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.   

Every Vote Counts

How many ways can we suppress the vote?  Arlington, TX City Councilman, Robert Rivera, will host his third gas drilling town hall to be held on Election Day despite objections from citizens.  There are concerns that a meeting held on this day could pull focus away from the election process and have a negative impact on the vote.  Every vote counts, so we can't afford to lose a single one.

In April, citizens suspected voter suppression when we learned that the well-established early polling location at the South Service Center would no longer be utilized.  The new location at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church ~ chosen by two City staffers ~ would be even further away from our community.   Many spoke out at City Hall on April 14th.  Council claimed that they didn't know anything about this change, even though this maneuver had been in the works for months.  Scroll 56:00 minutes into the meeting to hear Councilman Rivera's explanation about why it's too late to reinstate our early voting location for this year's municipal election.  He says, "It's already out of our control... There's simply nothing else we can do." 

This explanation did not sit well with Marvin Sutton, who is running against Rivera, District 3 incumbent.  Marvin, along with community groups, pushed to get our early voting location reinstated for this municipal election.  Click here to view the 7-minute long special meeting of its reinstatement.  

Even State Representative Chris Turner (HD101) ~ who typically doesn't meddle in city affairs ~ intervened.  Click here to read the letter he sent to Mayor Cluck.

We spoke with supporters from various campaigns throughout the week, and they all report that they have had no trouble with parking ~ one of the reasons given for the need to close that location. 

Now, since nothing of substance was accomplished during the first two gas drilling meetings other than citizens venting their frustrations over fracking inside the community, we see no reason to waste taxpayer resources on another fruitless meeting where Mr. Rivera might potentially scoop up some last minute votes for himself, and we are pulled away from working our campaign.  It interferes with the political process. 

The previous two town halls did nothing to improve living conditions for the neighbors living near the Sue Barnett Site.   XTO's operations are still an ongoing nuisance.  They reluctantly agreed to wrap the rig floor with a sound blanket, but it is still noisy. Sometimes we can hear that rig from a mile away!  It sounds like an older model in need of a tune up and a brake job.

Furthermore, it is pointless to hold another meeting to discuss gas drilling when it is more likely than not that Texas municipalities will soon lose local control over the regulation of oil & gas.  On April 30th, the Texas State Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development swiftly voted to pass HB40 with a unanimous vote of 9-0.   Click here for the link to watch this committee hearing, which is just under an hour long.  

Although the State will allow cities to regulate surface activities such as lights, truck traffic, and noise, these regulations must be "commercially reasonable," which is ambiguous language that the committee refused to eliminate from the bill.  In essence, we really won't be able to do much to protect safety or quality of life if HB40 becomes law because this is heavy industrial mining happening inside the neighborhoods in very close proximity to our homes.

NO ONE from our city attended the hearing in Austin ~ not even our lobbyists from HillCo.   When we inquired with Jennifer Weichman, Director of Management Resources for the City of Arlington,  as to the reason why no one attended such an important committee hearing on behalf of our City, she stated, "Our goal was not to change the bill...We think the way it's working is working fine...We monitored it... We put our resources where we can."

It is curious that our City chose to NOT spend resources in Austin on April 30th to defend democracy, property rights, and health and safety of its residents, yet they choose to allocate City resources for staff overtime to hold yet another pointless gas drilling meeting for Robert Rivera just hours before the polls close on Election Day. 

Early voting continues through May 5, 2015.  
For hours and locations, click Here.

Election Day is Saturday, May 9, 2015.

Click here for information on how candidates stand on local issues. 

The Fish Creek Monitor endorses Marvin Sutton for District 3 Arlington City Council.

If You Love Fracking, Vote for Robert Rivera

Robert Rivera, District 3, Arlington, TX City Councilman at Gas Drilling Town Hall  4/21/15
 ...a little dab'll do ya

On April 11th when dozens of families in West Arlington were evacuating their homes due to a gas well emergency, District 3 City Councilman, Robert Rivera was enjoying a fun-fest raising money for his re-election campaign.  So, if you love fracking, vote for Robert Rivera because fracking seems to be his issue.  His robo calls even said so.
  

Texas State Senator Konni Burton came to the party.   According to a report by Lobby Watch, Konni Burton received a ton of money from Oil & Gas ~ a whopping $261,667!  In fact, she received more oil and gas money than any senator in our State, and it looks like Mr. Rivera has aligned himself with her.  The average contribution for Texas Senators was $56,207.

See how much oil and gas money your representative received by scrolling through this Lobby Watch document:

Frack Ban Preemption Money

Tony Tinderholt, (R) HD94 and Bill Zedler (R) HD96 also came to the party.  Both voted in FAVOR of HB40.  It is disappointing, to say the least.  These men are from Arlington and ought to know better.  They sold us out.

