Is it Game Over For Fracking in Arlington, TX?

3-6. That was the final score on June 9th when Arlington City Council denied TEP Barnett’s request to amend a specific use permit to establish a drill zone to sink three additional gas wells near Pioneer Parkway and State Highway 360. For the first time in over a decade the citizens prevailed against an oil and gas giant.  Public opinion about fracking has shifted significantly in recent years, and e-mails of opposition poured in to the city for this case. 

So, what caused council to suddenly do a 180?  Did they experience an epiphany? Were they punch drunk from taking repeated blows from citizens railing against these bad neighbors over the past decade? With the City of Arlington facing budgetary shortfalls during this time of COVID19, would they go out on an economic limb and risk an expensive law suit to openly defy HB40 ~ legislation which stripped municipalities of local control related to oil and gas activity? The short answer is no, and it is unlikely that this bill will be overturned any time soon due to the current political climate in Texas. Fixing the problem of gas drilling inside neighborhoods would require a workaround. Thankfully, Arlington citizens elected a Mayor skilled in the art of the deal. All bets are on that there will be new development coming soon which won’t include any new gas wells. Of course this is purely speculation. 

For now, enjoy a cold drink during this fracking intermission and stay with us until it is game over for the oil and gas industry in Arlington. 

If you missed the public hearing on June 9th, click here for that link. 

Dear Arlington, TX City Council

 

June 9, 2020

         Subject:  SUP09-21R1 (AC360 Drill Site) 2000 South Watson Road

Dear Mayor Williams and City Council Members, Dear Mayor Williams and City Council Members,

The oil and gas industry has had their knee on the necks of citizens and municipalities for too long.

We can’t breathe.

It is evident to all by now that allowing for corporate interests to explore and drill and frack for gas hundreds of feet from the fence lines where people live and children play was not only a terrible mistake but a dangerous one.  

In this particular case TEP Barnett wants a variance to an already insufficient setback of 600 feet. Approval would result in the release of tons of toxic emissions into the air we breath during a worldwide pandemic when COVID19 is attacking the respiratory systems of the weak and frail as well as the strong. Heavy industrial mining is incompatible with residential communities. We all know this, yet time after time again we witness council violating their own consciences due to a corrupted state legislature complicit with an industry that fuels their campaigns.

I implore you to come out from the shade of HB40.  This is not the time to put profits over people.  We need your help in taking the knee of oil and gas off our necks so we may live and breathe and peaceably enjoy our properties in a city which is governed in a manner which causes no harm to the most vulnerable in our community.

I pray you deny TEP Barnett’s request to establish a drill zone at the AC360 Drill Site.

Warmest regards,

 A Concerned Citizen  

xoxo

PS: 1) There was an earthquake in Joshua yesterday. https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000a7ty/executive?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ENS&utm_campaign=realtime

2) There was a gas pipeline fire on April 18th which occurred two exits to the south of proposed drill zone. Note that this happened during the quarantine.  Had it been a normal Saturday, this intersection would have been gridlocked due to Traders Village traffic and there would have been casualties.  https://youtu.be2

Arlington, Texas Government ~ Kremlin Style

2018 ushered in nearly six months of testimony and public hearings for a controversial drill zone and four additional gas wells at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. Because it was an election season, Arlington City Council strung the citizens along giving them false hope. On June 19th the decision was finalized.  Council gave Total ~ the 4th largest oil and gas company in the world, and based in France where fracking is banned ~ the green light to conduct fracking operations on church property next to and under Cravens Park and inside a residential neighborhood. 

What made this particular case high profile was a playground situated around 300 feet, a stone's throw, from the drill zone.  There was strong opposition to this case, and a high turnout of citizens from the community appeared and re-appeared at city hall during these months citing a myriad of arguments against gas drilling from the adverse health impacts, non-compatibility to residential zoning, to Total being ranked a bad player by industry standards.  

