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.
 

Arlington, TX: The Undeveloped Land

Undeveloped Land next to Chesapeake's Fulson Drill Site, So. Hwy. 360, Arlington, TX

Fracking damages the land.  Not only does it damage the land inside the perimeter of these beige, cosmetic masonry walls of pad sites, but it also ruins potential land use for the surrounding area.  The land depicted in this picture has remained barren since the City zoned the Fulson Drill Site in 2009.  Let's face it, no one wants to develop property that is adjacent to a heavy industrial mining site where gas gathering pipelines criss-cross its span ~ unless, perhaps, they give away the land at a deeply discounted price.  

Now, zoning an industrial use next to a fracking site would not be so objectionable if there were not already 60 or so sites in Arlington which are zoned for residential neighborhoods.  So, just what DO you do when you learn that the pie-in-the-sky master plan that the oil and gas industry pitched to our City six years ago was just a pipe dream, and we now have to deal with the nightmare of the fracking aftermath ~ Undeveloped Land all across the "American Dream City?" 

Well, some developers seem to think it is just fine to build homes next to existing drill sites.  There are no laws prohibiting them from doing so, but just because you can doesn't mean you should.  It's wrong.  This complex issue is about private property rights, but it is also about ethics.  Doing the right thing.  The Makens Company wants the City to change the zoning from commercial to residential for their property on South Highway 360 next to Chesapeake's Fulson Drill Site.  

It would be a terrible tragedy if an unsuspecting young couple purchased their dream home, gave birth to a child, and adopted a pet only to awaken one morning to a looming drilling rig outside their child's bedroom window.  This can and has happened because Texas has no disclosure laws requiring sellers to tell potential buyers that these homes are next to a drill site and that heavy industrial mining activity could occur at any time into perpetuity.  This very situation is what led Denton residents to work toward a fracking ban which our Oiligarchy State overturned when they passed HB40.

Arlington's gas drilling ordinance does not address reciprocal setbacks for new development going in next to existing drill sites.  Mansfield's ordinance doesn't either, and look at the fiasco that is happening there:

New home construction next to gas drilling site on Debbie Lane in Mansfield, TX

Arlington's current gas-drilling ordinance mandates a 600-foot setback from a protected use with a variance to 300 feet, but this measurement is taken from the wellhead, not the pad wall.  We have gone to our City on numerous occasions asking for an ordinance revision, but they keep kicking the can down the road.  It appears they enjoy basking in the shade of HB40. 

Now, the City of Arlington seems to be in a hurry to meet with the Fish Creek Neighbors ~ so much in a hurry that we are told by one resident that this meeting cannot wait another day.  We don't even know the time, but we know the date and the place of this meeting ~ Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church.  Since Monday is Labor Day, we will meet on Tuesday.  This will ensure low turnout, which is what we believe the City is counting on.  Here is the e-mail that arrived in my box on Friday:

Jim Makens, the property owner of the site behind the gas well site and QT, would like to discuss his plans for developing his property with our neighborhood residents. He is thinking single family residential development and would like to go for a rezoning.
Since our neighborhood has a formal Neighborhood Plan in place with the City of Arlington, he is required to contact us. See below for the Neighborhood Plan.
We will try to get a meeting set up with the developer for ...Monday, Tuesday or Thursday evening next week. We are looking for tentative RSPV's from our residents. More info. to follow.

http://webapps.arlingtontx.gov/…/neighborhood_plan_FishCree…

(Note that gas drilling is NOT mentioned in the Fish Creek Neighborhood Plan.)

We certainly hope that Chesapeake plans to plug those three wells if the City approves a zoning change for The Makens Company, because gas drilling in such close proximity to a neighborhood is downright dangerous.  These two land uses are clearly incompatible.  These wells are experiencing declining production anyway.  The trickling royalty checks arrive with less frequency ~ and the amount barely covers a family's pizza and coke for Friday night dinner.  

Stay tuned, and we'll update this story as we learn more details...

In the meantime, here is an important back story:

Arlington, TX:  A Damaged Land 

Spring at Fish Creek

Mother Nature has showered upon us bountiful rains this spring... 

