PREVENTING WATER STARVED PERMIAN BASIN BIG OIL FRACKERS FROM STEALING OR POLLUTING PANHANDLE WATER
A primary reason I’m running for Texas House District 87 is to educate the electorate of a conspiracy amongst a conglomerate of very powerful oil and gas producers AND Texas “Deep State” legislators. Their plan is to monopolize and sell off vast supplies of water from the Panhandle to support fracking in the Permian Basin. Hydrofracking requires enormous amounts of fresh water. It’s estimated that the Permian Basin is currently using 10 million barrels of freshwater per day and generating more than 30 million barrels of toxic wastewater per day. Big Oil has publicly stated they intend to increase fracking by no less than 50% by 2030, Do the math! The Permian Basin doesn’t have enough water to continue fracking now, let alone increase production.
To make matters worse, the oil and gas industry has been unable to develop a cost- effective technology to recycle their heavily polluted (cancer causing) fracking wastewater for either agricultural use or drinking water. The current cost for “recycled” wastewater is $1.25 per barrel and can only be used in combination with freshwater for fracking. There are no other viable uses for this alleged “recycled” water. This problem has reached a critical juncture. Big Oil is out of water, has no place to store its wastewater and its recycled water isn’t even suitable for fracking without freshwater.
Every voter in the Panhandle of Texas must understand that we are very close to losing our water. When that happens, we lose everything: agriculture; ranches; schools; hospitals; churches; colleges; and small businesses. Literally, everything we have worked so long to build is in jeopardy. Big Oil just doesn’t care and they’ve bought out every politician standing in their way.
Now for the worst part. Powerful members of the “Republican Swamp” in Austin have developed a new plan for the Panhandle. According to the last published Water Plan, it’s being proposed that fracking wastewater be piped to the Panhandle for “recycling” and then injected into our aquifer, to make up for the freshwater they intend to steal and pipe to the Permian Basin. I’m not making this up!
Please do your homework and vote your conscience in the upcoming Republican Primary. This might very well be the last election cycle where you can make a difference with your vote.