On February 13, 2018 Sharon Wilson from Earthworks brought a poster-sized image to the podium (courtesy Liveable Arlington) juxtaposing the dangerously close proximity of this playground to the drill site along with a gas mask, and when she presented these props to council, it looked as though the blood rushed out of the councilwomen's faces. It appeared as though they had seen a ghost.  Citizens hoped they may have pivoted on this issue.  

On February 27, 2018 Arlington City Council denied Total's request for a drill zone by a vote of 6-2. Total doesn't take no for an answer, so they moved the drill zone 15 or 20 feet and re-applied. Note how the May 5th municipal election had not taken place yet.  

In Mayor Williams absence with Councilwoman Capehart presiding over the meeting, the drill zone was approved the evening of May 22, 2018 with these three amendments:

1)  Sound walls for workover rigs.
2)  Electric Drill (sic)
3)  The playground be moved "expeditiously." (Scroll ahead to 3:37 mark to hear Councilwoman Victoria Farrar Myers ask for this assurance.)

A cacophony accompanied 80 citizens as they filed out of the chamber chanting, "Vote them out!  Vote them out!"

Also in Mayor Williams absence with Councilwoman Capehart presiding over the meeting, four gas wells received city council's blessing on June 19, 2018. It was universally understood by the city, the industry, the church, and the public that the playground was to be moved prior to the commencement of drilling operations.  Nearly one month had passed providing adequate time to move that equipment. Then sometime around the 4th of July holiday, a rig moves in, but the playground remained in the same location.  This display of insolence by Total and the church completely undermined the authority of our municipal government, disrespected citizens, and set a precedent for Total to break any and all rules going forward. Get ready for a fracking free-for-all.

Photograph Courtesy Fish Creek Monitor 

The City of Arlington did not assess any penalties against Total for this willful disregard of the amendment stipulating that the playground had to be moved.  Now if that wasn't egregious enough, click here and scroll ahead approximately 1:12 into the June 19, 2018 public hearing.  Notice how there are 20 seconds or so of silence between Kevin Strawser's rebuttal and the moment when the council votes. Everyone familiar with this case clearly remembers the ongoing discussion about the moving of that playground.  Now, Poof...!

Disappearing Dialogue, Kremlin Style.

During the July 16, 2018 Russia-United States Summit in Helsinki, a Reuters reporter named Jeff Mason asked President Putin, "Did you want President Trump to win the election, and did you direct any of your officials to help him do that?" Putin replied, "Yes, I did.  I did.  Because he talked about bringing the U.S.-Russia relationship back to normal."  

Curiously, the White House transcript dropped the first half of that two-part question, "Did you want President Trump to win the election?" and the Russian transcript skillfully cut out the entire exchange. Those with an interest in world politics may Click Here to watch the full video where Rachel Maddow discusses the Helsinki Summit and the disappearing transcript. 

So, you decide.  Were those moments of silence just prior to the Arlington, Texas City Council vote on June 19th to approve four controversial gas wells the result of a technical glitch in the new chamber's audio equipment, or was this dialogue - most likely discussing specific amendments related to this case - deliberately scrubbed from the record?  

We just pray for the sake of the children that Total moves the playground expeditiously.  Merriam Webster defines the word expeditious as:  marked by or acting with prompt efficiency.

Until next time, stay safe out there. We are living in dangerous political times.  

Gas Wells are Good For You

Gas Wells are good for you.  In fact, if you are not fortunate enough to have gas wells in your backyard, you are missing out on all the positive health benefits this heavy industrial activity has to offer. If you think this is satire, it is not.  This information comes straight from a City of Arlington resolution dated June 19, 2018 recommending that  Total E&P Barnett, USA, LLC  drill four additional gas wells at the Cornerstone drill site in southeast Arlington, Texas. The resolution states, 

"...The City Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the public and in support of the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens that the gas well permits be issued." 

To read the resolution in its entirety, go to this link:

https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/202503/GW18-011_GW18-012_GW18-013_GW18-014._res.pdf

Remember to take your daily dose of fracking! 
It's so good for you!

