Proximity is Everything

Remember that pastor of Overcoming Faith Christian Center who was very much in favor of the proposed drill site?  Out of curiosity we googled the address he provided at the Arlington City Council Public Hearing on February 21, 2012 just to see how close in proximity he lives to that site.   What we discovered is that his property was featured in  North Texas Luxury .   It sounds quite nice.  Here is that write up:

 Wednesday, April 27, 2011

"Exquisite Mediterranean Villa Nestled in Mansfield, Texas - Who Could Be The Owner?

Take Highway 287 south and exit Turner Warnell - welcome to Mansfield, Texas. Mansfield is known for its country-like atmosphere with close proximity to the DFW Metro; hence, some big-timers flock to Mansfield in search of their paradise estate. Once clear example is the Mediterranean villa at 2401 Nelson Wyatt Road. The 11,180 sq. foot palace is heavily gated with heaping berms so rubberneckers, like myself, are not directly able to view the residence. I snapped a quick picture of the gate house and gated entrance, but kept it at that for privacy reasons. Excited to see who the owner was, I readily looked up the address in the appraisal district.

As it turns out, the Tarrant Appraisal District, for privacy reasons, lists high-end residents as "Current Owners" on the owner information thus not providing an owner's name. "Current Owner" shows to be the owner of 2401 Nelson Wyatt which tells me that someone very important lives in this 2008-built hidden villa. I wonder who the owner could be..."

He wasn't kidding when he said he is a fanatic about aesthetics.  There is also a good buffer zone of more than two miles between the proposed Overcoming Faith Drill Site and his home, so his family probably won't be awakened in the middle of the night by loud noises and strange odors.  We are relieved about that.

Heroine of the Week

Arlington's Heroine of the week...

In case you didn't click on the hyperlink above, Click Here

In the Name of Audubon

Previously, we mentioned  that Edge Resources announced  their acceptance into the Signature Program of Audubon.  We've corrected that original blog post  since there was confusion regarding the use of the use of the name Audubon.  CLARIFICATION:  Audubon International is in no way affiliated with the Audubon Society.  They are two entirely different entities. 

In fact, in 1991 the Audubon Society tried to sue in order to prevent Audubon International from using their name, but a judge ruled that the Audubon Society did not own exclusive rights to that name nor did it cause confusion.  Well it certainly confused us! 

Audubon Society’s Mission is "to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity."

Audubon International primarily partners with golf courses or hotels by promoting "green consciousness".

Since Tierra Verde Golf Course and the Martin Luther King Sports Complex - both adjacent to the proposed Overcoming Faith Drill Site -  are already certified Signature members of Audubon International, Edge thought they would try that too.  What a novel idea!

First of all, we must clarify that Edge is NOT currently certified.  They have merely been ACCEPTED into the program through an application process similar to that of a student being accepted into a university.   The next step would be a long process according to Mike Martinez, partner of Edge Resources.

It sounds like the big gas mafia may be trying to put lipstick on a pig again, but nevertheless we eagerly await to see how Edge plans to show Audubon International how they will protect a sensitive natural environment while exploiting natural gas on a 8.446-wooded acre tract of land.  That is where the rubber will meet the road!   Is this another public relations stunt by a desperate industry whose popularity is waning in communities? 

During our discussion Mr. Martinez shared these questions that the industry is asking:

• "Can we co-exist?" 
• "Can we do things to be accepted by environmental groups?" 

His final comment ended with,  "We believe we are good stewards of the land on our other properties."

Perhaps you need to decide whether this:

Tandy Hills Natural Area, Fort Worth
http://fwcando.org/node/394

and this:

Tierra Verde Golf Club

  

and this:

 

Can Co-exist with this:

and this, (click here)

 

 

Fulson Drill Site, Arlington, TX

or even worse - this:

http://nyad.org

During the council meeting Shea Kirkman, representative of Edge Resources, admitted that Audubon International "doesn't know alot about this business".  Perhaps those of us on the shale can clue them in.  The Signature office telephone number in Henderson, KY is (270) 869-9419.  Nancy Richardson, their director, can also be reached via e-mail:  nrichardson@auduboninternational.org 

If Edge Resources becomes a certified member of Audubon International, will this set a precedent for others in the oil & gas industry to paint a faux green image to the public? 

