Texas Oil and Gas Regulators End Public Comment Rule
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- Texas's three elected oil and gas regulators hold an open meeting each month in Austin to vote on matters ranging from pipeline violations to permit renewals, with members of the public able to register to speak for up to three minutes at the end of each meeting.
- Under the new policy, the regulators will no longer have to accept public comment at their open meetings, ending the three-minute speaking window that members of the public previously relied on.
Why it matters: The change removes the only guaranteed public speaking window at the agency that oversees pipeline violations and permit renewals in Texas, a major oil- and gas-producing state. The source describes members of the public traveling to Austin to use these three-minute slots, suggesting the new policy narrows direct community input on industry decisions that affect local environments and safety statewide.
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