Railroad Commission of Texas Brownfield Success Stories

Since 2002, the RRC's Brownfields Program has been working with Texas communities to investigate and remediate abandoned oil and gas leases.

Program Overview

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is the state agency with primary regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and natural gas industry in Texas. The RRC has several environmental cleanup programs available to oil and gas operators, as well as the public. The RRC's Brownfields Response Program is available to the public and provides FREE Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and cleanups at abandoned oil and gas sites for qualified persons. 

What is a Brownfield?

A "brownfield" is a property that has been abandoned or underused due to real or perceived contamination.

Who is eligible?

  • State, Local, and Tribal Governments
  • Non-Profit Organizations
  • Universities and Schools
  • Economic Development Corporations
  • Private landowners (must have community support)

Why redevelop Brownfields?

Reinvesting in these properties reduces blight and urban sprawl, protects the environment, creates jobs, and increases property values, as well as tax revenue.

How do I apply?

Fill out our  application  and mail it to:

    Brownfields Response Program

    Railroad Commission of Texas

    PO Box 12967

    Austin, TX 78711-2967

Read about the RRC's Brownfield success stories below:

Artist Boat

A 207-acre former historic oilfield site on West Galveston Island

This site is part of 1,400 contiguous acres of coastal land that Artist Boat, a non-profit group, and the Galveston Costal Heritage Preserve are working to preserve and restore.

In 2013, the tract of land, owned by Artist Boat, was entered into the RRC’s Brownfields Response Program. A Phase I ESA was conducted and a dry oil well and associated pit was identified as a recognized environmental condition (REC) at the site.

Due to the REC identified at the site, the RRC conducted a Phase II ESA which included the installation of five soil borings and a naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) survey. Two groundwater samples were also collected at the site from temporary sampling locations.

Based on the results of the Phase II, additional sampling within the former pit location was required. An additional 15 soil samples and five groundwater samples were collected. Based on the results of this work, an Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) was required due to concentrations of barium and chromium in soils above the ecological screening benchmarks. Results of the ERA concluded that the levels of barium and chromium in soils would not have an adverse effect on human health or the surrounding environment. Therefore, Artist Boat was issued a Certificate of Completion for the site in June 2019.

Railroad Commission of Texas Brownfields Response Program-Artist Boat Preserve


Andrews Bird Park

A 4.5-acre abandoned salt water disposal facility in West Texas that was the perfect location for a bird viewing park

Click on the features within the map to learn more!

This former saltwater disposal facility is located on the east side of Andrews, Texas (about 35 miles north of Odessa) and is located next to the city’s water treatment plant. The abandoned facility consisted of five wooden tanks and one pit containing oilfield wastes. RRC records indicate that a saltwater injection well on the property was plugged in 1983. The site was placed on the RRC’s state-managed cleanup list in 1999. In 2004, staff of the RRC’s Brownfield Program notified the City of Andrews that the site would be eligible for a targeted brownfields assessment. 

A Phase II ESA was conducted to assess soil and groundwater conditions at the site, as well as characterize the waste in both the tanks and pit on the site. Based on findings from the assessment, NORM waste was identified in one of storage tanks and soil contamination below the tanks and pits were also identified. A local NORM-licensed business volunteered to remove and properly dispose of the NORM waste, free of charge.

During remediation of soils below the tanks and pits, staff of the RRC observed possible buried pits adjacent to the site. Through backhoe excavation, it was determined that additional areas of hydrocarbon waste had been buried adjacent to the site. Cleanup of the buried waste was funded by the RRC’s Oilfield Cleanup Fund.

In the photo below, click on the icon with two arrows and drag it to the right or left to see before (left) and after (right) aerial images of the site. 

The tank battery and pit can be seen in the center of the left-hand image (from 2005). The right-hand image (from 2011) shows that these features have been removed.

Aside from the removal of the physical blight, this cleanup is part of a larger project to improve the living quality of the residents in Andrews and encourage eco-tourism by the creation of green space for recreation and wildlife habitat.  