The Women make their case against Total and Gas Drilling in Arlington

Late in the afternoon on February 13th we learned that at the request of the operator, the public hearing for the SUP for the Cornerstone Drill Site was continued until February 27th.  Some activists and leaders of environmental groups ~ who happen to be all women ~ decided to appear anyway hoping the council would grant them the courtesy of speaking since this item was already posted on that evening's agenda.  Scroll ahead 28:30 minutes into the meeting to hear these women make a strong case against Total and gas drilling inside the community by Cornerstone Baptist Church on Matlock Road in Arlington, TX. The speeches were outstanding and very enlightening! 

http://arlingtontx.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=9&clip_id=2615

Thank you for visiting and check back for more updates!

*Update* The Neighborhood Gas Drilling Meeting: Total Smoke and Mirrors

Let's talk about fracking ~ or better yet ~ let's not, since that strategy seems to work in the best interest for the oil and gas industry.  Here is a photo from the February 8, 2018 neighborhood gas drilling meeting which was hosted by Total and held at the Southeast Branch Library in Arlington, Texas. Eight chairs were set up, so it didn't look as though they were expecting a crowd like in the early days of mineral leasing.  A total of six people were in attendance including the City and the Industry.  Not a single person who currently lives in the neighborhood by the Cornerstone Drill Site where future gas wells are planned to be drilled near their fence lines was at this informational meeting.  

February 8, 2018 Neighborhood Gas Drilling Meeting

The man on the left is Kevin Strawser of Total, aka TEP Barnett USA, LLC.  He is their media guy who handles government and public affairs. The woman in yellow is Jessica Youngblood, the City of Arlington's Gas Drilling Coordinator.  The other woman is Roxanne Thalman, District 3 City Council woman who narrowly won the election by two votes, and the man on the right is Todd Harshman.  He no longer lives in the neighborhood which is targeted for more gas wells but he does still own his minerals on a tiny tract of land.

Both Total and the City claim that proper notification was given to the neighbors to inform them about the industry's plan to establish a drill zone at the Cornerstone Drill Site, but we found it odd when no one from the neighborhood showed up to this important meeting on February 8th or the previous one that was held on a Wednesday evening early in January.  So, the next day we canvassed the community to speak with people whose homes back up to that site.  Not a single person that we spoke with had any knowledge about any neighborhood gas drilling meetings, but one man we spoke with received this notice informing him of a City Council Public Hearing for February 27th about the gas wells. Unfortunately, by the time the operator goes before council to get approval for these gas wells, it is probably too late for the public to be able to influence the outcome of the vote since by that time, the zoning details would have already passed through Planning & Zoning and City Council  The gas wells are pretty much a done deal once the other steps are approved.   

It looks as though the neighbors have been cut out of the process.

Clearly, there is a lack of transparency when it comes to information about gas drilling inside Arlington neighborhoods. One woman we spoke with was under the impression that the drill site had shut down following the problems that had occurred when Chesapeake was conducting operations there. She shared the incident when gas spewed and the Fire Department had to be called in.  She also told us about the nosebleeds and ongoing health issues that she has struggled with since that drill site encroached upon her neighborhood. Other neighbors had concerns about the dying trees and strange rumbling noises which would wake them up in the middle of the night when that site was active. Others talked about their damaged foundations and cracks in their walls. But no one we spoke with seemed to know about any industry-led gas drilling informational meetings about the future plans for this site and how it would impact their lives. 

Cornerstone Church seems to know what's going on because they signed a waiver, or waivers, as they own three tracts on this lease.  We tried reaching out to them to see if they might consider rescinding their waiver, but they did not return our calls. *Update* While we still haven't been able to directly speak with the pastor, Darrell Sneed, a church leader, did contact us after this blog entry was published and stated that the church had entered into a relationship...years ago... He will communicate our message to the pastor. We hope to speak directly with Reverend McKissic while there is still time.

The hearing for this case to establish a drill zone was originally scheduled for January 30th and had been continued to February 13th. Now it has been continued again until February 27, 2018 at the request of the operator.

Apparently, these people were cut out of the process as well...

