View the full transcript of the meeting here.
At the meeting, a new policy on open meetings was passed. You can read an analysis of the new policy here. You can also tell the Legislature to protect public input at open meetings here.
Commission Shift Executive Director Virginia Palacios spoke about the importance of making sure that public input is accessible to all, regardless of location across the state, and that it involves being able to speak directly to commissioners rather than taking place outside of the monthly open meeting.
Commission Shift Policy Manager Julie Range spoke about the upcoming rulemaking and comment period on SB 1150, relating to unplugged wells, and how the RRC can strengthen the legislation to hold operators accountable.
Other concerned community members also gave public comments at the open meeting. View their input below.
Melanie Oldham, Texas CCS Community Advocacy Coalition
Schuyler Wight, rancher and landowner
Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian presented agenda items 883 and 884, related to the ways in which community members can provide input and feedback to the RRC. Item 884, which was a proposal by Commissioner Christian to seemingly provide additional opportunities for public feedback outside of the open meetings that the public has not had access to, was approved without any input from the public.
The Railroad Commission (RRC) permits, monitors, and enforces rules for all Texas oil and gas development. RRC decisions are critical to public health and climate emissions, yet the agency operates with little public accountability. For instance, the three elected Commissioners have deep financial ties to the industry they regulate, with two-thirds of their campaign contributions coming from oil and gas.
The RRC holds monthly open meetings. While challenging to follow, the open meetings are a valuable opportunity to get issues on the record and learn more about decisions that affect us and our communities.
The open meeting agenda for August 18th, 2026 at 9:30 AM is available.
Below are our agenda highlights with some additional notes and context.
Item 8. ECTOR COUNTY. Application of Republic EES LLC to Renew its Permit to Operate a Commercial Stationary Treatment, Reclamation Plant, and Disposal Facility for Oil and Gas Waste.
The company’s attorney and a landowner were present, but commissioners declined to hear comment or ask questions.
Item 9. JEFFERSON COUNTY – Application of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions Onshore Storage LLC for a Class VI Underground Injection Control Permit for Geologic Storage and Associated Injection of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide (CO2) for the Rose Carbon Capture and Storage Project.
Item 10. CALDWELL COUNTY – Complaint of Hankey Family Limited Partnership that Viva Petrol LLP Does Not Have a Good Faith Claim to Operate. Proposal for Decision filed July 8, 2026. The Examiners recommend the Commission find Viva Petrol LLP does not have a good faith claim to operate the Lease, order any plugging extension cancelled, and order Viva Petrol LLP to plug and abandon the Wells. There were six wells on the lease.
Mr. McKinney representing the Hankey Family Ltd was present. Commissioners declined to hear comment or ask questions.
Item 11. Commission Called Hearing at the Request of Waste Facilities, Inc. (Operator No. 900260) to Contest the Permit Conditions Included on its Facility Permit to Operate an On-Lease Commercial Solid Oil and Gas Waste Recycling Facility – Mobile Recycling Roadbase. Proposal for Decision filed March 24, 2026. Commission Shift wrote about this item in our post about the May 12, 2026 Open Meeting. Chairman Wright and Commissioner Craddick had moved to pass the agenda item to the next conference, though it was not discussed at the June 2026 Open meeting. No new information has been filed on this case since the May 2026 Open Meeting.
Staff recommend denying the permit amendment. Commissioners approve the recommendation.
Item 13. GUADALUPE COUNTY – Application of Three J Energy, Inc. (Operator No. 857686) to Partially Supersede the Final Order Entered on May 17, 2023, in Oil and Gas Docket No. OG-23-00012755: Complaint of Roy J. and Sandra Lankford that Three J Energy, Inc. (Operator No. 857686) Does Not Have a Good Faith Claim to Operate. Proposal for decision filed June 29, 2026. The Examiners recommend denial of Three J’s application. The landowners are asking that the well be plugged. The operator has a new mineral lease for the well, and says it supports his good faith claim. The landowners says he signed the lease for the sole purpose of having the well plugged. The operator does not have financial assurance on file with the commission.
Recommendation approved.
