RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS
OIL & GAS INDUSTRY
REGULATORY JURISDICTIONS
Gaye Greever McElwain
Ann Marie Callery
RRC Public Outreach
TCEQ Small Business
Environmental Assistance Division
Overview
This presentation is intended to:
• Provide information on the jurisdictions of the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
and the Railroad Commission of Texas
• Clarify which state agency(s) has jurisdiction over
what aspect of oil & gas exploration and production
activities
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RRC Mission
Our mission statement is to serve
Texas by our stewardship of natural
resources and the environment, our
concern for personal and community
safety, and our support of enhanced
development and economic vitality
for the benefit of Texans.
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RRC Main Functions
The Commission’s main functions are to:
• Protect the environment, public safety and
correlative rights of mineral interest owners;
• Prevent waste of natural resources and promote
conservation;
• Assure fair and equitable utility rates in natural gas
distribution industries.
Applicable to oil, gas and geothermal operations
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TCEQ Mission
The Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality strives to protect our state's human
and natural resources consistent with
sustainable economic development.
TCEQ Main Functions
Clean Air
Clean Water
Safe Management of Waste
Jurisdiction
Who regulates oil & gas activity in Texas?
The Railroad Commission of Texas
(RRC) has PRIMARY regulatory
authority over the oil & gas (O&G)
industry.
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Jurisdiction
Who regulates oil & gas activity in Texas?
The Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the
environmental agency for the state
and does have some regulatory
responsibility.
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Memorandum of Understanding
• Codified in RRC Rules
• 16 TAC 3.30
• Jurisdictional agreement between TCEQ & RRC
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Complaints
Who handles complaints?
In general, complaints for O&G
exploration, production, and
transportation should be directed to
the RRC.
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Who Handles Complaints?
• Nuisance Odors – TCEQ
• Noise Complaints – local law enforcement
• Dust from Public Roads – local gov’t
• Traffic Complaints – local law enforcement
Complaints
Who handles complaints?
• Water Quality Discharges - RRC
• Private water wells – RRC
• suspected contamination
• Public drinking water - TCEQ
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Complaints
How to report a complaint:
• TCEQ
– 888-777-3186
– http://www2.tceq.texas.gov/oce/complaint
s/index.cfm
Complaints
How to report a complaint:
• RRC
• 877-228-5740
• http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/compliance/compla
ints/index.php
• Appropriate District Office
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RRC District Offices
Serve as the eyes and ears of RRC regulatory
efforts
• Contact with complaints
• On call 24/7 to respond to emergencies
• Ensure oil and gas activities done in accordance
with RRC rules & regulations
• Jurisdiction over specific counties
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Spills
Who handles spills?
• What is spilled
• How much is spilled
• Where it is spilled
• Determines who is responsible
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Spills
Who handles spills?
• Spills that occur at oil and gas drilling, exploration,
development or production sites
• Spills from RRC permitted O&G waste haulers on
public roadways
• Spills related to the transportation of crude and
natural gas by pipeline.
RRC
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Spills
Who handles spills?
• Spills of hazardous substances, including refined
petroleum products from pipelines or over
roadways
• Spills associated with transportation of crude oil
and natural gas, including natural gas liquids, by
railcar, tank truck, barge, or tanker
TCEQ
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Spills
Who handles spills?
• General Land Office
• Crude oil that threatens to enter coastal water ways.
• Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Impacts to fish and wildlife
• The Texas Department of Public Safety may be
involved in securing incident sites at transportation
related spills.
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Air
Who regulates air?
• Flaring and venting of natural gas
• From the perspective of it being a “waste of natural
resources”
RRC
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Air
Who regulates air?
• 72 hours after the well test
– start of production
• For non well tested sites, the date equipment is
brought on-site
TCEQ
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Water
Who regulates water?
• Wastewater at the drilling rig or disposal well site
• Discharge of oil and gas waste to surface waters of
the state – EPA-R6
• Authorization required from BOTH RRC and EPA-R6
• Typically RRC does not issue storm water discharge
permits, but there are exceptions
RRC
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Water
Who regulates water?
• Wastewater & storm water from commercial
service companies
• Public Drinking Water and Surface Water Rights
TCEQ
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Water
On-site Sewage Facilities (OSSF) & Graywater:
• Temporary housing located on the lease
• In proximity of the drilling or disposal site
RRC
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Water
On-site Sewage Facilities (OSSF)
• Temporary housing located on the lease
• Elsewhere on the lease
TCEQ
or
Authorized Agent
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Water
Graywater
• Temporary housing located on the lease
• Elsewhere on the lease
TCEQ
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Waste
Who regulates waste?
• Waste generated on-site at the lease specific to the
exploration, drilling or production
RRC
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Waste
Who regulates waste?
• Residential-like garbage generated anywhere on
the lease from living activities/office trailers
TCEQ
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County Authority
Counties have the ability to
enforce the Texas Health &
Safety Code (THSC) in
unincorporated areas of the
county.
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Questions?
Contact TCEQ
• Small Business Environmental Assistance
– Hotline – 800-447-2827
– Email – sbap@tceq.texas.gov
Anne Marie Callery
Small Business Environmental
Assistance Division
512-239-2342
annemarie.callery@tceq.texas.gov
Contact Information
• Railroad Commission
– Leslie Savage, Chief Geologist
– leslie.savage@rrc.state.tx.us
– 512/463-7308
– Ramon Fernandez, Oil & Gas Division, Deputy
Director, Field Operations
– ramon.fernandez@rrc.state.tx.us
– 512/463-6827
– Gaye Greever McElwain, Public Outreach
– gaye.mcelwain@rrc.state.tx.us
– 512/463-5126
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