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

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.