Railroad Commission v. Texas Citizens for a Safe Future & Clean Water

joined by Justice HECHT, Justice WAINWRIGHT, Justice MEDINA, Justice GREEN, and Justice JOHNSON.

The Texas Water Code requires the Railroad Commission of Texas to weigh the “public interest” in the permitting of proposed oil and gas waste injection wells. In a ruling, the Commission declined to consider traffic-safety factors in its public interest inquiry. We determine whether the Commission’s interpretation of “public interest” is entitled to judicial deference. Because we conclude the Commission’s construction of the phrase was reasonable and in accord with the plain language of the…