Hawk Dunlap: San Antonio’s Water Supply and Economic Future are on the Ballot in This Election
A pivotal race for the city’s future is coming up.
by Hawk Dunlap
Days from now, San Antonians will start voting in a race that has huge ramifications for the city and all of Texas. But you wouldn’t know it from what the ballot says.
Officially, what you vote for is the next “Texas Railroad Commissioner.” But that’s like calling a longhorn a unicorn.
The Railroad Commission (RRC) has nothing to do with railroads. It’s supposed to regulate the oil and gas industry. It’s been failing miserably. That's why we’ve got orphaned wells poisoning our water supplies, killing crops, and destroying livelihoods.
I’m no career politician. I’m an expert with decades of experience cleaning up oil field disasters across the globe. I came home to Texas and was shocked to see the conditions here.
I’m running to deliver the results we desperately need. Early voting starts Feb. 17, and Election Day is March 3. Find voting locations here. And please mark your calendar.
Why San Antonio is in Danger
Abandoned oil and gas wells “can erupt like geysers, leak methane, and threaten water supplies with toxic chemicals like hydrogen sulfide, benzene and arsenic,” the Texas Tribune explained. Of all counties in the state, Frio has the second most orphaned wells.
The San Antonio Express-News has investigated the extent of the problem. “Texas oil wells are leaking toxic waste, and no one wants to pay to clean it,” the paper explained. The San Antonio Business Journal had this headline: “Orphaned oil and gas wells in Texas could cost taxpayers $100M.”
Just like other metro areas, San Antonio has grown in recent years. More people now live and work in areas that have these old wells. One could erupt at any time near someone’s property, or at a business, school, or hospital. They’re ticking time bombs.
But the three current commissioners have let conditions worsen by the day. Just as oil companies abandoned these wells, the RRC abandoned Texans. The Express-News has reported on the members’ conflicts of interest. It’s open corruption.
The paper has also reported about my efforts to fix all this: “His outrage over what’s happening to Texas land has upended what was supposed to be a peaceful respite from repairing oil wells.”
Data Centers Put Our Water At Risk
The RRC will also have a big impact on the economic vitality and environmental effects of the data centers big tech companies are building in Texas. Countdown City is getting a big chunk. Microsoft plans to pour $1.5 billion into huge facilities in Castroville.
San Antonians have lots of concerns about this, and should be heard. Here’s something we know for sure: These centers consume massive amounts of water -- millions of gallons a day. We must protect our water supplies.
That’s where the RRC comes in. The way our oil and gas industry is operating, the state is generating more than 30 million barrels of produced water every day. A huge amount is injected into the ground.
We have the technology to clean the water so it can be repurposed for these kinds of industrial uses -- and so we hold onto our precious potable water. The RRC should lead the way. I will. (I discussed this at length in this Facebook Live video.)
I’ve spent the last few years traversing the state, helping people suffering from the RRC’s failure. I’ve met fantastic people committed to getting these problems addressed.
“We need Hawk Dunlap on the Railroad Commission of Texas,” Kit McKinney wrote. “There are four other candidates on the Republican ticket, including the incumbent. Hawk is going to need every vote. Since moving to the San Antonio area, I have become increasingly aware of how precious the groundwater is here in Texas and the importance of fighting to keep it clean. It’s important to have members on the Railroad Commission that actually have experience in the field.”
These last days before the election are critical. We need every vote we can get in order to win the primary. And we need support. If you’d like to contribute, click here. To get involved, touch base with us here. And if you’re on social media, visit the links below.
San Antonio is essential to who we are as a state. The Alamo City has a long, proud history of leading the way. I invite you to join me in forging a new, better path for Texas.