Oil and Gas Tests the Waters in Arlington, Texas

On January 17, 2018 Arlington's Planning and Zoning Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a new drill zone at the Cornerstone Drill Site 319 feet from a church, homes, and businesses in Southeast Arlington.  The gas drilling ordinance requires a a setback of 600 feet, which is in no way protective of public health and safety. The Oil and Gas operator that wants to drill three additional wells (four, actually, but who's counting?) is TEP Barnett USA, LLC, a subsidiary of Total whose headquarters are located in France, a country that has banned fracking. They have acquired Chesapeake's assets, and are the fourth largest oil and gas company in the world. They have come to finish what Chesapeake started ~ to suck up the remaining gas from beneath our homes and communities and make our lives a living hell once again.

This article and video by the Guardian is by far one of the best:  

Fracking hell: what it's really like to live next to a shale gas well

 
In order to comply with the gas drilling ordinance, the operator is required to obtain waivers from 70% of the property owners who live within a 600 foot radius of the drill zone, which is the location from where multiple wells get drilled.  When P&Z approved this case, they only had 57% of the neighbors agree to a setback reduction.  Cornerstone Baptist Church, located approximately 340 feet from the nearest producing well had more sway on this decision, as they own three tracts on this lease, and they signed a waiver.  We are praying that the church leaders who made this decision will change their minds and rescind these waivers, as there is still time to save our city from the build out of gas wells. Back in 2009 Chesapeake had slated this site for 21 wells. 

It was surprising to learn that this controversial case passed with flying colors through P&Z despite the fact that the operator hadn't even applied for the proper permit with the Railroad Commission of Texas, the regulatory agency that oversees oil and gas. The applicant for this case, Kevin Strawser, must have spent many, many hours working with city staff on this project.  He also indicated that he met with Councilwoman Thalman and also attempted to reach out to neighbors to invite them to a town hall.  Word has it, no one from the neighborhood came to his meeting.

So, why would the City not require the operator to produce a permit prior to this zoning process?  Tougher restrictions are placed on Arlington residents requiring them to obtain a permit to install a new toilet or build a fence.  Soon a permit will be required to hold a garage sale to sell gently used baby clothes and bric-a-brac. None of these activities have the ability to endanger public health or safety, yet gas wells can and do explode. Heavy industrial activity is harmful to human health and disruptive to the overall quality of life. Why is a huge international corporation not held to the same standards as the citizens who live here? 

Arlington is not a city where its citizens are represented by elected officials, but rather, a place which has been taken captive by corporate interests. To brand itself as an American Dream City is nothing but a misnomer.

City Council was scheduled to hear this case on January 30th, but District 3 Councilwoman Roxanne Thalman was sick with the flu.  This case will be continued on February 13th. 

Total is testing the waters.  The oil and gas industry are predators, but what they don't realize is that while sharks may be at the top of the food chain, humans have been known to eat shark. 

The devil is in the details, and there is a wealth of information to be gleaned from this public hearing which begins at the 51 minute mark.  We hope you will watch! Stay tuned for more...  
    

Click here to view this P&Z meeting. 
 

Is Old Ogle Ogling Political Power Again in Arlington District 3?

Arlington District 3 City Council Candidate Roxanne Thalman shown with Former District 3 Arlington, TX City Councilman Wayne Ogle

This controversial photograph of Arlington District 3 City Council Candidate Roxanne Thalman with former District 3 City Councilman (1995-2005) Wayne Ogle has ruffled quite a few feathers with voters in our District. The Fish Creek Neighborhood is situated in District 3 where Ms. Thalman currently seeks political office.  This duo has made appearances out in the community and on social media lately. In fact, she even did a little name dropping at the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum mentioning Wayne Ogle's name as though it would win this Girl Scouts Troop Leader some brownie points if people knew that she was connected to him.  

  But what has she done for District 3?

This young protegee is riding on the coattails of former Councilman Wayne Ogle who ran for office 22 years ago and doesn't even live in the district anymore!  Ogle lives in District 1, on the north side of I-30 ~ the opposite side of town.  In addition, nearly 99% of Ms. Thalman's financial support totaling $31,896 has come from outside the district.  If elected, who will she represent? 

