Commissioner Wright has assembled a task force of waste industry representatives to rewrite statewide rule 8, the water protection rule that pertains to oil and gas waste pits, which are used to dispose of toxic solid wastes and sludge that comes from oil and gas production sites. We expect a new rule to be proposed this spring or summer. We are concerned that amendments to the rule could weaken health and safety standards or make public participation in the permitting process more difficult. Commission Shift’s executive director, Virginia Palacios, and consulting environmental attorney Claire Krebs hosted a community conversation on waste pits and Rule 8 on Monday, March 6th. Watch a recording of that discussion here.