Fish Creek, Southeast Arlington, TX  5-17-2015

Texas was dry.  People across the State had been praying for rain.  Barnhart, a small Texas town, ran out of water,  The oil and gas industry sucked massive quantities of this precious resource for fracking.   In case you missed it:

A Texas Tragedy:  Ample Oil, No Water.

Click Here to see the United States Drought Monitor.

During our epic drought in the summer of 2011, there were many strange water shenanigans happening in Arlington, Texas.  One church made a special deal with Chesapeake to supply them with water for fracking by running water pipelines from their decorative pond across the highway to a drill site.  Our City treated it as a cash cow by selling it to gas operators.  Grand Prairie had a water moratorium in place due to the drought, but that didn't stop Chesapeake.  They hauled Arlington water across the city line, violating the site stipulations for the Fulson Drill Site.  Here are those back stories:

Oh, My. 

What the Quack is Going On? 

  Local Cities Selling Water to Natural Gas Companies

While we've received copious amounts of rain this spring, and Fish Creek is full, the State is not yet out of the woods as far as the drought is concerned.   And citizens have a long battle ahead due to the recent power grab by our State and the industry because Governor Greg Abbott just signed HB40 into law today.   But the lakes and creeks are full, so for now we can enjoy this miraculous gift.  

    

 Spring.  Antonio Vivaldi

FLIR on Fish Creek's Fulson

Chesapeake, the Good Neighbor

At least that's what they told us... when the landman talked about a well that we would never know was there...

 Fulson Drill Site located on South Hwy. 360 near Sublett Road in Arlington, TX

Over Thanksgiving weekend Sharon Wilson, Gulf Regional Organizer, came to Arlington with Earthworks' new FLIR GF320 Infrared Camera in tow.  She has received proper certification to operate this specialty camera which carries a hefty price tag of around $80,000.  She travels all around the region detecting and recording gas leaks in real time.  

Our first stop on the itinerary was the Fulson Drill Site.  We saw emissions spewing from the gas lift compressor positioned at the north end of the pad.  The Fish Creek Neighbors have been inhaling these VOC's for several years now.  Because these plumes cannot be seen with the naked eye, it works out quite well for the industry.  Many residents in this area wrestle with health issues, and these pollution plumes which billow and blow in our direction can only contribute to ill health, both physically and emotionally.  It was an extremely windy day, but despite meteorological conditions, the camera did capture a snapshot of what's spewing into our air shed 24/7.

Please know that this camera is NOT merely detecting heat as the industry would have you believe.   It pinpoints GAS LEAKS.  Click HERE for the detailed list of what this FLIR GF320 camera is able to detect.  There is scientific evidence proving that exposure to these gases carries serious health risks to humans.  In addition, the volatile nature of these gases places entire communities at risk for fires and explosions.

We have been asking our City to acquire one of these cameras because we have not felt safe since nearly 60 of these heavy industrial mining sites got permitted in our city.  It's been perplexing trying to understand why our gas well inspectors haven't been utilizing these cameras all along when conducting quarterly inspections of drill sites.  So, we presented this suggestion at a town hall meeting.  Our City Manager, Trey Yelverton, concluded that this was not necessary since our State (TCEQ) handles air complaints, and our City would not want to over-regulate.  Now that this video and others have been released showing definite leaks ~ and they all leak ~ we wonder what Arlington will do now to protect the people who live here or visit the "American Dream City."  
 
So, who benefits from all this clean energy? (sarcasm)  The Fish Creek neighbors do ~ a little.  On rare occasions a royalty check comes in the mail averaging $7 or $8 per month.  This neighborhood owns 50% of their minerals, while Union Life Insurance Company retained the other half.   Also, since there are three leaseholds on the Fulson Drill Site, (Fulson, West Wing, and Forks) neighbors only receive royalties off of ONE lease.  Wells drilled and fracked off the other two leases produce collateral damage to nearby residents while people living elsewhere get to enjoy the monetary benefits.  But, that's a story for another day... 