Item 15. MCMULLEN COUNTY – Complaint of McMullen Groundwater Conservation District Against ETC Texas P/L, Ltd Regarding Its Renewal Permit Issued for injection into reservoirs productive of oil, gas, or geothermal resources. There is no proposal for decision filed in this case as of August 11, 2026. McMullen GCD is requesting that “the ALJ issue an order establishing that (1) at hearing, ETC’s permit application should be reviewed as a new permit application, and (2) ETC bears the burden of proof at the hearing.” ETC requested that the ALJ convene a prehearing conference and give McMullen GCD a deadline for alleging any deficiencies in ETC’s permit renewal.
There is no renewal process under statewide rule 36. This is a case of first impression. The parties were present, but the commissioners didn’t take comment. Wright moved to grant ETC’s request. Commissioners approved.
Items 18 to 23 involve several leases in Bastrop County between Trivista Operating and related mineral owners.
Items 24 – 26 are Motions for Rehearing filed by Trivista related to different leases in Bastrop County where the RRC determined Trivista did not have a good faith claim to operate at the May 12th open meeting. Trivista has since changed their attorney. On Apr 2, 2026, Trivista filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. On May 31, 2026, Trivista changed management, and they are arguing that their new management is actively working to bring the operator into compliance with all Commission requirements.
Items 18 and 19-26 approved.
Items 27 – 37 are Motions for Rehearing for operators who were denied P-5 Organization Report Renewal, which is required to operate in the state of Texas. Cumulatively, these operators were flagged for 284 inactive wells out of compliance, with the largest offenders being CR2 Energy with 71 wells and Vaquero Operating with 124 wells.
Recommendation to deny the operators’ motions for rehearing was approved.
Item 28. OG-26-00031255: For Denial of P-5 Organization Report Renewal for CR2 Energy, LLC (Operator No. 101608) Due to the Operator’s Failure to Bring Inactive Wells into Compliance with the Requirements of 16 TAC §3.15; Motion for Rehearing (71 wells). Court documents for CR2 Energy, LLC cited 71 inactive wells. Records today indicate the company still holds 20 ‘active’ wells. Reviewing production data for 2025, CR2 wells produced no oil and only 5,657 mcf of gas. Public records indicate this company is privately held, with production beginning in 2023. It took only 5 notices of violation and 2 enforcement actions for this young operation with very old wells to lose its P-5 license to operate.
Recommendation to deny the motion for rehearing was approved.
Item 33. OG-26-00031274: For Denial of P-5 Organization Report Renewal for Vaquero Operating (Operator No. 882776) Due to the Operator’s Failure to Bring Inactive Wells into Compliance with the Requirements of 16 TAC §3.15; Motion for Rehearing (124 wells.) Vaquero has had a whopping 383 notices of violation since 2015, with 99 of those referred for legal enforcement, 11 severance/seal orders were issued and 4 wells were referred to state-managed plugging. 88 wells were non-compliant upon 315 reinspections, which indicates the company has done a poor job correcting problems. The most common violations were for inactive unplugged wells, unpermitted disposal of oil and gas wastes, and well signage.
Item 34. OG-26-00031669: For Denial of P-5 Organization Report Renewal for Lodestone Operating, Incorporated (Operator No. 100710) Due to the Operator’s Failure to Bring Inactive Wells into Compliance with the Requirements of 16 TAC §3.15; Motion for Rehearing (25 wells). Court documents for Lodestar indicate 25 inactive wells, and 32 violations since 2023 for signage and inactive-well issues, and 3 severance/seal orders.
There are 5 flaring rule exception requests on the agenda from counties near Lubbock, in the Permian, and down to South Texas. Studies have shown increased odds of preterm birth for Hispanic mothers in the Eagle Ford Shale living next to high amounts of flaring.
There are 9 joint motions for rehearing by operators due to violations of inactive well rules, which could cause the operators to lose their ability to operate in Texas. RRC is considering denying motions for rehearing for operators holding 172 inactive wells, per court records. These wells will likely be orphaned if no operators take over the wells within one year, and the state will have to pay to plug the wells.
The commission passes on items 64, 66, 73, & 74.
34 companies are out of compliance with Rule 15 inactive well requirements. RRC can prevent them from operating in Texas until they comply, which could include plugging or removing surface equipment.
