Surface Waste Management Manual

General Information

One of the greatest responsibilities of the Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission) is the protection of fresh water resources. Water protection is a major consideration in many of the Commission's Statewide Rules and is the sole purpose of Statewide Rule 8.

This online manual offers guidelines for the management of oil and gas wastes, and discusses some of the procedures necessary to insure that water resources are available for future use and enjoyment. The manual should be used primarily as a general guide, and the appropriate rule or rules should be consulted for specific requirements.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, the regulations discussed in this manual (SWMM) concern only RCRA-exempt and nonexempt nonhazardous oil and gas wastes. The Railroad Commission has a separate program to regulate the management of hazardous oil and gas wastes.

You can use the links below to familiarize yourself with historical and current RRC surface waste management regulations:


For more specific information about our permitting applications and permitting process, go to Permit Types and Information. The SWMM content links and other helpful links will in a panel to the right of the main content.

Surface Waste Management

Environmental Permits


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