Faux Surveillance

A group of thieves is moving this way!!!

 

This time Chesapeake is the victim.   According to incident reports obtained via an open records request, thieves are breaking onto gas drill sites and stealing copper wire.  Apparently, Chesapeake told the City that was the reason why so many of their drill sites did not have  lightning arrestor systems or grounding in place.  Good excuse.  Although they failed inspection for this particular deficiency at numerous sites, only two reports of theft turned up in our search.  One incident occurred at the infamous Bruder Site.  An Arlington Detective spoke to the Chesapeake Energy Security Manager.  Here is an excerpt of that conversation:

"There is no video evidence from this offense or any witnesses... the Arlington well sites do not have upgraded security like the ones in Fort Worth and Johnson County and believes a group of thieves from that area is moving this way."

Despite no witnesses, no video evidence, the reportee ~ a pumper who works for Chesapeake ~  provided the dispatching officer a lengthy narrative including the names of possible suspects who happen to  drive a red Chevy pickup truck.  All heresay.

We called a city in Johnson County to check out the security manager's statement.  We spoke with Erik Welch, Burleson's Gas Well Coordinator.  (Erik previously worked under Collin Gregory before Collin became Arlington's Gas Well Coordinator.)

We learned that Burleson's security requirements ARE more stringent than Arlington's.  Their gas drilling ordinance mandates cameras in high pedestrian areas and any sites within 1,000 feet of a building or public gathering space.  Cameras must capture CLEAR video images as well as traffic entering and exiting the gate.  It must also capture CLEAR images of on-site production equipment AND be equipped with motion detection and  panning technology.  Video data must be maintained 400 hours, include the date and time, and have the capability to be viewed at a monitoring facility. 

Arlington's gas drilling ordinance is weak and poorly written.
Click here and go to Section 7.01 item 25 for a comparison. 

 

We hope  Chesapeake's Project Manager found the cameras they were looking for.  

We found some great deals on E-Bay!! 

The Parking Ticket

      On January 22, 2013  Lynda Gearheart, Project Manager for Chesapeake, told the Arlington,TX City Council that security cameras are difficult to come by.  Installation of a camera was one stipulation for approval of a gas well permit at the controversial  Rocking Horse Drill Site.  Click Here for that backstory.  

 

In this video clip from January 22, 2013 City Councilmen Charlie Parker and Robert Rivera question Ms. Gearheart about that security camera:

Below is a document obtained by a citizen via an open records request through the City of Arlington.  These are gas drilling citations that were issued in the spring of 2014.   Security cameras must be in short supply because more than 18 months have passed and ~ as these citations reveal ~ many of their drill sites still do not have cameras!  When we called the City for a status update, they said that Chesapeake is working on it.  Come on, guys, time's up!

Gas Drilling Citations Arlington, Texas by fishcreekmonitor

Let's zoom in to examine one ticket:

 

What would Minnie the Meter Maid say about issuing gas drilling violations on parking tickets?

    Darlene (Sunnie) Minney Hubbard

 Photo Attribution Grand Prairie Historical Organization

Arlington treats gas drilling violations no differently than expired parking meters!  Perhaps they want us to believe that gas drilling in residential neighborhoods is innocuous.  Well, we know better.  These are dangerous industrial mining sites in our neighborhoods ~ not bakeries!  We live near them, experience the impacts, and study the issues.

Notice that the company names are left off every citation.  Is this intentional?  Throwing workers under the bus.  Glenn Stetson's name appears on many of these citations.  He is a Production Superintendent for Chesapeake. This seems unfair because after the third offense, this civil citation turns into a criminal matter.  It just wouldn't be right to press charges against a young newlywed when it is the City's responsibility to enforce the ordinance AND the company's responsibility to comply with it.  

Curiously, the names of the drill sites are not listed on the citations either.  Where's the transparency?  If you wish to obtain records for a particular gas drill site, you must ask specifically by address or else no records will turn up.  The City may charge for the records, but there is no charge for our tip!

