New Policy For TX State Oil & Gas Regulator - No Interviews With Press, Ever, For Anyone

Texas’ oil and gas regulatory agency has instituted a blanket policy barring staff members from doing media interviews, raising questions about transparency as the state grapples with the intricacies of one of the largest energy booms in decades.

The Texas Railroad Commission, which has three commissioners leading one of the largest state agencies of its kind in the country, approved the policy in August, about a year after Milton Rister took over as the agency’s executive director. Since then, all media inquiries have been funneled through a spokeswoman who responds via email and bars any direct access to staffers.

The commission, which also regulates pipelines and mining, devotes much of its time to issuing permits for oil and gas drilling and production, ensuring that wells are safe, and investigating complaints or problems at those sites. For a Texas agency to ban all media interviews is unusual. Typically, the media relations department is not the source of information but acts as a liaison to connect journalists with the staff members they need to speak with for a particular story.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, a state agency whose responsibilities often overlap with the Railroad Commission, routinely grants interviews with staff members who are scientists and experts. The General Land Office, which is responsible for offshore oil spill cleanup, also allows staffers to speak with the media.

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http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/texas-oil-gas-regulator-refuses-to-talk-to-media/ngLp6/