Oh Well!! FWS Estimates 500k-1,000,000 Birds Die Every Year In Oil & Fracking Waste Pits
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As birds migrate through arid West Texas, there are few bodies of water where they can take a rest. Some end up landing in oilfield waste pits or ponds.
That is apparently what happened to 17 American white pelicans that were spotted at Reeves County’s Lake Balmorhea in October with “oiled” feathers. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is investigating where the birds were exposed to oily waste before they reached the lake. Lake Balmorhea, a private lake about a mile southwest of the beloved Balmorhea State Park, is near numerous oil wells and waste pits, which are a known hazard to birds. Texas adopted a rule to protect birds from oilfield waste in 1991. But the rule has not been updated since the fracking boom increased the volumes of waste across the state. The Lake Balmorhea incident shows that the oilfields can still be a hazardous place for birds. No one knows exactly how many birds die each year in waste pits. A 2006 study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that oil pits cause the deaths of 500,000 to one million birds per year nationwide.
The Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates the oil and gas industry, is updating its waste management rules. But in over 300 pages the most recent draft doesn’t include a single mention of birds. The USFWS-recommended best practices for storing waste from drilling and fracking include limiting the time oil pits are open and using closed loop systems, which separate the liquids from solids without the use of pits and allow for the fluids to be reused, instead of open pits, to protect birds. Some of these recommendations remain optional in Texas.
“The RRC enforces its rules, including Rule 22 to protect birds, through permitting and inspections processes,” said Railroad Commission spokesperson Patty Ramon. “Inspectors in district offices help ensure rules are followed during their daily inspections, and if violations are cited, operators are required to come under compliance.”
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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07122024/migratory-birds-west-texas-oilfields/
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