens of trucks hook up to the Gulf Coast-run fracking fluid disposal well site near Gonzales, Texas.]()
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Mayors: State Must Act Faster on Earthquake Study
More than six months after a series of earthquakes surprised parts of North Texas, the mayors of two shaken-up towns told a state House subcommittee Monday that the state has moved too slowly in investigating what’s behind the phenomenon. Full Story
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![Texas Railroad Commission lead engineering technician for districts 1 and 2, Michael Polasek, inspects a salt water disposal injection well at a Heckman Water Resources commercial disposal facility on the LAMZA lease near Highway 80, January 22, 2012.]()
Credit: Jennifer Whitney -
Analysis: Smitherman Lost, but Stays in Game
Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman lost his bid for attorney general, but he remains an oil and gas regulator and has sought industry help retiring campaign debts and perhaps landing a job. Full Story
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![Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman in his office on May 31, 2013.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
GOP Railroad Commission Hopefuls Trade Ethics Barbs
A former Texas Railroad Commission chairman is helping Ryan Sitton fight back against conflict-of-interest allegations in the Republican primary runoff for an open seat on the commission. Full Story
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![Candidates for Texas Railroad Commissioner, Ryan Sitton, left, and Wayne Christian.]()
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Rookie Candidate Meets Big State, Crowded Ballot
In his first run for public office, Malachi Boyuls encountered a big state, a crowded ballot and some difficulty with names — both his own and that of the office he sought. Full Story
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![Malachi Boyuls speaks during the Regulating Energy panel at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sep. 28, 2013.]()
Credit: Spencer Selvidge -
Railroad Commission Hires Seismologist
The Texas Railroad Commission has hired a seismologist to research the oil and gas industry's ties to the spate of earthquakes that has rattled North Texans. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Ethics Debate Swirls in Race to Be the Next Railroad Commissioner
Ryan Sitton, a Republican candidate for railroad commissioner, says that if elected, he would remain involved with his company, which consults with some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. Some of his opponents have raised concerns. Full Story
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![GOP Candidates for the Railroad Commission of Texas. Clockwise, from top left: Becky Berger, Malachi Boyuls, Ryan Sitton and former state Rep. Wayne Christian.]()
Credit: Illustration by John Jordan -
GOP Railroad Commission Hopefuls Try to Be Different
Four Republicans running for Texas railroad commissioner are working to differentiate themselves. But speaking Thursday at a Republican Women of Austin luncheon, they found plenty upon which to agree. Full Story
![GOP Candidates for the Railroad Commission of Texas. Clockwise, from top left: Becky Berger, Malachi Boyuls, Ryan Sitton and former state Rep. Wayne Christian.]()
Credit: Illustration by John Jordan -
Railroad Commission to Hire Seismologist to Study Drilling-Quake Link
The Texas Railroad Commission said it would hire a seismologist to research the link between earthquakes and disposal of oil and gas waste in injection wells. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman -
After Surprise Quakes, North Texans Discuss Impact, Concerns
After a contentious town hall meeting concerning the possible links between wastewater injection and a spate of North Texas earthquakes, locals say they cannot afford to wait for state regulators to address the issue. Full Story
![Texas Railroad Commission lead engineering technician for districts 1 and 2, Michael Polasek, inspects a salt water disposal injection well at a Heckman Water Resources commercial disposal facility on the LAMZA lease near Highway 80, January 22, 2012.]()
Credit: Jennifer Whitney -
Report: EPA Followed Rules in North Texas Drilling Case
The EPA correctly followed protocol when it accused a Fort Worth-based driller of contaminating two Parker County water wells, the agency's internal watchdog says in a new report. Full Story
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Year in Review: Energy
Oil and gas production, pipelines, the Railroad Commission and questions about Texas’ energy grid all grabbed headlines in 2013. Full Story
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Railroad Commission Hopeful: New Textbook is Flawed
Becky Berger, a candidate for Texas railroad commissioner, this week criticized an environmental science textbook that is under review by the Texas Board of Education, muddling the book's path to final approval. Full Story
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Wayne Christian Releases New Texas Railroad Commission Ad
Former state Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, a candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, introduces himself in a new ad. Full Story
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Railroad Commission Candidates Tout Anti-Abortion Credentials
The Texas Railroad Commission has nothing to do with abortion. But that hasn’t stopped some Republicans vying for an open seat on the three-member commission from touting their anti-abortion stances. Full Story
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Steve Brown, a Democrat, to Run for Railroad Commissioner
Steve Brown, a former legislative aide and past chairman of the Fort Bend County Democrats, is the first Democrat to enter the race for railroad commissioner. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman