Tex. Water Code § 27.031 · Subchapter C. OIL AND GAS WASTE; INJECTION WELLS
PERMIT FROM RAILROAD COMMISSION; CRIMINAL PENALTY.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A person commits an offense if the person begins drilling or using a disposal well or converting an existing well into a disposal well to dispose of oil and gas waste without first obtaining a permit from the railroad commission.
(b) An offense under this section is:
(1) a felony of the third degree if no oil and gas waste has been disposed of or the total value of the oil and gas waste disposed of is less than $10,000;
(2) a felony of the second degree if the total value of the oil and gas waste disposed of is $10,000 or more but less than $100,000; or
(3) a felony of the first degree if the total value of the oil and gas waste disposed of is $100,000 or more.
(c) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor may be prosecuted under this section or the other law, but not both.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2207, ch. 870, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977; Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 3161, ch. 830, Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 1981.
Amended by:
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 70 (S.B. 1806), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/WA/htm/WA.27.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 b3e74eb0db8a3217e0c3e9895473dae0e029f4c0f2e1895bdfc031d67329f6ee
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.