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There is increasing alarm about West Texas oil fields that continue to produce toxic water leaks.
What's happening?
The latest event was detected in Crane County in early December, when brine water poured out of the earth and over ranchland, Marfa Public Radio reported. The well wasn't plugged until Jan. 29, and the remediation project cost $2.5 million.
The water contained 154,000 chloride parts per million and at times flowed at 330 barrels, or 13,860 gallons, per hour, "creating a marsh-like scene," Mitch Borden reported. It was not always clear where it was coming from.
It took nine days to identify two wells and multiple other sources of the water. The Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the oil and gas industry in the Lone Star State, dug and lined 20 containment pits and had vacuum trucks remove the water.
"There was a big crack," said Sarah Stogner, an area attorney, rancher, and critic of the RRC. "You could hear the water flowing underneath your feet, and you could see bubbles. It was like being at the beach."
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What's happening?
The latest event was detected in Crane County in early December, when brine water poured out of the earth and over ranchland, Marfa Public Radio reported. The well wasn't plugged until Jan. 29, and the remediation project cost $2.5 million.
The water contained 154,000 chloride parts per million and at times flowed at 330 barrels, or 13,860 gallons, per hour, "creating a marsh-like scene," Mitch Borden reported. It was not always clear where it was coming from.
It took nine days to identify two wells and multiple other sources of the water. The Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the oil and gas industry in the Lone Star State, dug and lined 20 containment pits and had vacuum trucks remove the water.
"There was a big crack," said Sarah Stogner, an area attorney, rancher, and critic of the RRC. "You could hear the water flowing underneath your feet, and you could see bubbles. It was like being at the beach."
Lawmakers rush to stop 'catastrophic-level event' at Texas oil fields: 'We are going to have complete and utter ecological devastation'
"We want to get to the bottom of this and stop it."
