During the Railroad Commission conference held today Chairman Victor Carrillo directed Railroad Commission staff to inform all Texas oil gas & pipeline operators to be diligent in their efforts to control potential air emission releases especially volatile organic compounds such as benzene. The Railroad Commission will send a notice to the thousands of Texas operators as part of its stripout" notice in March.
Monthly the agency calculates the next months allowable production rate for every eligible Texas well otherwise known as a stripout notice. On occasion the Railroad Commission also uses the stripout to provide notice to operators of important information such as this.
We are essentially telling oil gas and pipeline operators that they need to step up their efforts to ensure they are conducting their business in a safe and environmentally friendly manner" stated Chairman Carrillo.
Im urging operators to get out there and make sure they double check their operations. If a valve is leaking fix it; if a thief hatch is open close it.
Dont wait for us to come inspect the facility and require you to fix the problem. All of industry should be proactive about undertaking regular ongoing inspection and maintenance of wells valves pipelines tanks hatches and other equipment to assure full adherence to applicable rules" said Carrillo.
The Railroad Commissions Oil & Gas Division performed over 128000 inspections last year.
By and large Texas oil gas and pipeline operators continue to do an excellent job in regular maintenance and upkeep but it is prudent particularly in this environment of heightened
awareness and often false accusations to be ever-vigilant to ensure that our Texas energy sector continues to be the economic development and job creation powerhouse that it is today."
This notice comes on the heals of a concerted effort by Chairman Carrillo to approach this topic with common sense and attempt to be helpful to other agencies local communities and concerned citizens.
Recently Chairman Carrillo traveled to Dallas to discuss these issues with newly appointed EPA Region 6 Administrator Dr. Al Armendariz.
Dr. Armendariz and I had a good visit. I extended an olive branch and offered to help work on well-reasoned practical solutions regarding issues facing the agencies. I truly hope the Railroad Commission and the EPA can find common ground on our approach to the issues before us.
However I refuse to irrationally overreact to this situation. I still stand by my position that a drilling moratorium like the one demanded of the Railroad Commission by Representative Lon Burnam (D-Ft. Worth) would be a drastic overreaction based on the currently available science and facts."
I refuse to send tens of thousands of Texans to the unemployment line at a time when jobs are needed most. Make no mistake -- a drilling moratorium would do exactly that" explained Carrillo. We need to monitor this situation and address air emissions in a practical and reasonable manner. The stripout notice is an excellent step in that direction."