She is an interloper.

Ms. Thalman lives on the fringe of District 3 where she enjoys a nice view of a park outside the front door of her town home.   Chances are she's never mowed a lawn or seen an active drilling rig.  The scenic views from our neighborhood include gas wells and sinkholes!  This woman has not been on the same journey as we have.  Marvin Sutton, on the other hand, lives in the heart of the community and has attended town halls with frustrated neighbors whose quality of life has been seriously diminished because of gas drilling.  Will Roxanne fight for you? We doubt it.  

     

Now, according to voting records, Ms. Thalman voted in the last Republican Primary.  But not to worry ~ word has it that Wayne Ogle was also a Republican who presented himself to voters as Democratic back in 1995 in order to win his seat in District 3.  He was known as a flip-flop candidate, just like Ms. Thalman who was affiliated with the Democratic Party in Utah in 2007.  Wait. Utah!? Seems this Arlington sweetie lived in Utah and not Arlington her entire life as the campaign seems to frame it.         

We hope that the people who are screaming over social media to vote out the incumbents do not  vote for this candidate, because she is an interloper ~ bought and paid for by special interests ~ part of the good ol' boy network. 

PLEASE VOTE!!!

 We recommend Marvin Sutton for a safer, smarter, greener Arlington.  He's built a rapport with the community over the years, and nearly 62% of his total campaign contributions totaling $7,025 have come from inside the district. He will represent constituents, not outside special interests.

ELECTION DAY IS SATURDAY, MAY 6TH  
Polls are open from 7 am - 7 pm.

Click HERE to find your voting location.

Next on Fish Creek Monitor... 

One year ago Arlington, Texas, also known as The American Dream City, became a Film Friendly Community, recognized by the Texas Film Commission. Numerous movies and television shows have been filmed here over the years including Prison Break, Super Nanny, Tin Cup, and JFK to name just a few. We would like to recommend filming another fracking documentary or maybe a new episode of Sister Wives. Wouldn't that be exciting!?  Stay tuned...

Will Roxanne put on the red light in District 3?

During the city council meeting on November 29, 2016 Rivera Rivera announced with tears in his eyes that he would not seek re-election.  A few hours later a young single mother came virtually out of nowhere to announce her plan to run for Arlington City Council District 3.  Her name is Roxanne Thalman.  People in our community had never heard of her, except for the buzz around town concerning a so-called skeleton in this woman's closet. 

Last week outside the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum a married couple stood quietly across the street protesting outside the Lions Club. They claimed that Ms. Thalman wrecked their lives. Their story is absolutely gut wrenching.

During the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum last night one couple quietly protested outside. #ArlingtonTX #AmericanDreamCity pic.twitter.com/ePSxiXMG64

— Fish Creek Monitor (@Fishcreek1269) April 18, 2017

We will not speak to that incident at this time, but can show you the money because elected officials tend to represent those who support them financially. That's just Politics 101. To date, over 90% nearly 99% of Ms. Thalman's campaign contributions have come from outside District 3. Click Here for the link to the campaign finance reports.

We've highlighted one donor who piqued our curiosity. His name is Jagdip Patel, and he contributed $1001 on March 16th to the Roxanne Thalman campaign. According to TAD records, he owns a home in Southlake with a market value of $1,453,875.  These records also reveal that this individual owns substantial mineral interests with XTO in Arlington. This begs the question ~ whose side will Roxanne be on when the gas drilling ramps up again? It has been our experience that surface owners ie, people who live on top of the shale have no rights when it comes to protecting their homes and quality of life. Unfortunately, many people who own their minerals don't live here, which is why there has been such a loud outcry against oil and gas rules currently in place.  

According to Corporation Wiki, Mr. Patel has been associated with 25 companies over a 23-year period.  Records show that he is involved with the hotels industry which would probably connect him to the entertainment district of Arlington where a new one billion dollar stadium will be built on the taxpayers' dime. In light of this we especially need a candidate who's going to go to bat for residents who actually live on the southeast side where there are telltale signs of urban decay, increasing crime, and the sight of panhandlers who beg for money at major intersections.  