Due to their high organic content and vegetation, water treatment plants are very popular for birds. Because of this, the City of Andrews decided this property was the perfect location for a bird viewing park. With assistance from a Texas Parks and Wildlife grant, the city was able to develop hiking trails on the property, as well as build a bird viewing deck overlooking the sediment lagoons. According to Mr. Glen Hackler, Andrews City Manager, up to 56 species of birds have been seen in the lagoon area including rarely seen shore birds and migratory birds.


Dickinson ISD

A 30-acre historic oil field in Dickinson, Texas that is now the location of John and Shamrion Barber Middle School

Dickinson ISD entered this site into the RRC's Brownfields program in 2005 when they acquired the property. A Phase I ESA was conducted at the site and identified the following RECs: three plugged oil wells, one plugged dry hole, areas of stressed vegetation (possibly associated with former pits), and a transportation pipeline. A Phase II ESA Limited Site Investigation (LSI) was performed in November 2005 to evaluate the presence and extent of potential impacts at the site. The LSI investigation included soil and groundwater sampling, a magnetometer survey and backhoe trenching. The magnetometer survey was used to identify the locations of the historic plugged wellbores and flowlines. Results from analysis of soil samples showed detections of benzene and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in soils, but at concentrations below the applicable protective concentration levels for direct soil exposure. Groundwater sample results collected from temporary sampling points indicated chlorides were the only constituent of concern (COC) in groundwater. 

Additional groundwater sampling was performed as part of the Supplemental LSI in October 2006 as part of the BRP. Five permanent groundwater monitoring wells were installed in the first groundwater-bearing zone to a total depth of 25 feet below ground surface. Chloride concentrations exceeded the Texas Secondary Drinking Water Standard of 300 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in all five samples collected. Based on the soil and groundwater sampling results, an Environmental Restrictive Covenant, limiting use of the groundwater beneath a 16.391-acre portion of the site, was placed on the property in 2008. 


Frank Grey Park & Bass Lake

An 11.4-acre property that is the location of the Frank Gray Memorial Park in Gorman, Texas.

Click on the features in the map to learn more!

The site entered the program in 2018 to assess the park’s lake, Bass Lake, for contamination associated with the 1990 Mobil Pipeline Company crude oil release that occurred 1,700 feet north of the property. The environmental investigation at the site required sampling of lake surface water, lake sediments, soils around the bank, and groundwater beneath the site. Based on sampling results, an additional Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment was needed to ensure that consumption of fish from the lake, as well as recreational activities such as swimming were safe for park visitors. Results of the additional assessment found that conditions were acceptable for recreational use of the park. In February 2020, the Gorman Economic Development Corporation was issued a Certificate of Completion for the site.

RRC Brownfields Grant Gorman, TX


Robstown Outlet Mall

A 30-acre former oil field in Robstown is now the location of a baseball stadium, fairgrounds, and an outlet mall

Click on the features within the map to learn more!

During initial site development in 2002, an engineering group working on behalf of Nueces County identified hydrocarbon-impacted soils while performing a geotechnical investigation. Hydrocarbon impacts were noted in soils ranging in depth from eight to 12 feet below ground surface. Benzene was detected in three soil samples collected from the site. Based on these findings, Nueces County applied for a Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) with the RRC in September 2004. RRC staff reviewed historical site information and confirmed the existence of oil and gas activities which likely contributed to the hydrocarbon contamination. The Site was approved for a TBA in October 2004. 

A Phase I ESA was conducted in June 2005 and identified eight oil and gas wells on the property. According to RRC records, all eight of the wells had previously been plugged. The Phase I also identified the hydrocarbon impacted areas relating to former oil and gas activity as RECs. 

A Phase II ESA was performed in February 2006. A total of 22 soil samples were analyzed from 18 soil borings. All soil samples were analyzed for TPH and select samples were analyzed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX). Based on the analytical results, two locations of hydrocarbon-impacted soils were identified. However, concentrations of hydrocarbons in soil were below the direct exposure levels and a pathway for contamination to leach to groundwater was considered incomplete for the following reasons: groundwater was not observed in the temporary sampling point installed to a depth of 33 feet below ground surface and the site’s lithology is predominantly clay. 

