More Photos of Noxxe Oil and Gas Devastation In Forest Cove

Noxxe Oil and Gas, LLC owned the lease next to the Forest Cove little league fields and Townhomes. New pictures show the full extent of the toxic mess the company left behind.

Noxxe’s Troubled History

Before the company forfeited its right to do business in Texas earlier this year, the company had been:

Sued by its own lawyers for breach of contract and non-payment of fees
Sued by investors
Cited by the TRCC for oil spills, unpermitted discharges, contaminated soil, leaking well heads, improper construction, failure to screen open top tanks, lack of safety measures, and failure to remediate problems
Fined for by the TRCC for all of the above
Investigated by League City for operating without a permit
Ignoring depositions and hearings.

The Texas Railroad Commission also:

Revoked and cancelled Noxxe’s Certificates of Compliance
Ordered all of Noxxe’s pipeline and carrier connections severed.

The company seemed to be mired in legal troubles almost from its beginning in 2009.

Then Hurricane Harvey flooded the remains of Noxxe’s lease at 324 Forest Cove next to the little league fields. Within a month, the owner moved from Forest Cove, leaving a toxic legacy behind.

Noxxe’s Property Confiscated by State

The Texas Railroad Commission pursued Noxxe’s owner, Steve Shaffer, and finally confiscated Noxxe’s equipment.

*Notice of confiscation by State of Texas on Noxxe’s lease at 324 Forest Cove Drive.*

TRRC hopes to shut in Noxxe’s wells and clean up its mess this fall after the commission’s budget recycles with the new fiscal year.

More Pictures of Noxxe’s Legacy Today

Below, some new pictures show what we will live with until then.

*Looking north at boundary line between Forest Cove little league fields and Noxxe lease.* *Note the color change in the ponds. Water in the pond closest to the leaking well is black. Other pond is lighter.*

*Noxxe’s leaking, unscreened, open-top tanks*

*Wider shot shows tanks surrounded by other problems.*

*Leaking well, rusting pipe and polluted surface water.* *The Noxxe Trifecta*.

Several blocks west, at the Forest Cove Townhomes, Noxxe left other problems behind.

*Leaking well overgrown with vegetation.*

*Tanks ravaged by Harvey with broken pipes.*

*Close up of same tank enlarged from photo above.*

All photographs above were taken on 6/27/2020.

I have no idea how much the cleanup of all this will cost. Only one thing is clear. The public will foot the bill.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 6/28/2020

1034 Days after Hurricane Harvey

The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.