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Saturday, June 15, 2013

Go Frac Off! *UPDATE*

Earlier today while pulling out the parking lot of our local neighborhood Walgreens in southeast Arlington, a convoy of strange looking trucks saying "GoFrac" paraded past us.  One of the children captured this image from the back seat.



These big rigs should not be allowed on New York Avenue.  This is a residential area, and these trucks are tearing up our roads.  We would like to know where the frac they were headed.  Is this the gas industry's new mode of advertising? 

UPDATE: 

We contacted GoFrac to inquire about their current activity in Arlington.  Their receptionist stated they were working a frac job at the Sue Barnett Drill Site operated by XTO.   We also spoke with an employee from Barnett Gathering, a subsidiary of XTO, who confirmed that they were completing the well.   Seems their drivers violated the transportation route according to the drill site permit stipulations:




Where is the enforcement???

11 comments:

  1. Sharon Sims-BelvinJune 17, 2013 at 6:40 PM

    A few months ago waste water trucks were beating a path down Little Rd.(a small 2 lane residential street)right in front of my kids Elem. School during a school zone! After several days of watching them while waiting to pick my kids up from school, I walked over to the sidewalk and snapped a few pictures of the truck with the school zone sign flashing right beside it. They were supposed to be routed down Green Oaks Blvd. and after taking the photos....that's the way they started going!

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    Replies
    1. Gas drill sites have rules for designated truck routes along with allowable times of travel. It is highly doubtful they are allowed to haul Toxic Fluids past your child's school during drop off and pick up times. Hope you captured that truck number in your pic along with the date and time! We appreciate your diligence. Keep up the good work!

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    2. There are $$$FINES$$$ for that according to the Gas Drilling Ordinances. They are in our neighborhoods and we should all report these kinds of egregious violations to the City Manager. And get the word out, too.

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  2. Hey, a drill site is a drill site. Trucking companies are trucking companies. If you're concerned about the trucking to drill sites , shouldn't you be also worried about the trucking to and from Walmart, Sam's, gas stations, restaurants? All of these businesses have trucks traveling up and down our streets on a daily basis. I realize these businesses have a daily impact on our lives. Also drill sites have a daily impact on our lives. Without gas we could not travel, light our homes, heat our homes, cool our homes on hot days or even flush our commodes. Maybe you think we should not drill.in your community. Whose community should we dril in to supply YOU with the power YOU use and enjoy daily? Just think it through or better yet just think! One last thought. Do you see more Drill site related trucks or transport trucks for other businesses in your area.?.? Count them and tell the truth! Remember those trucks have to have petroleum products to move too!

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    Replies
    1. You are trying to compare a Sam's Club with a gas drill site, which is like comparing apples with oranges. Apparently, you have little understanding of Zoning. Gas Drilling in the City of Arlington is zoned through a process called a "SUP," or Special Use Permit. This means that they must adhere to specific site stipulations. Violations of these rules carry penalties including fines or the revocation of an operator's permit. It is XTO's responsibility to make sure that their contracted drivers are trained to know the designated truck route for each drill site. If they violate the rules, they must pay the consequences.

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  3. I guess everyone thinks that the city police and County police are stupid. Well why don't y'all just make a citizens arrest like Barney Fife when you see these violations happening. Jump out in the middle of the road and stop them, call 911 and wait till the police get there. I am guessing that none of you have ever made a mistake and turned on the wrong road. These people are just trying to make a living, no ones perfect. The trucks that are driving for Walmart and Sam's do the same things, but no one seems to care. It's only in the oilfield trucks that people worry about. Why is that?

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    Replies
    1. Agree, we all make mistakes. But when Oil & Gas ~ a powerful industry ~ invades OUR communities and places OUR residents in harms' way by their heavy industrial mining operations in our backyards through a well-funded campaign of misleading propaganda, we are left with no choice but to show zero tolerance when they break the rules.

      Guess we should have stopped that Frac truck and waited for the police to arrive, but that's difficult at best when driving a vehicle with young children in the back seat.

      These truck routes are designed with public safety in mind. We wouldn't want chemical trucks or trucks carrying explosive charges to accidentally take a wrong turn and run over a child riding his/her bicycle home from school.

      If you are going to whine and complain every time you have to pay the price for breaking the rules, then perhaps you should go somewhere else and drill your wells where there are no rules. Go back to your wildcatter days. Don't think you can operate like that in our town.

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  4. Just wondering, why aren't my comments being published? Guess you don't approve of the truth.

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    1. Our apologies for the delay in publishing your comments. We have been working hard down in Austin this week testifying to our oil-soaked politicians on the Energy Resources Committee about the multitude of terrible bills that are being introduced this legislative session which threaten to weaken our municipalities' local control over gas drilling.

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    2. There IS no truth in your statements. You are just another hypocritical liar shilling for the oil and gas industry. If we do not allow sexually-oriented businesses, tobacco shops or liquor stores within 1,000 feet of homes, schools and churches, then why would be ever want to allow a heavy industrial activity like oil and gas drilling in our neighborhoods?

      We never said a word about oil and gas production until it invaded our neighborhoods. By your analogy you should not object to having a halfway house for pedophiles located next door to where your kids live.

      And, quite frankly, your opinion does not matter to anybody but you. The real question is, why you are even a board that seeks limitations to urban drilling? We already know the answer.

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  5. Truth isn't "truth" just because you say so, Mr. Smith. All good attorneys know that. Denial seems to be the best way to approach all of this. There's the truth. As long as industry had complete control of the narrative, they were blissfully happy campers and in full out denial. Glad to see they don't have that "control" anymore and that fewer and fewer are buying the dangerous business they're selling. The real truth must be a bitter pill to swallow for the oil and gas industry. Amen.

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