The Texas House of Representatives voted on  HB40 last Friday, April 17th:

"Relating to the exclusive jurisdiction of this state to regulate oil and gas operations in this state and the express preemption of local regulation of those operations."   

This bill essentially strips local control of oil and gas activities from municipalities, violates property rights, and puts the health and safety of millions of residents at risk.  It is  carte blanche for oil and gas.  The bill passed with an overwhelming majority vote of 122-18, with a price tag of approximately $5.5 million.  

Next, it goes to the Senate Floor, so call and write your Senator now and urge them to vote "NO" on SB1165 or you may get a drill site ~ or even worse ~ an injection well  near your property line.  The oil and gas industry is ruthless.  They don't care who or what they frack.  If we lose local control, run for the hills!

It is puzzling why Rafael Anchia and Justin Rodriquez ~ two representatives who voted to preserve local control ~  are not included on this fundraising announcement.  During our town hall the other night Mr. Rivera gave our community the impression that he is aligned with both of these men. 

During the candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters earlier this week, Robert Rivera made a statement which seems to present an ethical dilemma.  He stated that a child doesn't care who paid for the equipment on a playground.  So if we are interpreting this correctly, it is acceptable to poison our communities with fracking pollution in order to purchase cool things for kids with royalties.  Is this the message to teach our children ~ that the end justifies the means? 

Earthworks dropped by the Fish Creek Neighborhood last weekend, and this is what the FLIR camera captured this time: 

Fulson Drill Site, Arlington, TX, Operated by Chesapeake Energy 

Video by Earthworks 

Fracking Air Pollution

It takes its toll.  It ages people.  When you've lived here as long as some of us have, it might just take a little more than a dab to do ya. 
 

Early voting begins April 27th, and Election Day is May 9th.

Vote for Marvin Sutton, Arlington City Council District 3.

A Fracking Conundrum *Update*

This blog post is late coming out because, quite honestly, we do not know what to think or say about our City or Enervest, or the October 28th Arlington, TX City Council meeting.
   

It was a busy week in the gas patch due to many fracking-related events taking place across the metroplex.  On Monday Phelim McAleer, creator of FrackNation debated Calvin Tillman, former Mayor of Dish, TX at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch.  On Tuesday Enervest received unanimous approval from City Council for a zoning change.  On Wednesday Dr. Anne Epstein came to Mansfield with her presentation, "A Medical Perspective on Gas Drilling."  Finally, Wendy Davis visited with the neighbors in Southwest Arlington on Saturday.  And let's not forget Election Day when Denton residents get to vote on on a fracking ban. 

And now we learn that Enervest scheduled another Town Hall at 6:30 pm at the Bob Duncan Recreation Center for the Fannin Farms Drill Site on Election Day.  How Patriotic is that?  Don't they realize that some citizens are involved in the political process??  So thoughtless on their part, or perhaps strategic.  

We think it's strategic because Enervest contributed a TON of money to "Denton Taxpayers for a Strong Economy" a group opposed to the fracking ban.  According to campaign finance records the Denton Record Chronicle reports that Enervest gave $195,000 towards this cause.  We wonder if they would be as liberal with their money when it comes down to protecting the public by installing safer control technologies such as vapor recovery systems and a FLIR Gas finder camera to detect emissions which cannot be seen with the naked human eye.

Enervest also scheduled their town hall on the SAME NIGHT as the Arlington City Council meeting where the Perr Drill Site zoning change appears on the Consent Agenda.  Unbelievable.  Enervest's behavor is starting to make Chesapeake look good.

The consent agenda, by the way, is a tool used to streamline meeting procedures by collecting routine, non-controversial items into a group whereby all are passed with a single motion and vote.  Since when has drilling in an earthquake zone become routine business?  And let's not forget Enervest's history of gross violations in other states and the fact that they happened to be working over a well in close proximity to the epicenter of two earthquakes in September.

So, in getting back to Tuesday night's controversial council meeting, it is curious that three councilmen were missing in action ~ Charlie Parker, Robert Shepard, and Robert Rivera.  Does anyone know where they were?  Word has it they may have gone to Vegas, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. 

On September 17th the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of EnerVest's request to amend the SUP to establish a drill zone for the Perr Drill Site located on South Cooper Street.

The Arlington City Council ignored their recommendation.

On October 28th eight citizens spoke in opposition at the city council public hearing providing solid reasons as to why the City should deny this case.

The Arlington City Council ignored their recommendations.

Not one person from the community spoke in favor of this item on the agenda except for Shea Kirkman, the applicant.

City Council approved Enervest's request by a vote of 5-0-1 (Kathryn Wileman abstained.)

You must watch this public hearing for yourself to understand how the democratic process works in Arlington:

It is a fracking conundrum!

