Railroad Commission Operator Cleanup Program (OCP)

The Operator Cleanup Program of the Railroad Commission of Texas oversees complex pollution cleanups carried out by the oil and gas industry. It sits in the Site Remediation Section of the Commission's Oil and Gas Division, which is separate from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and keeps its own records.

In a Phase I ESA

ASTM E1527-21 does not name this program among its standard record sources. On a property with oil and gas history it is a place to look for a cleanup record, and because it is a Railroad Commission record it has to be asked for there.

• These are the complex sites. The Commission says complex sites include those in sensitive environmental areas, as its rules define them, that may need site-specific cleanup levels based on risk. Staff may also review cases where the source of contamination is uncertain.
• Closure has a name. When an operator completes a cleanup, Commission staff may issue a "No Further Action" letter acknowledging completion. Look for that letter, and read what it covers.
• Due diligence is a main source of cases. Sites are referred by the Commission's district offices, by its legal enforcement section, and directly by industry. The Commission notes that a significant number are identified through due diligence assessments on oil and gas properties during mergers, acquisitions and other business activity.
• Each site has a number. The Commission asks that the assigned OCP number be included with all correspondence. That number is the key to the file.

The Commission says program staff oversee approximately 525 active and monitored cleanup sites. The rules its page points to are the Commission's water protection rule (Rule 3.8), its rule on the cleanup of soil contaminated by crude oil (Rule 3.91), and its memorandum of understanding with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (Rule 3.30).

Where to ask

• The program's page is Operator Cleanup Program.
• Questions go to SR-OCP@rrc.texas.gov or 512-463-6765.
• Records requests follow the Commission's Public Information Act page.

Sources

Railroad Commission of Texas pages, read September 30, 2026. The Commission's pages do not show a last-modified date.

• Operator Cleanup Program
• Site Remediation
• The Public Information Act