Fwd: Who pays when an oil company pollutes public water reserves?

[Loretta Lohman]

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View this email in your browser The first sign of trouble appeared in 2003 when the water samples came back salty. The remote corner of West Texas, known as the T-Bar Ranch, had long served as the City of Midland’s insurance policy for water security. Midland purchased 20,000 acres spanning Winkler and Loving Counties in 1965, waiting for the day it would need to pump water from the property. Extra salts in the aquifer was not part of the plan.  The city’s investigation soon landed on Heritage Standard Corporation as the prime suspect. The small Dallas-based company operated oil and gas wells and a disposal well near Midland’s water source.  In 2007, the city filed a formal complaint with the state, alleging that Heritage Standard’s injection well had contaminated the groundwater. The Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates oil and gas, ordered the company to remediate. But in 2010, Heritage Standard filed for bankruptcy. The saga continues to this day. More of our coverage of the biggest story on the planet: Trump’s plan for Venezuelan oil raises the prospect of paramilitary violence in a region where private military contractors protecting foreign companies has rarely gone well. As Wyoming faces larger and costlier wildfires, scientists warn that the flames could make many of its iconic landscapes unrecognizable within decades. A federal rule to justify cutting swaths of forest in the name of reducing wildfire risk is unlawful, a U.S. District Court found.  Will Trump’s Push to Drill on California Public Lands be More Successful This Time Around? BY BLANCA BEGERT   The BLM has revived its effort to open more of California’s public lands to oil extraction. But its strategy hasn't changed much since the agency’s earlier attempt in 2019 and drillers may not be interested. Peaceful Protest Against Whaling in Iceland Lands Two Activists in Court BY TERESA TOMASSONI Iceland is one of three countries that still permits commercial whaling. The activists headed to trial are calling on Icelandic officials to ban the practice permanently. Canada’s Mining Firms Are Big Beneficiaries of the Global Order Its Prime Minister Just Criticized BY KATIE SURMA As Mark Carney urges value-based leadership, critics point to trade rules championed by Canada that undermine those ideals. Stretched Thin, Iowa Agency Issues Few Fines for Manure Pollution BY NINA B. ELKADI, ANIKA JANE BEAMER Amid a water crisis, the agency regulating thousands of concentrated animal feeding operations and their waste could be doing much more to protect people, critics say. Half of Fossil Fuel Carbon Emissions in 2024 Came From 32 Companies BY DANA DRUGMAND Latest Carbon Majors analysis finds global CO2 emissions are traceable to an increasingly concentrated set of producers, many of which are expanding fossil fuel output and blocking climate action. Meta Wants Data Center in Sunny El Paso to Rely on Natural Gas BY MARTHA PSKOWSKI El Paso Electric is seeking approval for a 366-megawatt natural gas power plant that will fuel Meta’s project. Residents worry a new power plant would worsen air pollution and guzzle water. Indonesia Revokes Permit for Chinese-Built Dam Threatening Ape Species BY NICHOLAS KUSNETZ The Southeast Asian government announced it was canceling licenses for 28 projects it said had violated permits in provinces hit by flooding last year. It remains unclear whether the move is permanent or will be enforced. Economic Interests Drive Chinese Climate Leadership Amid U.S. Retreat BY DYLAN BADDOUR Speaking to world leaders at Davos, He Lifeng invited other countries to “embrace the opportunities” of Chinese-made renewable energy technologies. Patagonia Is Burning BY ANIKA JANE BEAMER Heat, drought and high winds exacerbated deadly blazes in Chile this weekend and stoked fires that continue to smolder in Argentina. On Michigan Cherry Farms, Small Falcons Are Improving Food Safety BY K.R. CALLAWAY Kestrels are already abundant on local cherry farms, but a new study suggests their presence might lower the risk of food-borne illnesses caused by pathogens from other birds. Moore Boasts of Record Climate Spending in Maryland Budget as Advocates Denounce Raids on Energy Investment Fund BY AMAN AZHAR While the fiscal 2027 budget boosts spending on renewables and efficiency, environmental groups warn that repeated use of the state’s clean‑energy fund for general budget relief risks derailing climate goals. A California Climate Expert Is Working to Restore Climate Risk Scores Deleted by Zillow BY CLAIRE BARBER The real estate website scrubbed the data under pressure from California’s real estate brokers and agents who were concerned about its impact on home prices. Neil Matouka thinks prospective buyers have a right to know. 📈 Trending An Alabama Mayor Signed an NDA With a Data Center Developer. Read It Here. BY LEE HEDGEPETH The non-disclosure agreement was a major sticking point in a lively town hall that featured city officials, data center representatives and more than a hundred frustrated residents. 👀 Looking for More Climate News?  🟢 Visit our website for the latest.  🟡 Sign up for more newsletters, including our twice-weekly Today's Climate and Thursday's Inside Clean Energy. ⚫️ Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky. 🔴 Have a tip or story idea? Contact us. Copyright © 2026 Inside Climate News, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up on our website: insideclimatenews.org Update Email Preferences  |  ICN Newsletter Sign Up  |  Unsubscribe Our mailing address: Inside Climate News 26 Court Street Suite #1617 Brooklyn, NY 11242

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