A generous portion of Ms. Thalman's money comes from the same individuals and groups that have been funding the incumbants.  So, while everyone continues to rant about voting out the incumbants, we have our chance to do so now before she gets elected.  Roxanne's campaign flyers claim that she will fight for us, but it's looking like her heart belongs to someone else.  Don't let her pretty little face and the powder blue signs around town fool you. She's bought and paid for ~ nothing but a rubber stamp.  

"Roxanne, you don't have to put on the red light" are the lyrics to a hit song released in 1978 by a group called The Police.  This is a song about falling in love with a prostitute, and can be allegorically reminiscent of many political campaigns throughout history.  Let's hope we turn this ship around before it's too late.  

  
Early voting begins April 24th.  Election Day is May 6th. 

 

Are Frac Ponds a Public Health Threat?

Chesapeake Energy Frac Pond located at the Fulson Drill Site 
Southeast Arlington, TX
Photograph taken by Fish Creek Monitor on 7-26-2016

Vector Disease Control International conducted round two of targeted ground spraying throughout Fish Creek neighborhood this week.  They applied the first round of a synthetic permethrin insecticidal product manufactured by Bayer the week of July 5th, but on July 22nd another mosquito tested positive for West Nile virus.

Looks like they missed the target.

A single bite from one of these tiny winged insects can produce devastating disease.  Because we noticed such a proliferation of mosquitoes since the installation of the frac pond in our community ~ and since mosquitoes have the ability to travel anywhere from 300 feet to 100 miles depending on the breed ~ we asked the City if they require gas operators to implement any sort of mosquito control program for their frac ponds.

We learned that the City of Arlington does require gas operators to treat their frac ponds with mosquito dunks, but verification of compliance is questionable at best.  There is really no way to confirm whether or not the mosquito pellets [sic] that Chesapeake applies to their pond are working to keep the mosquito population at bay. 

According to a Gas Well Specialist with the City of Arlington, this is how compliance works:  

"We (the City) go by their (Chesapeake's) word. They've been pretty honest about the things they do."

 So, how do we know if the pellets are actually working to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in these ponds?  We don't.  The City does not place mosquito traps on gas operators' private property.

Since it is possible that frac ponds might be contributing to mosquito-borne illness, why not require operators to fill them in with dirt?  Chesapeake hasn't drilled any new wells at the Fulson Site since 2012, so there is no need for a pond at this time.  This would be a legitimate request by citizens to ask of their council representatives. Why take the chance of even one person contracting the West Nile or Zika virus?  In the early days of mineral lease signing, landmen pitched the idea that frac ponds would be amenities to the community.  Now people know better.

 Ban the frac ponds.

Doing away with frac ponds in city limits could actually be a win-win for everyone.  It was done at Chesapeake's Rocking Horse Drill Site back in 2012.   Gas operators would still be able to access water for fracking through the installation of above-ground frac tanks/pools which can be easily taken down after completion of a gas well.  XTO, in fact, uses them on a regular basis. Ridding the city of these stagnant man-made reservoirs which waste acreage would not only free up land for future development, but would eliminate a potential breeding habitat for mosquitoes.  

In 2015 fossil fuel advocates influenced the Texas Legislature to pass HB40.  This bill essentially strips away local control from municipalities to regulate fracking with some exceptions such as truck traffic, noise, and setbacks to some degree as long as these restrictions are "commercially reasonable" for the operator.  However, this bill does not specifically address frac ponds.  Since operators could still gain access to an alternative water source, it would seem reasonable that Arlington, a home rule city, could be a role model for other nearby communities by shoring up its ordinance to address this potential public health threat of mosquito-borne illness.  

Our State's overreach of HB40 may have banned fracking bans, but it doesn't specifically prohibit the banning of  frac ponds. Because of the number of cases of  mosquito-borne illnesses in North Texas, this may be a subject worth thinking about.  

In case you missed Chesapeake's Big Boy, click here to meet him.
 

