The study analyzed data from 13 metro areas, including Dallas.
“One thing that’s really concerning, particularly here in Texas, was that in Dallas we found the strongest relationship for a correlation between leak density and percentage of people of color being higher,” said Virginia Palacios, who co-authored the report and executive director of Commission Shift, a new group advocating for reform in Texas’ oil and gas industry.
Among the findings:
- Fewer gas leaks were detected in most high-income census tracks in Dallas.
- More gas leaks were found in census tracts which have higher numbers of residents with limited English proficiency.
- Gas leak density increased as the percentage of people of color increased in eight of the metro areas analyzed.
The study didn’t look at why gas leaks are prevalent in certain areas, but some possible reasons are mentioned.
- Leaks are detected behind the gas meter, which means residents would have to call a plumber to fix the problem instead of the utility company.
- Response times can vary depending on the neighborhood.
- There may be less infrastructure investment in lower-income neighborhoods.
- The Railroad Commission has only 65 natural gas inspectors — not enough for the entire state.
Palacios said the Railroad Commission needs to make information about gas leaks more available to the public.
"I think it's important for people to know who their utility is, to have a relationship with that utility, and I think it's important for utilities and regulators — the Railroad Commission in this case — to have a relationship with the public,” he said.
Palacios added that the Railroad Commission's name is misleading — many people don't know it oversees gas and oil development.
Got a tip? Email Stella M. Chávez at schavez@kera.org. You can follow Stella on Twitter @stellamchavez.
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