We would like to point out that the last ticket in the bundle belongs to Atlas Resource Partners who acquired Titan Operating, LLC.  They have an interest in 12,000 oil and gas wells with assets of $200 million. 

 They paid their fine.   

 

If an Arlington meter maid ever issues you a parking ticket, here's how you can look up the amount of your fine.  (A city employee taught us how to do this.)  Let's practice by looking up the aforementioned code for the gas drilling violation since both are handled exactly the same way:
  
1)  Go to the City of Arlington's new website:  We've provided the link.  

Click Here.

2)  At the top right-hand side of the page click on the green tab that says 

Pay Online

3)  Now scroll down the page until you see a grouping of 8 large boxes.  Click on the blue box with a picture of a police officer that says

 "PAY Traffic Ticket."

4)  On the left hand side of the page is a heading that says, "Fine Amounts."  

    Select "Civil Fines."

5)  You will now see a 13-page listing of Civil Offenses.  Code 5655 is on page 10.  The  offense for this code is "Misc. Violation Flammable or Combustible Liquids - IFC Chapter 34."

The Penalty for each offense is $130.

As of Friday, July 25, 2014 Chesapeake has NOT PAID any of these tickets.  

   
A civil hearing is scheduled for September 24th at 2:00 p.m at the Arlington Municipal Courthouse.  Anyone who wishes to attend this hearing must check in by 8:00 a.m. 

If you are seeking an exciting new career as a meter maid,  here is salary information:

Thanks for visiting our community blog!  

Y'all come back soon for more updates and be sure to follow us on Twitter @Fishcreek1269.  

When Lightning Strikes

Having spent many summer days down at the Jersey Shore, the word saltwater conjures up images of the beach and the way an accidental gulp of ocean water tastes.  So, naturally, when the oil and gas landmen came into our communities talking about the saltwater, it sounded as benign as a day at the beach.  

What we learned later was horrifying.  This "produced water/saltwater/brine" as the industry calls it, is far from benign.  It is up to 30 times saltier than ocean water and contains toxic metals, chemicals, and radioactivity.  This by-product of oil and gas is stored in tanks next to our homes, schools, and businesses throughout North Texas.  

On July 7th lightning struck a North Dakota saltwater facility sending hot flames and thick, black plumes in the air.  According to an article in Fuel Fix dated July 8, 2014,  

"North Dakota and other oil producing states do not require companies to install lightning protection systems on their oil field facilities."   

Arlington, Texas does.  

In fact, as stated in the Fire Prevention Code, gas well operators are required to install lightning arrestor systems at their facilities on all gas well tanks and equipment:

We scrolled through inspection reports and found that Chesapeake FAILED ~ not only at the Fulson Site located in the Fish Creek Neighborhood ~ but at many gas drill sites throughout the City.

Since it's VERY tricky to find gas drilling information on the City's newly designed website, we've linked to Chesapeake's quarterly inspection reports for you.  Click here to see if your gas well site is in violation. 

Let's hope and pray they comply with the ordinance before the next storm.  I hear thunder as I write this post.

Click on Link Below to View Video: 

 Natural Gas Pad Struck by Lightning in Bradford County

Double Dipping

We hear that Chesapeake may be double-dipping:

"Chesapeake Energy improperly deducted expenses from royalty payments and violated other terms of its drilling lease with a prominent Fort Worth family, a state appeals court ruled this week in one of several such suits working their way through the legal system." 

To read full article written by Jim Fuquay of the Star Telegram, click here.

Many people are under the impression that cities, school districts, and prominent families are the only ones with the ability to file lawsuits against big Oil and Gas companies.  This is not true.  

Currently, McDonald Law Firm in Fort Worth is representing plaintiffs in contingency cases involving underpayment of royalties. This is NOT a class-action lawsuit.  Individual mineral owners will be POOLED into units.  We like to think of it as a gas drilling signing party in reverse.

So, why not join the party while there's still time by contacting Jill Moore of McDonald Law Firm.  Her phone number is (817) 717-5081.  Their attorneys will need to review the specific language in your lease to determine whether or not you have a solid case.   We're confident that the Fish Creek Neighbors have a strong case since we have one of the best leases in town. 

