Texas oil companies started tapping into the Eagle Ford shale deposit in 2008, and have since produced millions of barrels of oil. One Texas city affected by this boom is Carrizo Springs. Kai Ryssdal talked with Mayor Adrian DeLeon about the benefits and challenges that come with change.
“There’s a lot of good, and there’s a lot of bad … but when we’re talking about Eagle Ford shale, we’re talking about job creation, and it’s a good thing. It’s a blessing for us,” DeLeon said. “There’s around 60,000 jobs here. It’s lucrative for people who really want to work.”
The biggest change, since before the oil boom, is that local business is thriving.
“We’re just grateful to see so many people who were losing their houses and losing their cars, to [now] paying off their cars and paying off their houses…. It’s a great thing,” DeLeon said.
Benefits:
- Thousands of new jobs and thriving business
- Creating a city police department
- Hiring developers and workers from around the country
Challenges:
- Highways are not equipped for heavy truck traffic
- Regulating oil and gas
- Avoiding water pollution
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