Editor’s Note: This story is a collaboration between the Texas Observer and Inside Climate News.
For 15 years, Debrah Linn and her children have raised various animals on what she’d considered a peaceful farmette near Elysian Fields. Her kids often ride horses along a picturesque lane that runs through woods leading to Sacogee Creek.
Nearby, Bonnie and Robert Arbuckle from Shreveport, Louisiana, have been building their retirement home on a serene piece of land. However, growing concern arose when a large wall of dirt appeared on a wetlands area near their property. Unknown to residents, the Texas Railroad Commission permitted the region’s largest oil and gas waste disposal site on their road.
The Arbuckles witnessed heavy construction on previously undeveloped land. When Bonnie questioned the acting site supervisor, she received no information. The project developer notified only adjacent landowners, most of whom are absent, and placed an ad in a small local newspaper, as required by the Railroad Commission, which regulates Texas’ oil and gas activities, including waste disposal.
Residents learned of the project after Harrison County Judge Chad Sims, an Elysian Fields native, informed them in January. Records show M2T, LLC., based in Montana, applied in early 2022 for a permit to manage “nonhazardous” oil and gas waste on the 187-acre site, which was approved in 2023 without local input.
Sims revealed that McBride Operating LLC in Longview, Texas, was behind the project, having faced complaints over its waste operations in Waskom. Residents were shocked that the Railroad Commission had approved the large waste site before any formal protest could be made.
In 2019, McBride Operating obtained a five-year permit for a waste-handling center in Waskom. The permit expired in 2024, and renewal was denied due to numerous violations, including unauthorized waste disposal and evidence of groundwater contamination. Despite the denial, McBride continues operations pending appeal.
Linn, concerned about potential health impacts, began monitoring McBride’s Waskom site. Residents reported odors causing headaches and nausea. Some complained to the Railroad Commission, but McBride’s spokesperson stated they had not been fined for odors.
As McBride pursued operations in Elysian Fields, they also sought permits for another waste landfill near Paxton. The Elysian Fields project would be McBride’s largest endeavor.
Linn joined a group of East Texans opposing McBride’s expansions, including local teachers and a pastor who serves as a rural water official. Cattleman Terry Allen opposed McBride’s plans for Paxton, while Jerry Cargill, a Waskom rancher, sought legal avenues against McBride. Cargill frequently traveled to Austin to raise awareness.
Linn researched McBride’s numerous violations, questioning why so many waste pits concentrated near the Louisiana state line. Residents worried violations at Waskom would recur in Paxton and Elysian Fields. However, their concerns gained little traction with decision-makers in Austin.
Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian defended McBride, citing a need for more waste disposal capacity in Northeast Texas, part of the productive Haynesville-Bossier Shale. Linn observed many Louisiana-registered trucks at McBride’s facility, fearing the area was becoming a dumping ground for Louisiana’s waste.
Oil and gas wells produce vast waste quantities, requiring increased disposal capacity. Disposal wells and landfills expanded from the Permian Basin to the Haynesville Shale. As of August 2025, 86 commercial surface waste disposal facilities were permitted by the Railroad Commission, with six in East Texas.
Such waste, containing benzene and other harmful substances, is classified as nonhazardous under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. McBride’s Waskom facility separates waste, injecting liquid waste underground and burying solid waste in landfills. The proposed Paxton and Elysian Fields landfills could handle waste currently sent elsewhere.
Cargill, who grew up near Waskom, purchased his family’s ranch and noted with concern as waste trucks traveled to McBride’s site. He feared pollution reaching his property via nearby creeks. Cargill flew drones over the site, observing runoff risks.
McBride accumulated numerous violations during inspections, with regulators issuing 68 violations within five years. Despite violations, the Railroad Commission fined McBride only once: a $668 penalty for a 2023 spill.
Pedro Julian Garcia, a McBride worker, died in a 2024 accident at the Waskom site. OSHA fined McBride for 12 violations, and they settled a lawsuit with Garcia’s family.
Jaire Jackson, a worker injured in 2021, exposed further issues at McBride, including inadequate training and lack of protective gear.
Cargill protested McBride’s permit renewal, leading to a technical permitting division letter denying the renewal. However, McBride’s appeal allowed continued operations.
McBride’s proposal for another waste pit near Paxton faced temporary blockage due to potential water contamination risks. However, Commissioners Wright and Christian voted to issue the permit, overruling Commissioner Christi Craddick’s opposition.
Residents like Linn and Allen advocate for changes to Texas laws governing oilfield waste. They formed Texas Legacy Defense to assist communities, asserting no outside funds back their movement against McBride.
Allen hung banners criticizing Commissioners Christian and Wright, while local discontent with the Railroad Commission grows. Commissioner Wright faces reelection in 2026, with contenders like Hawkins “Hawk” Dunlap emerging.
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org