Qualifications: What training, experience and characteristics qualify you for this position?
Natural Gas Facility Weatherization: What further changes, if any, are needed to ensure that Texas has sufficient power in times of extreme weather conditions?
Emissions: What impact does flaring from oil and gas wells have on climate change, and what is the role of the Railroad Commission in reducing the amount of flared gas from oil and gas wells in Texas?
Seismic Activity: How can the Railroad Commission reduce the risk of seismic activity or earthquakes caused by water disposal from oil and gas drilling?
Ethics: Since candidates for Railroad Commission often raise money and receive income from the oil and gas industry, how can citizens be assured that those donations and income will not influence how commissioners regulate the industry?
Stream the Democratic Primary Voters Guide
Katherine Culbert
I am a Process Safety Engineer who helps Oil & Gas companies operate safely to protect communities and workers and follow regulations. I care about my fellow Texans and want everyone to thrive here.
www.katherine4texas.com
Lawmakers need to adopt better energy efficiency rules to help Texans use less energy to save money and reduce demand. Preventing pipeline companies from owning the gas transported in their lines to stop monopolies and having a transparent gas market so the public can see the profits of pipeline operators during extreme weather would also help to address the gas supply issues.
Flaring releases methane (natural gas) and other hazardous air pollutants and contributes to ground-level ozone. RRC needs to update Rule 32 to define when a flaring permit should be granted, remove flaring applications from the consent agenda, and hold companies accountable for the environmental damage they are doing to all of us. They have only denied 44 out of >8000 permits since May '21.
The limits the RRC are putting on the injection wells are not working. We need to further limit the number of injection wells and the locations by not injecting disposal water near natural fault lines. Additionally, we need to hold the companies accountable for treating the waste water so it is not toxic and can be reused elsewhere.
There is a difference between receiving income from working in an industry and making windfall profits from corporate investments with the companies you are regulating, having your actions directly increase your profits. Many agencies prohibit investments in companies that are affected by agency actions and Texas needs to implement the same rules. Industry experience is an asset for regulators.
