Commission Shift is hosting a Capitol Visit this Thursday, February 27th to bring our concerns about oil and gas regulation in Texas directly to the Legislature. Can’t join us in person at the capitol? Call or email your representative on Thursday and tell them you support legislation that cleans up oil and gas — and use our toolkit to learn how!
View this toolkit as a PDF here (also available in Spanish here).
Old and leaking wells threaten public health and our groundwater. Legislative changes are needed to require operators to plug their inactive wells sooner, decreasing the chance of the well becoming orphaned or further contaminating the environment.
You can look up your representatives here.
For example: My name is [name] and I am a constituent living in [city]. I am calling today to talk about cleaning up oil and gas in our state because [share specific reasons]. I want [legislator name] to [do what–example:strengthen our laws to make operators clean up their inactive wells sooner]. This is important to me because [explain why]. Can you share with me how [legislator name] feels about these issues and if they support my suggested solution?
If you get a voicemail, leave a brief and specific message with your name and your address. Encourage them to take action to prevent more orphaned oil and gas wells.
Consider tagging your legislators and/or emailing them.
Example posts :
#Orphanedwells pose a threat to our communities, groundwater, and air quality. This #txlege session, I am calling on my state representatives [tag your legislators] to pass legislation that prioritizes cleaning up these wells and preventing more.
The #txlege has a responsibility to pass legislation that addresses the growing problem of #orphanedwells in our state — these old and leaking wells threaten public health and pollute our communities. [tag your legislators]
In order to protect our communities from #orphanedwells, the #txlege (including my representatives [tag your legislators]) needs to enact legislation that requires operators to plug their wells sooner and prevents them from becoming orphaned wells in the first place.
Further resources: Commission Shift Orphaned well reports and key recommendations
REUTERS/Trish Badger
The buildout of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) infrastructure in Texas comes with safety hazards and potential risks to the natural resources we depend on. Our lawmakers need to enact increased oversight of carbon capture projects and the protection of our communities from groundwater contamination.
You can look up your representatives here.
For example: My name is [name] and I am a constituent living in [city]. I am calling today to request [legislator name] strengthen safety precautions for carbon waste in our state because [share specific reasons]. This is important to me because [explain why]. Can you share with me how [legislator name] feels about these issues and if they would support [suggested solution]?
If you get a voicemail, leave a brief and specific message with your name and your address. Encourage them to take action to prevent more orphaned oil and gas wells.
Consider tagging your legislators and/or emailing them.
Example posts :
Carbon capture and storage (#CCS) poses a threat to public health, safety, and lives should a major leak occur, as has happened in Mississippi. The #txlege must ensure first responders have the resources they need to respond to these emergencies. [tag your legislators]
Carbon capture and storage (#CCS) brings safety hazards and risks to our natural resources. My #txlege representatives [tag your legislators] must prioritize legislation that requires oversight of #CCS projects in Texas to prevent groundwater contamination.
Despite being promoted as a climate solution, carbon capture (#CCS) poses a significant threat to our communities and groundwater. The #txlege needs to ensure the companies rolling out this technology are held responsible for its potential impacts. [tag your legislators]
Further resources: Empower Report on Carbon Capture and Storage
