Environmental groups are mounting a fight against the plans of Houston-based Apache Corp. to begin drilling in its newly-found Alpine High play in far west Texas.
Of big concern to some of the groups is the plan to drill around Balmorhea State Park and its famous spring-fed pool, described as the largest in the world, according to a report in the Houston Chronicle.
Apache announced last month the discovery of the Alpine which it said could hold 3 million barrels of oil and 75 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Earthworks has started an assessment of the potential risks to the local waters around Fort Davis. And the Nature Conservancy also has plans to test the water quality on several sites that it owns in the area.