And, remember, when you go to a party, don't double dip the chips.  It'll get you into trouble every time. 

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/03/07/5631028/court-finds-chesapeake-made-improper.html#storylink=cpy

Don't Mess with Texas Women

Congratulations, Chesapeake!!  It looks like another anti-fracking activist was born when one of your drill sites spewed toxic gas and wastewater near resident's homes during an ice storm.  Fort Worth resident, Janice Colston contacted us early this morning:

"Please pray for me. At 5:30 a.m. my dog woke me up to let him out and I heard another loud sound coming from across the street at the gas well. I looked out and saw the gas escaping. I couldn't leave because of the ice on the street. I called the fire department and the Chesapeake emergency numbers and they managed to shut it down. I am really struggling. It seems that we can't live in this neighborhood."

This is not the first time this sort of event has happened near Janice's home.  It also happened on the evening of November 2nd.  The Fort Worth Star Telegram wrote about that initial gas release, but the article is confusing because it it reports: 

"City officials in Fort Worth, Arlington and Denton say such incidents are not common."  

(Maybe that is a typo.)

The story goes on to read:

"Ed Ireland, who heads the industry-sponsored Barnett Shale Energy Education Council, called the shutdown systems “highly reliable” and simple to use. “Most of these producing sites within cities have what’s called ‘the big red button.’ And that’s the training: You enter the site and push the button,” Ireland said.  

"Those procedures didn’t work as scripted, however, that evening at Chesapeake’s well site at 6990 Ederville Road, at the southeast corner of Interstate 30 and East Loop 820, near Janice Colston’s home."

(We understand the fire department did not have access to the pad site.)

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/12/03/5388994/leaks-at-urban-gas-wells-uncommon.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/12/03/5388994/leaks-at-urban-gas-wells-uncommon.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Click here for the full story.  

Below is a satellite image showing the close proximity of this Fort Worth, Texas gas drill site in relation to homes and a park:

Arial view of Ederville Gas Drill Site, Fort Worth, Texas

Do these operators have no shame?  We feel for all the people in North Texas who are prisoners in their own homes.   It is tragic that so many residents are traumatized by gas drilling activities in their own backyards.  It's time to stop the madness.  Time to end the greed.  Time to stop messing with Texas women!

Gaping Fracking Loopholes Usher in Reckless New Development

How close is too close?  How about 40 feet downwind?  That is the approximate distance between this newly constructed office building to an existing Chesapeake operated drill site in Arlington, Texas.   How did the developer manage to get this done when the City's gas drilling ordinance mandates a setback distance of 600 feet from the drill zone to a protected use, unless of course a waiver is obtained which happens quite frequently?  We have learned that not only in Arlington, but also in adjacent cities, that this rule applies only for existing housing developments, hospitals, schools, daycare facilities, etc.  Apparently, most Texas municipalities believe that the "Rights" of a private property owner supersede the health and safety of those individuals who will be faced with living, going to work or conducting business near these locations.  

Newly constructed medical office building adjacent to the Rocking Horse Gas Drill Site located near the intersection of South Collins Street  and Caplin Drive in Arlington, TX.

This Moat-like frac pond used to be where the newly constructed medical office building is now located.  We hope they tamped down the soil well enough.  Arlington's Mayor and the developer wanted Chesapeake to remove the frac pond in order to develop that land.  Click here to see that Epic City Council  meeting where Mayor Cluck tells Charles Davis of Chesapeake that they can drill 80 wells there if they want to.  (Mr. Davis is no longer employed by Chesapeake.)

From the side door to the retaining wall we counted 25 footsteps which equates to roughly 21 feet!  We did not measure the additional few feet from the edge of the wall to the edge of the padside, but it appears to be less than 20 feet. 

• A 600 foot setback is far from being protective; however, if this setback applies to existing developments, it should also apply for future ones.  Otherwise, we just have another gaping loophole big enough for a Mack truck to drive through.  Just because something is legal doesn't make it morally right.  Where are all the right-wing Christian legislators when we need them most?

