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

You don't know what you've got till it's gone

We will sincerely miss Dr. Bob Cluck, our mayor of 12 years.  The election results are in, and Jeff Williams, civil engineer and businessman, received 58% of the vote.   As Joni Mitchell wrote, "You don't know what you've got till it's gone."  

So now, as Arlington, TX changes regimes, we'd like to dedicate this song to Jeff Williams.  He plans to develop the City, particularly the area around AT&T Stadium.  We also suspect that the Oil & Gas industry will continue to experience a very favorable climate in Arlington since word has it that many industry men helped with his campaign.

This song is also dedicated to our friend, Carol, who supported our efforts and loved walking amongst nature and the wildflowers.  She left this world on May 4th after a battle with cancer. 

Democracy in Texas also died on May 4th when HB40 passed in the Senate.  Denton citizens fought long and hard for their fracking ban, but our State will not have the people deciding what is best for their communities any longer.  How ironic is it that 58% of the people could vote in a new mayor, yet 58% are not allowed to say that zoning heavy industrial mining next to communities is unacceptable.