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The Latest Breaking News from West Texas

A Legal Fight over Legacy Oil Industry Pollution Heats Up in West Texas

A “first of its kind” lawsuit contends that oil companies including Chevron failed to properly plug and decommission wells on private property, challenging common assumptions about plugged wells.

Texas Observer

Ranchers reported abandoned oil wells spewing wastewater. A new study blames fracking.

An SMU study is the first scientific proof of a phenomenon local landowners have long warned was occurring.

The Texas Tribune

For the first time, West Texas has a permanent LGBTQ+ community center

A local volunteer died by suicide ahead of the center’s grand opening, reminding the West Texas community why such spaces are important.

The Texas Tribune

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Water is bursting from another abandoned West Texas oil well, continuing a troubling trend

Pecos County rancher Schuyler Wight says the Railroad Commission continues to plug wells. But each time they do, another one starts flowing.

The Texas Tribune

New endangered listing for rare lizard could slow oil and gas drilling in New Mexico and West Texas

Federal wildlife officials have declared a rare lizard in southeastern New Mexico and West Texas an endangered species

The Independent UK

What time is Blue Origin's private NS-25 astronaut launch on May 19?

A Blue Origin rocket will launch its first private astronaut spaceflight since 2022 this weekend. Here's what time to watch.

Space

Taylor Sheridan's Landman: Oil Speculators And Political Intrigue Await Fans

Taylor Sheridan's Landman series explores the world of oil speculators and landmen in a modern-day oil boom in West Texas, promising drama and intrigue.

Top News

Texas regulators limit oil and gas disposal wells in bid to reduce earthquakes in West Texas

Injecting saltwater back into the ground “is likely contributing to recent seismic activity,” the Railroad Commission of Texas has said.

The Texas Tribune

This oil company invests in pulling CO2 out of the sky — so it can keep selling crude

A technology that could help combat climate change is being championed by an unlikely proponent: Occidental Petroleum, a big oil company. And that's raising all kinds of knotty issues.

WEKU

Worried about safety, a small West Texas town challenges planned cross-border pipeline

Critics are calling on federal regulators to increase their scrutiny and oversight of the proposed pipeline, which would send gas from Texas to the Mexican coast for export to other countries.

The Texas Tribune

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The Texas Tribune

Tim Dunn, the powerhouse GOP donor, to sell his West Texas oil company for $12 billion

Tim Dunn has used his wealth to establish a network of organizations that push his ultraconservative views across Texas. The deal comes amid a time of consolidation in the Permian Basin.

The Texas Tribune

An effort to prepare West Texas students to work in the oil and gas industry is expanding

The expansion, which will start with a smaller pilot in four high schools between Texas and New Mexico, is being paid for by the Permian Strategic Partnership, a group funded by major energy producers.

The Texas Tribune

Another large earthquake shows seismic activity continues to increase in West Texas, experts say

The 5.2 magnitude earthquake is tied for the fourth strongest in Texas history. It occurred in an area where oilfield companies have long been injecting wastewater from fracking underground.

The Texas Tribune

In a hot oil and gas economy, a West Texas welder charts his own course one cup of coffee at a time

Fabian Maldonado has supported his Odessa family for years on his welding salary. Wanting more, he’s gambling that a mobile coffee trailer can withstand the booms and busts of the industry.

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The Texas Tribune

In West Texas, schools hope skeptical voters will OK debt to upgrade crumbling, overcrowded buildings

The West Texas ethos of low taxes and small government has been hard for school leaders to overcome. Voters have rejected bond issues in Midland and Odessa during the last decade.

The Texas Tribune

As West Texas’ population grows, the need for more mental health care does too

Like many regions in Texas, the county jails and hospitals have been at capacity with people needing mental health help. Local leaders hope a new 200-bed facility will alleviate pressure.

The Texas Tribune

West Texas A&M University receives $20 million gift for new institute to promote “Texas Panhandle values”

University leaders say the new Hill Institute will promote values like family life, the free and open exercise of faith, and rugged individualism.

The Texas Tribune

Residents in one of Texas’ most populous cities are working to decriminalize marijuana

Home to more than 260,000 people, the West Texas town of Lubbock is no stranger to passing local laws by petition. In 2021, residents overwhelmingly approved a local ban on abortion.

The Texas Tribune

Texas leads the nation in oil production. What about industry-related deaths?

An industry leader in the Permian Basin said the new report proves safety regulations are helping. Other observers say more data is needed to understand risks of extraction.

The Texas Tribune

Their water is undrinkable. So these West Texas residents have taken matters into their own hands.

The water in these four unincorporated communities near Lubbock has been undrinkable for years, residents say. They hope to win $3 million in state grants to improve their systems.

The Texas Tribune

The national debate over books has come to West Texas. And librarians are stuck in the middle.

West Texas residents are organizing over their love — or concern — for books. Meanwhile, from Lubbock to Midland and Odessa, librarians are trying to reaffirm libraries’ role as community hubs.

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