J.C. Harris & L.R. Heinze, Texas Tech University
The petroleum industry is faced with a problem in the near future: what does it do about environmental hazards that accompany hydrocarbon exploration and production. The industry as a whole, is currently doing a very good job of environmental housekeeping, but has a bad public image as the keepers of the environment. The best environmental policy for the petroleum industry is first educate ourselves in the compliance laws and the best environmental policies, and second to transfer this knowledge to the general public. To begin this educational process the first step is to understand the laws governing our activities. The environmental concerns for the operator of production facilities, both existing and proposed, will be discussed. The discussion will begin with an explanation of what is meant by the "no net impact" concept of operations. A general outline for compliance with environmental laws and regulations will be presented. This outline will begin with the permitting process and continue to cover such topics as air pollution control, water pollution control, underground injection control, and hazardous waste management. Federal regulations and state regulations of both Texas and New Mexico will be the focus of the discussions.