Although the hydrocarbon impacted soils did not pose a risk to human health, the areas were still excavated in an abundance of caution in May 2008. Approximately 227 tons of hydrocarbon-impacted soils were disposed of at the Texas Ecology Landfill in Robstown. A total of nine confirmation samples from the sidewall and floor of the excavation were collected and analyzed for TPH. TPH was not detected in any of the samples. Clean soil was used to backfill the excavations. Following the excavation activities and confirmation sampling, the site was issued a Certificate of Completion in 2008. 

Nueces County Judge, Loyd Neal, said “We appreciate the assistance of the Railroad Commission on this important project. Working together, we were able to turn a problematic piece of real estate into one of the most exciting retail developments Nueces County has seen in years.” 

In the photo below, click on the icon with two arrows and drag it to the right or left to see before (left) and after (right) aerial images of the site.

Numerous well pads can be seen in the image on the left (1956). The right-hand image (2020) shows that these features have been removed and the property redeveloped into a mall, baseball stadium, fairground, and a walking/biking trail (to the north).


Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve

The 511-acre abandoned oil field site located between Houston and Beaumont in Chambers County

Click on the features in the map to learn more!

The 511-acre abandoned oil field site located between Houston and Beaumont in Chambers County that is now the location of the state’s newest nature preserve – the Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve.

The property includes a wide variety of habitats including, shoreline, wetlands and prairies and upland loblolly pine forest. The property was to be developed for high-density residential use but due to the importance as a watershed for Lake Anahuac, the Chambers-Liberty Counties Navigation District (CLCND) purchased the property to preserve it for watershed protection. In anticipation of the sale of the property, an application was filed by CLCND with the RRC for a targeted brownfields assessment. The RRC performed a Phase I ESA in December 2010.

 The property was historically within the Turtle Bayou Oil Field, and contains as many as nine abandoned oil wells and a former pit area that lacks vegetation. One 500 ft x 150 ft unvegetated area, was likely used for saltwater disposal pit is located in the southwestern corner of the property. A soil and groundwater assessment from the pit identified metals and elevated chloride in shallow groundwater. Given the proximity to Lake Anahuac, the RRC was concerned that contaminants in former pit area pose a threat to groundwater and surface water quality. The RRC has conducted several groundwater, surface water, and sediment sampling events, as well as a biological study and ecological risk assessment. Surface water sampling at the site is still on-going. Additionally, since 2011, the RRC has used $487,000 from the RRC’s Oil and Gas Cleanup Funds to plug the abandoned oil wells on the property.

In the photo below, click on the icon with two arrows and drag it to the right or left to see before (left) and after (right) aerial images of the site.

Numerous well pads, drilling pits, and tank batteries can be seen in the image on the left (1975). The right-hand image (2018) shows that these features have been removed.


W.G. Jones State Forest

A 1,643-acre urban forest in Montgomery County that is home to the endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpecker.

The site was entered into the RRC’s BRP in 2006 due to the presence of several unplugged oil and gas wells on the property. Several environmental investigations performed at the site noted hydrocarbon staining of soils in the immediate vicinity of the abandoned wells, as well as former pits associated with the wells. Oil and Gas Regulatory Funds were used to plug and abandon the wells on the property and to perform cleanup activities in three locations on the property with hydrocarbon contamination in soils. Plugging and abandonment activities, as well as cleanup activities were completed in 2008. In addition to being a state forest, the property also contains an ecology center, a wildlife refuge, a Red-Cockaded Woodpecker habitat preserve, an urban forest conference center, an urban forest learning center and a forest museum and history exhibition center sponsored by the private sector to promote growth, protection, preservation and management of the forest ecosystem.


The tank battery and pit can be seen in the center of the left-hand image (from 2005). The right-hand image (from 2011) shows that these features have been removed.

Numerous well pads can be seen in the image on the left (1956). The right-hand image (2020) shows that these features have been removed and the property redeveloped into a mall, baseball stadium, fairground, and a walking/biking trail (to the north).

Numerous well pads, drilling pits, and tank batteries can be seen in the image on the left (1975). The right-hand image (2018) shows that these features have been removed.