Wastewater pipe with dirty water in the background.

Texas pushes fracking wastewater reuse, raising fears over liability and pollution

Oil companies in Texas want legal immunity as they promote treated fracking water as a solution to the state’s growing water crisis, despite warnings from scientists about gaps in safety data.

Carlos Nogueras Ramos reports for The Texas Tribune.

In short:

Texas lawmakers are advancing House Bill 49, which would limit legal liability for oil companies, water transporters, and landowners if treated fracking water — also called produced water — is reused and later causes harm.
As Texas faces water shortages fueled by population growth and climate change, the oil industry says it can treat billions of gallons of wastewater for industrial or agricultural use, but it won’t proceed without legal protection.
Environmental scientists warn that treatment technologies remain unproven and that regulators lack sufficient data to ensure the reused water is free from harmful chemicals, potentially shifting cleanup costs to taxpayers.

Key quote:

“We’re basing the responsibility for outcomes on the safety net of our regulatory system with this bill. Not on what outcomes might be possible in a best-case scenario.”

— Nichole Saunders, senior attorney at the Environmental Defense Fund

Why this matters:

As Texas reels from record-breaking droughts and an aging water system, pressure is mounting to find new water sources. Oil and gas wells produce staggering volumes of contaminated water — up to five barrels for every barrel of oil — and reusing this waste seems promising. But produced water contains hundreds of chemicals, many of which remain untested or poorly understood. Discharging it into rivers or repurposing it for crops or livestock introduces a host of environmental and health risks. Without rigorous science and reliable oversight, contaminants could enter ecosystems and food supplies. The proposed legal shield could leave communities and ecosystems exposed if treatment fails, while also letting polluters off the hook.

www.texastribune.org

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California mining company turns to solar heat but can’t quit coal just yet

In California’s Mojave Desert, a mining plant is turning to solar thermal energy to replace one of its coal-fired generators, but a second unit may run for years due to the intense heat and 24-hour power it needs.

Ivan Penn reports for The New York Times.

In short:

Searles Valley Minerals, a mining company in Trona, Calif., is replacing one of its two coal plants with a solar thermal system but says the other may need to stay online for the foreseeable future due to operational demands.
The company will use a concentrating solar power system from start-up GlassPoint, which uses mirrors to generate high heat, a solution that works well in hot, sunny areas but requires a large land footprint and remains rare in the U.S.
Despite California’s push to phase out coal and President Trump’s efforts to revive it, economic and geographic constraints continue to complicate full industrial transitions away from fossil fuels.

Key quote:

“We just think coal is going to be a problem. We’re going to have a hard time sourcing it. We need to be ready to pivot.”

— Dennis Cruise, president of Searles Valley Minerals

Why this matters:

Industrial heat — the kind used in mining, chemical production, and heavy manufacturing — accounts for about half of global energy use, yet it’s rarely mentioned in public climate debates. Unlike home heating or car travel, generating this level of heat without fossil fuels is still tough. Most renewable energy technologies don’t deliver the extreme, continuous heat these facilities need. That leaves industries like the one in Trona stuck with coal, even as it becomes harder to source and politically unpopular. As the U.S. attempts to decarbonize, industrial energy needs present one of the biggest hurdles.

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www.nytimes.com

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