Midland contests permits for wastewater wells near its drinking water source, fearing contamination.
The city's challenge, accepted by Texas regulators, underscores the tension between oil industry demands and environmental safety.
A hearing is set for January 2024, spotlighting the broader issue of wastewater disposal in oil-rich regions.
Key quote:
“I think the dangerous part of the architecture is not so much the disposal well. . . it's probably old aging infrastructure that might be in place from the sixties and seventies that’s still operating.”
— Laura Capper, principal consultant for EnergyMakers Advisory Group in Houston.
Why this matters:
This case could set a precedent for how cities safeguard their water resources against industrial threats, a crucial aspect of public health.
Did you know? Chemicals from fracking wastewater dumped into Pennsylvania's Allegheny River continued accumulating in freshwater mussels five years later.
Question for the reader:
How should cities balance industrial development with environmental protection, especially concerning water safety?
AI-based tools helped produce this text, with human oversight and editing.
Since oil and gas drilling began nearly 150 years ago, the salty wastewater it produces has been a nuisance for operators. Now, the electric vehicle revolution could turn the industry’s billions of barrels of brine into dollars.
Water managers in the Central Valley’s parched farm belt are increasingly interested in a controversial practice: reusing oil field wastewater to grow crops.
