Energy & Science
Texas Oil Regulator Barred From Waiving Environmental Rules
- Temporary ban issued by a district court judge on Thursday
- Regulator had waived some rules, fees in response to Covid-19
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Texas’s main oil regulator has been prohibited from waiving environmental rules and fees, measures adopted to help drillers cope with the pandemic-driven slump in crude prices.
The decision by a state judge means that the Railroad Commission of Texas will not be able to enforce a series of emergency rule-waivers announced in May. District Court Judge Jan Soifer faulted the agency for failing to give the public adequate forewarning, according to a ruling handed down on Thursday.