University Lands FY21 Annual Report

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Environmental Stewardship

Environmental stewardship

University Lands’ mission to manage the resources of the PUF Lands for the long-term benefit of Texans necessitates assertive and proactive environmental management. UL continuously assesses and evaluates the risk of all commercial activity occurring on the Lands, including oil and gas development, renewable energy development, pipeline construction, ranching, retail, and industrial processes. Staff work to identify best practices and requires that these best practices be implemented by those companies doing business on PUF Lands. UL facilitates communications and compliance through its relationships with regulatory agencies that include the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Railroad Commission of Texas, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Staff coordinate and monitor the multiple uses of the Lands by performing inspections and overseeing prescribed corrective actions. All construction is monitored to ensure cooperative co-existence for all users of acreage. UL terminates unproductive oil and gas leases and issues lease restoration requirements described in restoration demand letters to the lessee. UL ensures oil and gas wells on the terminated leases are plugged and abandoned in a timely manner according to regulations of the Railroad Commission of Texas. Proper plugging procedures ensure protection of usable quality groundwater resources on UL. Water Well Plugging UL maintains a water well inventory of all water wells owned by our O&G and grazing lessees. UL ensures that water wells no longer beneficial to the well owner are plugged in compliance with the technical requirements of the Texas Administrative Code by a water well driller licensed by the State of Texas. Proper plugging procedures ensure protection of usable quality groundwater resources on UL. WELL PLUGGING Oil & Gas Well Plugging

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