The Fort Worth Earthwake

For some reason this particular earthquake notification from USGS did not arrive in our inbox.  Weird.  It did appear across our Twitter feed from DFW Scanner and other news sources.  It was a big one, and many in Fort Worth felt it.

Here's the USGS link:  M3.0 - 2km NNE of Haslet

Lots of fracking near Haslet!

Railroad Commission of Texas GIS map of oil and gas wells as of 11/17/2015

(Reference key is on the left.  Each black line represents a horizontal well bore.  Red Circles without black lines indicate vertical wells.) 

Shortly after tweeting this map, we wanted to research some of these wells, but they disappeared from the website.  Perhaps it was a glitch.  It is working now.  

Time will tell if this earthquake was an isolated incident, or whether a known or unknown fault has been awakened.  We are not sure how it can be put back to sleep once it wakes up.  An ungodly amount of fluid has been injected AND extracted beneath this region of North Texas.  

Icymi ~ Read this Wall Street Journal article written by Russell Gold circa 2005: 

Drilling for Natural Gas Faces a Sizable Hurdle:  Fort Worth  

Thanks, Westchester Gasette for that Freudian slip!   

A Woo-Hoo Moment ***Update***

I spent the morning working alongside the Fish Creek Neighbors on the Linear Trail picking up a TON of litter that the heavy rains washed onto the wooded areas.  It was dirty, back-breaking work, so afterwards I took a hot bath, drank a glass of wine and decided to watch Tuesday night's City Council meeting that I missed.  Then the urge came on to write a blog post. 

The hot topic of discussion at this meeting was an item from Executive Session ~ an oil and gas lease with Vantage Energy.  A Chesapeake oil and gas lease was also on the agenda under Executive Session, but the focus for this story is the Vantage lease.  

Vantage is the operator that experienced a well blowout in April causing mandatory evacuations of many nearby residents.  This mishap spilled 42,000 gallons of produced water down residential streets and into our city storm drains.  This is also the same operator that delayed reporting this accident to our Fire Department for approximately two hours.  They don't sound like a very prudent operator.  Following an investigation, the City made a determination to allow them to Frack On on that LABC drill site.  It was a disappointment that they did not order Vantage to lock the gates and plug the wells after that fiasco.  Now they are building out that site, but that is a story for another day.  One of those West Arlington neighbors should start a blog. 
   
Although the surface location for this Vantage Energy lease is in Fort Worth, well bores would be directionally drilled and fractured under a portion of Lake Arlington, the City's drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of people.  

The speeches by Arlington and Dallas residents addressed a myriad of concerns ranging from the risk of contamination to our drinking water supply to the potential for an earthen dam failure which could be catastrophic.  Earthquakes, air pollution and climate change were also mentioned as serious issues associated with this type of heavy industrial activity.  

Fracking.  What's not to love? 

Robert Shepard (At-Large) was absent, and Jimmy Bennett (At-Large) made the motion to approve these oil and gas leases. Shame on you, Mr. Bennett!  Since there was no second, Robert Rivera then made a motion to deny, seconded by Sheri Capehart. The outcome of the vote was 7-1.   

 ***UPDATE***  

We received new information from the City Secretary's office today that there was dialogue immediately following this vote which was not clearly audible to online viewers.  While both items 1 and 2 were denied, Charlie Parker, District 1 Councilman, wanted to make sure that it goes on public record that he voted "No" on item 2  (ie, saying yes to a Chesapeake oil and gas lease on City property by Little Road and Little School Road) making the vote on item two 6-2.  So, there you have it ~ two Arlington Councilmen whose names deserve recognition in the City Hall of Shame.   

  Click Here to watch the November 10, 2015 City Council Meeting.

It was curious to witness what appeared to be a pivot ~ or maybe it was an eddy turn by seven out of eight council members present at the meeting.  Is there a skilled canoe man out there who can confirm this move?  We suspect it might have been a strategical maneuver to turn the negative PR around.   But most definitely, it was a "Woo-Hoo Moment" for mostly everyone in the chamber that night.