The Texas oil and gas industry faces a new threat from the COVID-19 pandemic: challenges to oil and gas drilling from opponents who claim that the virus exacerbates health effects allegedly linked to air emissions from oil and gas development. These claims come as the industry is suffering financial hardship due to record-low oil prices and reduced market demand for its products due to the pandemic. Industry opponents want to halt oil and gas activity in the state, arguing that new projects should not be approved and most, if not all, drilling activity should cease during the pandemic.