Good Neighbors Keep Their Noise to Themselves

Our Good Neighbors don't know how to keep their noise to themselves.  It is now day 11 of this:

Fulson Drill Site, Arlington, TX

Operated by Chesapeake

Wouldn't a good neighbor simply abate the noise?

Here is the City of Arlington's response to these noise complaints dated 2/21/12:

   

Staff from the Fire Department and Community Development departments have investigated your complaints, including one from the weekend, regarding this issue on multiple occasions. Based on those investigations, there is not a violation of current city ordinances.

James F. Parajon, AICP

Community Development and Planning Director

101 West Abram Street

Arlington, TX 76004

Perhaps Arlington isn't aware that their 'recently revised' ordinance disregards the 1974 EPA noise rules to protect public health.  Here is what the Arlington ordinance says: 

The adopted ordinance does contain specific standards in regard to noise, including low frequency sounds. Ordinance 11-068 says that no operator shall produce a low-frequency outdoor noise levels that exceed the following decibel levels:

16 Hertz octave band:	65 dB
32 Hertz octave band:	65 dB
64 Hertz octave band:	65 dB

In a recent interview with a neighbor she said that she isn't bothered by the noise.  Did we mention she wears earplugs and takes Ambien?

Looking on the sunny side, all of this sleep deprivation is giving us more waking hours to write lots of blog stories and we hope to have many more to come.  

Overcoming Faith About to Get Fracked

Has the oil & gas industry reached an all-time low by coming up with a brand new strategy?  At last night's Arlington, TX City Council Meeting Edge Resources announced that they are the first oil & gas member of a signature program of the Audubon Society International.  (Editor: Really??)

A wildlife inventory will be conducted followed by recommendations on how to reduce environmental impact.  They are proposing to drill on a new site  near Highway 287 and Eden Road which is currently heavily wooded but have proposed to preserve vegetation. 

A pastor of Overcoming Faith Church spoke about how excited he is about the proposed drill site because it will bring in so many jobs to the community.  I wonder if their gas will be supernatural just like Highpoint's?  I am happy that he feels blessed to be on the Barnett Shale.  He is also a fanatic on aesthetics and care of the land.  He said that twice.  Something tells me this preacher man has never seen an active drill site in his life.

http://youtu.be/js5vVSpWwEw

A psychiatrist from the adjacent Sundance Hospital and Alzheimer's Facility spoke in opposition stating he did not even hear about this project until this week.  He reasoned that many patients are suicidal or psychotic and come to their facility to experience a serene environment.  A drill site would also hinder their plans for expansion. 

In spite of there being over 60 individuals in favor and only a small handful in opposition, the three women on the Arlington Council -  Sheri Capehart, Kathryn Wilemon, and Lana Wolff had the sensibility to vote 'NO' on approving the newly proposed drill site.  Kudos to the ladies!!  The four men on the council voted unanimously to approve it.  I guess women are just smarter than men at some things.

It's Not Rocket Science

Fulson Drill Site, Arlington, TX

Operated by Chesapeake

 

One week has passed since the walls came down, and we are still hearing the hum. The hum is waking us up at night, and the hum is causing pain in our heads and eardrums. Since our city was unable to figure out where that noise was coming from, we decided to take a peek for ourselves. This short video allows you to hear it.   This is a generator for spot lights. Why couldn't our city figure this out and correct the nuisance?   It's not rocket science.

Can these new industrial noises be causing health problems in individuals, specifically dizziness? We are hearing many reports of unexplained dizziness from Arlington residents since the onset of urban drilling.   It appears that this 'shale gas syndrome' shares some similarities with  wind turbine syndrome in that exposure to low frequency noise can cause  vibroacoustic disease.

  

The industry never warned us about all of this.  All they said was that we would never know they were here. 

