In West Odessa, situated in the prolific Permian Basin of Texas, residents are enduring the consequences of living near surging oil and gas infrastructure. Retired pastor Columbus Cooper, a lifetime Odessan, told The Hill about the stark contrast between the time they could drink tap water and the period following, where water became a source of concern due to its peculiar taste and unpleasant odor. This shift coincided tragically with two deaths from a pumphouse in close vicinity, later attributed by the EPA to dangerous toxins exposure.
With limited city water access, like many rural Texans, the Coopers and their neighbors rely on well water, which sometimes is in dangerous proximity to oil and gas installations. Cooper, reflecting on their initial trust in regulatory safeguards, said, "I assumed they would be regulated," a statement that echoes the sense of security that has since been undermined. The oil and gas sectors, pillars of the Texan economy, have sparked a boom in the region, bringing jobs and historically high state revenue, which in 2024 amounted to a record $27 billion in taxes and royalties, as reported by KXAN.
Despite economic benefits, local residents face threats from airborne chemicals, groundwater pollution, and risks posed by aging wells. Gunnar Schade, a Texas A&M atmospheric chemist, emphasized to The Hill the undesirability of residential proximity to these developments. The controversy over fracking's safety has been longstanding, with environmentalists warning of underground water contamination due to the chemical mixtures pumped to release oil and gas. A 2016 EPA study cited by both sides deemed direct fracking-related water contamination rare, yet other extraction-related threats to water supplies persist.
Industry groups, on the defense, claim they employ measures, including steel casing and cement barriers to protect groundwater. As recorded by KXAN, these assertions are tested by increasing volumes of wastewater from fracking processes, with the Permian producing over 4 billion barrels annually. This wastewater disposal, sometimes near agricultural lands, contains elements such as heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and radioactive isotopes. Compounding the issue, so-called "zombie wells", deteriorated oil and gas wells, dot the region's subsurface, potentially connecting drinking water sources to injected wastewater and increasing earthquake risks.
Clean-up efforts have seen some attention with over $100 million from a 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law targeted at capping these derelict wells. However, uncertainties loom regarding future funding and actual remediation efforts. For residents like the Deans, who suffered fatal hydrogen sulfide poisoning near a local oil company site, and those like Cooper, grappling with water they no longer trust, the need for environmental assurance remains a pressing and personal concern. In a tragic case made known by The Hill, federal charges against Aghorn Energy for safety violations hint at broader systemic issues requiring stringent oversight and swift action.
