Railroad Commission candidate speaks to Democratic Club

Katherine Culbert, candidate for Position 1 on the Texas Railroad Commission, spoke to the Bandera County Democratic Club on Saturday, Sept. 13, at the Silver Sage Dining Room.

Culbert, a chemical engineer and safety process engineer who lives in Houston and works for a petrochemical company, provided a history of the Railroad Commission, explaining that it no longer oversees railroads. Today, the agency regulates pipelines, oil and gas production, and related industry operations.

Culbert highlighted the issue of orphan and zombie wells: oil and gas wells that have ceased production and lack responsible ownership. She said these wells can leak methane or toxins and potentially contaminate groundwater.