A Whoosh and a Boom

Now what's going on at Chesapeake's Bruder Gas Drill Site?

On Tuesday night, September 17th residents called 911 when they heard a loud whoosh and a boom.  Here's an e-mail one neighbor sent to Chesapeake:

"I wanted to let you know that we had an incident tonight at the Bruder Site. I did call 911. I've never heard a sound like this before. It was a very, very loud whoosh and then a find of [sic] boom or something like that.  The fire department came out. It happened a little after 11:00. I can't imagine that no one else called it in because it was so loud."

Here's Chesapeake's response to that neighbor's concerns:

"I wanted to let you know that what you heard last night were two wells coming online. Chesapeake had personnel on the site during the day and during the night to handle these operations and they met with the Fire Department when they arrived. We had a sufficient compliment of operations personnel and equipment to handle this activity and the Fire Dept. was satisfied that Chesapeake had all aspects of the operation very much under control. As you know the Bruder padsite is home to a number of very excellent and good producing wells and sometimes when strong wells come online they can initially make the whooshing sound that you heard.

 I am sorry that you were concerned but happy to report what you heard was the sound of gas filling the pipeline after coming online. Please let me know if there is any additional information that I can   provide as I am happy to help whenever possible."

 WOW, THEY HAVE "STRONG WELLS"?
These are "good producing wells"?

As one of the lessors said, "Someone is getting some money, but it isn't us."

It seems the Fire Department provided a totally different response about this incident to this resident  Here is the e-mail the resident sent to Chesapeake: 

"I was told by the fire department that what I heard was the gas well water in the gas lines causing pressure. Water caused pressure to build up and the pressure detection system shut down the wells automatically. So i don't know who told you the noise was from the wells coming back on line. It seems the info I was given by the Arlington fire department was different than the information you were given. I'm going to see if I can get a copy of the report from the fire department to clarify."

Here's the next e-mail from Chesapeake.   Sounds like they're attempting to cover their tracks:

"I have done some further checking after receiving your second email. Indeed there were two different things that transpired last night and I initially only reported on one of them. What you heard about 11:00 p.m. was the result of the pipeline valve closing automatically because there was a large volume of water coming out of the well. This resulted in a high water level in a vessel and the subsequent shutting of the pipeline valve. These valves close very quickly and although loud in volume our safety system worked as designed. Unfortunately, there is no way to accurately predict exactly when the water will begin to flow and how much water will flow when we bring wells online. The system is designed to shut down automatically if the volume of water flowing to the tanks is too great – that is what happened and what you heard.

After the wells were shut off automatically Chesapeake worked to get them back online and that occurred about 2:30 a.m. Each of these operations created the sounds that you heard. However, as I mentioned in my previous email the systems worked as designed in a safe and efficient manner. The Fire Department was on site with our operators and reviewed the status of the operations and saw them to be safe and secure. My apologies for not providing the entire explanation in my original email. Although it was my desire to get you an explanation as quickly as possible this morning that resulted in me sending an incomplete summary of what had occurred."

Perhaps there is a whistleblower out there who can tell us the real story... 
 
In the meantime, here is the official incident report from that night:

Bruder Gas Drill Site Incident Report 09172013

Natural Gas: "It's American. It's Affordable. It's Abundant"

Hundreds of people poured into the sanctuary and filled the pews at New World United Methodist Church in Arlington, Texas last night.  There were no hymns sung or prayers recited.  The mostly mature audience was subdued.  It's a shame the Singing nuns weren't here! 

Lynda Gearheart, a woman who appears more like a high school English teacher than an oil & gas spokesperson, began the Chesapeake sermon with the "divide and conquer" strategy.  Questions would be answered after the meeting at separate tables in the back of the room since she pointed out that, "Leases have specificity."  During the presentation Chesapeake representatives surrounded the sanctuary ~ standing at attention like soldiers ~ carefully watching and monitoring the crowd.  The Arlington police were also there.

Ms. Gearheart's statement about natural gas was simply amazing.  

"It's American.  It's Affordable.  It's Abundant."

