By Carlos Anchondo
November 13th, 2025
EPA said it agrees with commenters that orphaned wells — or those that are inactive with no owner on file — are generally a concern. But it said “oil and gas production wells are not within the purview” of the underground injection control program and that “Class II wells are outside the scope of this Class VI primacy decision.”
Virginia Palacios, executive director of the Commission Shift advocacy group, said EPA is essentially saying its hands are tied because of the way federal rules are written.
“It just shows that we need to change the federal regulations if that’s the way they’re able to interpret these rules,” Palacios said in an interview Wednesday. “We need to have our drinking water protected here, and it seems like there’s no agency standing between the public and the oil and gas companies that want this.”
Additionally, Palacios said President Donald Trump’s past executive orders mean environmental justice isn’t included in the final rule. Environmental justice is the effort to ensure that all people have equal access to a healthy environment.
“It’s important to note that the executive orders that essentially prohibit federal agencies from even considering environmental justice or disproportionate impacts are having an effect here in Texas,” Palacios said.
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