Commissioner Craddick asked to pass item 113, which is Rust Oil Company with 15 inactive wells.
RRC may enforce plugging requirements on dry and inactive wells in 35 default orders and another 12 agreed enforcement orders.
Enforcement asked to pass item 189. Item 239. Schuyler Wight was present. Commissioners asked no questions.
Item 878. Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget.
Approved.
Item 879. Legislative Appropriations Request for Fiscal Year 2028-2029.
Item 880. Federal update
Ozone. Center for biological diversity sent a notice of intent to sue on July 31st related to ozone attainment in the Permian basin. It’s mostly about NM, but they asked EPA to consider TX counties that contribute to high ozone in NM as well.
Items 881 and 882. Oil Field Cleanup Program Quarterly Status Report, Fiscal Year 2026, 2nd and 3rd quarters.
We typically don’t see specific items for presentation by individual Railroad Commissioners on the Open Meeting Agenda. This is a bit unusual.
Item 883. Update on Outreach Activities Performed by the Office of Public Engagement.
Scott Sroufe reported on activities of the office of public engagement.
48 outreach activities in 45 communities.
32 speaking engagements.
Reached over 1,500 attendees.
Launched the listening sessions.
Craddick noted that when she first got here, they had nothing like this.
Christian said the RRC is the best example of a government agency that assists the public and the business to do the right thing. The problem is that a lot of folks don’t know what the RRC does. That’s a danger to us as a public and as a state. Congress has no clue what the RRC is. They’re elected, not appointed. If they go to the polls and don’t know what they’re voting on, that’s a disservice to the state.
Item 884.
Current policy favors availability over accessibility. Limit of 3 minutes.
What’s new in the proposal: allows them to call in on a separate day & location. Present on zoom calls.
Craddick: Where here does it say that?
Christian: If you need a month to review that, it could be considered at a later date. Has been doing DOGE calls across the state to industry. This would expand DOGE opportunities.
Wright: I like what you are trying to do.
Craddick: I have concern we are getting rid of our public participation. I do believe some should be able to speak.
Wright moves they change their public participation policy. Christian and Wright vote to approve. Sight unseen by the public with no public input.
Item approved without taking public comment.
Proposal for Updated Public Engagement and Participation Policy. On June 17th, Commission Shift invited the Railroad Commission to attend an event we planned in Carrizo Springs for August 8, 2026. We received an email indicating that the request would need to be approved by leadership and that we would hear back in 5 – 7 business days. We did not hear back in that timeframe, and followed up with the RRC on July 6th. But they never responded to tell us whether they would attend or not.
At the April 14th Open Meeting, Commission Shift’s executive director Virginia Palacios gave Public Input, sharing that community members in East Texas asked the RRC to send someone to meet with their community and the RRC refused and directed the community to only communicate with the RRC’s attorneys. After Virginia’s Public Input, Commissioner Christian said that because some community members in a different community had been verbally aggressive at one point, that he didn’t want to send his staff to meet with the community requesting RRC staff to meet with them. This is a problem. It is not appropriate for state agencies overseeing a dangerous industry to refuse to meet with members of the public simply because members of the public expressed themselves.
Commission Shift has continued to advocate for Remote Public Input at Railroad Commission meetings to increase opportunities for impacted community members in distant parts of the state to address all three Railroad Commissioners at the same time. At previous Railroad Commission Open Meetings, Commissioner Christian has argued that Remote Public Input is not necessary because all three commissioners are available to speak with members of the public over the phone. The commissioners have touted the Office of Public Engagement as evidence that the agency is available to the public, yet the Commissioners are not allowing the Office of Public Engagement to meet public requests. Commission Shift requested an in-person meeting with Commissioner Christian’s office on May 29th, but no response was ever received. Our evidence shows that the Commissioners are choosing to avoid meeting with constituents that have problems the agency needs to solve.
Item approved without public comment.
Item 885. Election of the Chairman of the Railroad Commission.
Craddick nominated to be the next chairman of the Railroad Commission. Seconded by Commissioner Christian. Craddick recognized Wright for his service and his great job. Christian also commended Wright for being bold enough to take the stances he took.
