Texas Speaks Up for Clean Water: Six public town halls hosted across the state on Carbon Storage PrimacyMedia Coverage, Press Release | Jul 16, 2025

HOUSTON, TEXAS — The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a public comment period for its rulemaking to give the Railroad Commission primary authority or “primacy” over Class VI carbon storage wells.

Carbon storage can permanently contaminate groundwater and cause man-made earthquakes, costly well blowouts, and dangerous sinkholes. The Railroad Commission, our state oil and gas agency, has too poor of a track record to take on oversight of these dangerous projects.

Texas CCS Community Advocacy Coalition, a coalition of concerned citizens, organizations, and environmental advocates focused on raising awareness about the potential impacts of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Texas, is hosting town halls and in-person workshops in communities near proposed CCS facilities. The goal of the workshops is to provide guidance on how to tell the EPA to deny the Railroad Commission’s bid for primacy at their virtual public hearing on July 24th or via writing before the August 1st comment deadline.

In addition to primacy, the Beaumont and Fort Bend Town Halls will be addressing specific CCS facility proposals – ExxonMobil’s Rose CCS site, and the WA Parish Carbon Capture Project, also known as the Petra Nova Carbon Capture Project.

Who: Community Members and Texas CCS Community Advocacy Coalition

What: Town halls across the state preparing Texas to give public input to the EPA urging them to deny the Railroad Commission’s application for primacy over Class VI carbon dioxide injection wells.