The Arlington Hum

Perhaps you have heard of the Bristol Hum (England), Largs Hum (Scotland), Copenhagen Hum (Denmark), Vancouver Hum (Canada), Taos Hum (New Mexico USA), and the Kokomo Hum (Indiana USA).  Let us now introduce to you the Arlington Hum.

We were unaware when those sound walls came down the other day at the Fulson Drill Site that the 'temporary' compressor which had been there since November was going to remain.   The city has not responded to our inquiry as to how long temporary means.  We are currently on day 4 of sleep deprivation possibly due to industrial low frequency noise that appears to be coming from that site.

Compressors and other types of industrialized machines produce annoying low frequency noise (LFN), which can cause Vibroacoustic Disease (VAD).

Vibroacoustic Disease (VAD) is a whole body noise-induced pathology caused by long-term exposure to low frequency noise that is not necessarily related to the ear.   

Long term exposure to low frequency noise may lead to severe medical conditions such as heart problems, stroke, cancer, epilepsy, rage reactions, and even suicide.

Individuals, particularly children living within several miles of low frequency noise generating gas compressor stations or other noise generating equipment can be at risk of vibroacoustic disease. 

VAD can be diagnosed with the echocardiogram which can reveal any thickening of  the heart structures. 

There are countries that recognize damage to the human body caused by low frequency noise - Canada, Netherlands, Britain, Portugal, Japan, and Australia to name a few.   Notice the United States is not mentioned? 

As Arlington marches onward with the industrialization of natural gas mining, we might be hearing more of  THE HUM.

The Walls Are Coming Down!

It's been a long four months at the Fulson/West Wing/Forks pad site...

The walls are coming down today.

Hopefully, we'll catch up on our sleep now.

The stack of blankets

Good night...

Welcome to Fish Creek Neighborhood

Fulson Drill Site located in the Fish Creek Neighborhood, Arlington, TX

Neighborhood Goals

1. Promote Fish Creek Neighborhood as a Welcoming Place 
2. Create a Safe Environment for the Fish Creek Neighborhood 
3. Encourage Community Partnerships and Academic Excellence for Fish Creek
   Neighborhood Schools
4. Promote Pedestrian Accessibility in the Fish Creek Neighborhood 
5. Promote Fish Creek Neighborhood as a Clean and Beautiful Place 
IMPORTANT UPDATE:  Click HERE to discover what's in that steam.

http://www.arlingtontx.gov/planning/asni/pdf/FishCreek/Neighborhood_Boundary_Map_with_landmarks.pdf

Partnership?

Since our home was gassed at two in the morning back in April 2011 due to a large emissions release at the Fulson Drill Site, I thought it might be a good idea to attend the Arlington City Council work session on February 7, 2012 to hear about the fire department's new preparedness effort.

At that meeting Fire Chief Don Crowson presented a proposal to the council whereby they would charge a nominal fee of $2,454 per well x 326 wells totaling $800K.   That cost would cover a half dozen firefighters, monitoring equipment, detectors, protective suits, and some other stuff.  The confusing part came in when he explained that the fee would be significantly reduced when, for instance, we have 1,000 wells permitted.  1,000 Wells????  That's what I call a bulk discount! Yep, that's right.  The total program will still cost $800K. 

The chief also emphasised the City's "Partnership with the industry"  stating that, "They are not our enemy."    Perhaps he is not aware that the industry views drilling opponents as insurgents.   

Arlington City Councilman Mel LeBlanc - who is also  Founder and Managing Partner of Shale Play Advisors, LLC -  seemed uneasy about these fees saying that he "doesn't have a feeling from industry experts and wants their perspective first" and suggested that, "we get industry feedback  getting three or four of those companies to critique this."  Gee, I don't see any conflicts of interest here - do you?   

And finally, Chief Crowson emphasized how "we are not trying to regulate the industry."  Since when did it become taboo to regulate such a potentially dangerous industry operating mere yards from homes, schools, and public spaces which has the capability of blowing up an entire neighborhood?   Let's hope that never happens.