Sam Birdwell is no environmental activist. Pumping fossil fuels out of the ground is just fine by him.
But in his 30 years patrolling oil fields for the state of Texas, he saw things that still bothered him in his retirement. When reporter Will Evans began researching problem wells and called Birdwell out of the blue, the former official spoke out for the first time, sending The Examination on a months-long journey to investigate a public health hazard threatening Texas communities.
Birdwell oversaw how oil companies handled hydrogen sulfide — a poisonous gas that comes up with the oil in certain parts of Texas and other regions around the world. Foul-smelling H2S gas is highly toxic and occasionally kills oil-field workers. But what kept Birdwell up at night, he said, were the elderly residents and young children who were exposed to lower concentrations of the gas — not enough to kill, but enough to make them sick. And he didn’t have the tools to stop it.
There are no federal air quality standards for H2S. Under pressure from the oil industry, the EPA took the gas off its list of “hazardous air pollutants” decades ago, leaving regulation to the states.
The Examination, in partnership with the Houston Chronicle, found that in the absence of federal regulations, oil companies leak the poisonous gas in residential neighborhoods and near schools, putting families and students at risk. Residents suffering headaches, nausea and other health effects struggle to get help and when Texas inspectors find the gas venting into the air, companies seldom face penalties.
“Oil companies leak toxic gas across Texas, making local residents sick” paired excellent investigative reporting with human-centered storytelling that made this technical issue feel tangible and urgent for audiences. Mapping the wells and creating an interactive tool enhanced the story’s scientific rigor and practical public utility.