Seems she left out the part about about Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Exports.  That's where our neighborhoods get turned into dangerous industrial mining zones in order to help China cut their dirty coal emissions.  Japan and other countries that are not free-trade partners with the United States also want our gas.  The Feds recently approved the third LNG export facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana with 19 more applications pending.  

The remainder of the meeting was mostly spent talking about the money and all the good it's doing for organizations such as Mission Arlington and the Boys and Girls Club.  She rattled off some very impressive figures which have spared us of a tax increase.  But at what cost?  When Ms. Gearheart stated how proud she is that industry came along at such a time as this, we couldn't help but wonder if she was comparing herself to the Biblical Esther.   

We find it curious that this issue is still about the money, yet the hundreds of people in that sanctuary have not received a single royalty payment from the Geenman 6H well despite the fact that it was drilled in August 2011.  Ms. Gearheart told the community to look for their division orders in the mail soon.  She also mentioned that Chesapeake needs to conduct *title searches dating back to the 1800's.  

The Railroad Commission of Texas shows this well as an *unperfed completion and a *shut in (Oil) producer.  Curiously, their records show NO gas gathering pipeline for this well, yet we thought we heard Ms. Gearheart say that the pipeline is installed and the gas is flowing.  We also heard her say, "the pipeline company is working to secure the right of way."  That is very confusing, but when we raised our hand during the brief question session at the end, she did not call on us.  At this time we will defer to the Railroad Commission's records indicating that there is no pipeline connected to this well.  If there is no pipeline, we will assume this gas is not yet being sold to market and there will not be any royalty checks arriving in the mail anytime soon. 

To summarize this farce of a meeting, we learned that Chesapeake still uses the same M.O.  There was nothing democratic about it.  Sadly, other than a police officer, we did not see a single representative from the City of Arlington, despite the fact that Chesapeake and other gas operators have changed our City's infrastructure forever.  We doubt Jesus was at this meeting either.  If he were, we bet he would have turned over every table in the back of that sanctuary.

*Code Language: 

*Unperfed Completion:  don't have all the leases signed.  
*Shut in:  don't have the pipeline hooked up yet.

*Conducting Title Searches dating back to the 1800's:   It's going to be a while before you receive your royalty check.

Be sure to click on the hyperlinks for more detailed information, and thank you for visiting the Fish Creek Monitor's Community Blog.  Feel free to e-mail us with any of your questions or concerns!  Y'all come back!

Open House: Chesapeake's Greenman Gas Drill Site

Open House

Chesapeake's Greenman Gas Drill Site 

____________________________________________  This information came from a community newsletter: 

Gas Lease Information
Meeting Regarding the Greenman6H Well
This information pertains only to those neighbors in the area north of I-30, west of Fielder, with Green Oaks to the west and north.

Greenman Pad Site Open House
Thursday, August 15 from 6:00-7:30 pm
New World United Methodist Church
2201 N. Davis, Arlington, TX
To discuss the recently completed pipeline connection near your neighborhood and the economic benefits of the natural gads production it enables. [bla, bla, bla...] Additionallly, we will answer questions about activity on the Greenman site and the next steps in the process to begin receiving royalties.  [bla, bla, bla...]  Please RSVP by email to BarnettShale RSVP@chk.com

 

  $$$$$ It's still about the money. $$$$$

 

Residents might want to Ask Chesapeake to explain how they calculate royalties.  Or better yet, visit these links: 

Royalty Payments and Other Ways Fracking Screws Us

Arlington Sues Chesapeake Exploration Over Unpaid Royalties

Unfair Share:  How Oil and Gas Drillers Avoid Paying Royalties 

We spoke with the Railroad Commission of Texas this week, and they informed us that the Greenman 6H well is temporarily abandoned.   This well needs to be either:  1) plugged; or 2) brought into production.  The latest records on their website indicate that the Greenman well (API # 439-35740) is an "unperfed completion."   Perhaps they plan to discuss "Perfing" at the meeting.   To date, we have not heard them explain this process.  We've love to hear all about it.