RRC Remediation of Abandoned Oilfield Site Helps With Development
of Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUSTIN -The Railroad Commission's Site Remediation section has helped turn an historic,
abandoned oil field site into part of one of the state's newest natural habitats-the
Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve. The 511-acre preserve, which celebrated its grand
opening Friday, is located between Houston and Beaumont in Chambers County and borders
Lake Anahuac and Turtle Creek Bayou.
The preserve is part of the Turtle Bayou Oil Field discovered in 1952, which had
legacy abandoned oil wells and former oilfield waste pits. The abandoned oil wells
were plugged using $487,000 from the RRC's Oil & Gas Regulation & Cleanup Fund,
which is financed by industry fees for plugging abandoned wells and remediating
abandoned oilfield sites. An additional $49,793 from the OGRCF and a $176,300 federal
Brownfield grant also was used by RRC Site Remediation to assess the site and ensure
it was cleaned up to standards necessary for wetland habitat.
The Commission's Brownfield Response Program restores Brownfield properties in communities
across Texas by increasing the redevelopment potential of abandoned oil and gas
sites. The RRC BRP provides technical and financial support for redevelopment with
little to no cost to local governments, non-profit organizations, tribes, universities,
school districts and economic development corporations through a brownfield grant
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The preserve is owned by the Chambers-Liberty Counties Navigation District, for
preserving coastal habitat and protecting water quality. Galveston Bay Foundation
holds a conservation easement on the property to permanently protect the land, which
provides opportunities for hiking, birding and kayaking.
.jpg)
Click For Louisiana
