Hawk Dunlap: Houston is in Danger. The Railroad Commission Must Be Replaced -- Starting with This Election
Lives and the economy hang in the balance.
by Hawk Dunlap
The warning signs are everywhere. The Houston area has dangerous unplugged oil wells threatening lives and livelihoods. And the agency that's supposed to address the problem gets away with hiding behind a misleading name.
“Clusters of vulnerable wells dot the landscape in the Houston area,” the Houston Chronicle explains in a new interactive map.
There are “leaking zombie wells haunting Trinity Bay,” ABC13 reported. The station visited “an oil and gas graveyard of forgotten wells that the state is now responsible for plugging.” Most of the ones they saw were leaking combustible gas.
Texas Monthly reported on a group of Coast Guard volunteers in a helicopter who “spotted a rainbow sheen—about thirty feet wide and a couple of hundred feet long—stretching across the murky water, a telltale sign of a leaking oil well. They had seen and reported it before.”
Federal officials toured toxic sites, including abandoned wells outside Houston leaking oil, and said urgent action is needed.
But the problems keep getting worse. Across the Bayou City and all over Texas, people are seeing the devastation that comes from the state’s failure to address this problem. Farmlands are being lost. Water supplies are threatened, as the Houston Chronicle reported.
In recent years, as urban sprawl turned communities further from the city center into suburbs, more and more Houstonians bought homes and set up offices, schools and other buildings on land they were told would be safe. But those lands are only safe if the thousands of abandoned oil wells are plugged.
So why isn’t that happening? Because of an agency with a nonsensical name. The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) has nothing to do with railroads. Its job is to regulate oil and gas. It’s failing Houston, and all of Texas.
That's why I’m running for the RRC: to clean up the mess and protect all of us -- from my mom and sister in Houston, to the farmlands being ravaged by leaks, to the areas grappling with 100-foot geysers shooting liquid poison into the air.
Early voting for the Republican primary begins February 17. Find locations here. Election Day is March 3.
I spent decades working in the biggest oil fields across more than 100 countries. When I came home to Houston to help care for my mom, I couldn’t believe what I saw. We’ve got some of the worst oil field disasters on Earth. As one headline put it, “Texas has 476,790 unplugged oil wells that are a toxic nightmare—and it’s getting worse.”
Learn more in this video from the Houston Chronicle:
In addition to the immediate dangers, these problems also endanger Houston’s economy. If the RRC doesn’t plug these wells, Houston could lose its status as energy capital of the world.
The RRC has allowed oil and gas companies to shirk their responsibilities. The longer they wait, the worse the damage becomes, and the more expensive it is to clean up. A project that might cost tens of thousands one day can easily spiral into millions after an eruption. Add to that the legal costs these companies face when landowners turn to the courts, and you see the economic drain.
Along the way, the companies face reputational damage and loss of public trust. No one wants this. Bloomberg calls it a “toxic crisis of the industry’s own making.”
But there's good news. Fixing the problem creates jobs, protects our water, and can save entire Houston-area neighborhoods.
Unlike my competitors in this election, I know how to do it. I’ve successfully resolved all kinds of complex oil field challenges. I know how to get this done.
It starts with ending the politics and personal agendas that stand in the way. As long as career politicians control the Texas Railroad Commission, things will keep going downhill.
So I decided to run. And I need your support. Asking hard working folks to contribute money or time is the last thing I want to do. Unfortunately, that's how this works. If you’re in a position to contribute, you can do so here. To get involved, join here.
There are other ways you can help as well. Spread the word about my campaign. Share this newsletter. If you’re on social media, use my links below. Want to organize an event for the campaign? I’m traversing the state, meeting with all kinds of groups. Just let me know, and I’ll do all I can to be there.
Most importantly, vote -- and bring other folks along to vote, too. Mark your calendar for early voting starting Feb. 17, and Election Day on March 3.
Together we can end the “nightmare” and build a better future for Houston, and all of Texas.