Texas regulators grapple with old oil wells leaking polluted water

Texas regulators grapple with old oil wells leaking polluted water

Today, the state has recorded 1,915 P-13 wells, but many more likely exist, undocumented and deteriorating.

Texas regulators grapple with a growing problem: old oil wells leaking polluted water

In arid West Texas, water seeps and bubbles from old wells, sometimes carrying oil, brackish water or other pollutants to the surface. The leaky wells called P-13 wells are from oil exploration and some have turned into environmental disasters. Two years ago, Texas lawmakers created a $10 million program under the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to address leaking wells in rural counties. The environmental agency's rulemaking process s…

Texas regulators grapple with a growing problem: old oil wells leakin…

Two years after lawmakers created a $10 million program to address leaking wells in rural counties, none of the money has been distributed.

Texas Regulators Grapple With a Growing Problem: Old Oil Wells Leaking Polluted Water

PECOS, TX — In arid West Texas, water seeps and bubbles from old wells, sometimes carrying oil, brackish water or other pollutants to the surface. But the real danger lies underground — where oil, salt, and toxic minerals could migrate into the aquifers that supply water to cities, farms and ranches. These leaky wells are called P-13 wells, named for a Railroad Commission form. They’re the result of oil exploration that began nearly a century ag…