Arlington, TX Public Hearing for the Perr Drill Site 10-28-2014 
Click here for the link if video won't play.

In case you missed it, here is how Enervest operates in Denton.  Coming to Arlington soon...

Attribution:  Sharon Wilson, Earthworks

By the way, this is the video that the City prohibited to be shown at the October 28th City Council meeting.  Other cities allow their citizens to present audio/visual material, but in Arlington only the applicant is permitted to do so.  It's also a challenge to do or say much in two minutes.  Citizens in adjacent cities are allowed to speak for five minutes.  

If you haven't voted yet, remember to Vote this Election Day.  If you want an advocate for the people to regulate oil & gas rather than another industry insider, vote for Steve Brown for Railroad Commissioner of Texas.  He has spent countless hours speaking with folks in our community and is aware of the myriad of problems associated with fracking inside residential communities.  He has proposed real solutions to our issues.  

Mark your calendar for these important dates.  Enervest will request a zoning amendment to establish the drill zone for the Fannin Farms Drill Site located at 2322 Eden Road, Arlington, TX.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at 6:30 (Bob Duncan Rec Ctr)

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at 6:30 (City Council)

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 5:30  (Planning & Zoning)

Tuesday, Decembr 16, 2014 at 6:30  (City Council)

Click here for more details.

Stay tuned, folks.  There's more to come...

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.  

Pluck Cluck. Pick Pikulinski for Arlington, Texas Mayor

  It was a pretty day on Saturday.  After our Fish Creek Community Garden gathering, some neighbors set out on a block walk  because the local elections are just around the corner.  Many people were out in their front yards, so we had the opportunity to meet and talk with a bunch of residents and listen to their concerns.  We learned that public opinion is one hundred percent unanimous on the gas drilling issue ~ citizens are disgusted with the industrialization of their residential neighborhoods. 

There are quite a few homes up for sale ~ several back up to the Fulson Drill Site.  Hmmm...  

One mother in the gas patch shared her story.  After the drilling frenzy began in southeast Arlington,  her daughter was diagnosed with leukemia.  She was so ill that she missed the entire 8th grade while undergoing treatment.  The mom believes that the drilling activity was responsible for her daughter's illness, and she also complained about frequent gas odors on her property.  While the doctor did not definitively confirm that the drilling activity caused the disease,  he did not deny it either.  Fortunately, her daughter is in remission now,  but she shared that other neighbors in the area are also suffering health issues. 
 
These types of stories seem to be commonplace in the gas patch.  Approximately two years ago we met a middle-aged man who was diagnosed with terminal bone marrow cancer.  At that time, he lived in close proximity to the Fulson Drill Site.  His doctor asked if he had been exposed to benzene.  If anyone in the Fish Creek Neighborhood has an update on this gentleman,  please contact us via e-mail. 

During the early part of 2013 we met a young widower  who lives next to the Rocking Horse drill site.  His wife passed away suddenly after Chesapeake drilled a well a little over 400 feet from their back door.  

People purchase homes in  residential neighborhoods because they expect to enjoy a good quality of life.   If they wanted to live in an industrial zone, they  would have purchased a home in an industrial zone.  Now ALL Arlington, TX homeowners are at risk because their communities can be turned into drilling zones at any given moment.  This is  now possible because on October 23, 2007 the Arlington, TX City Council  changed the zoning ordinance to allow gas drilling in residential neighborhoods.  When you link over to that blog post, notice that Mayor Cluck was absent that night, and  District 3 Councilman Robert Rivera seconded the motion to approve this monumental change that would transform our city into a gas mining town dotted with drill sites, compressor stations, and dangerous gas pipelines transporting UNodorized gas past our homes, schools, and parks.

There is hope.  Election day is May 11th.  We desperately need to stop the build out of gas wells and revise the City's gas drilling ordinance.  Jerry Pikulinski is committed to doing just that.  He understands community development and zoning priorities  ~ something our officials of local municipalities make decisions about on a regular basis.  If elected, he will also ensure public safety and build strong community while giving every citizen a voice. 

Click HERE to check out Jerry Pikulinski's Facebook page. 

PLUCK CLUCK,  

PICK PIKULINSKI 

for Arlington, TX Mayor!!  

REMEMBER TO VOTE!

  

For voting information, click HERE.

The Path of Least Resistance

Water is seeping up through cracks in the pavement of the Fish Creek Neighborhood in Arlington, Texas.  Local residents have concerns that this may be linked to gas drilling and fracking in the area.  One homeowner stated that in her 13 years of living here, this is the first time she has witnessed such a thing.

 Click Here and Here to link to YouTube videos.

It hasn't rained in quite a while, yet look at all this water that is springing up in a neighbor's yard.

The Water Department is still investigating but has determined that the seeping water is not municipal water, but groundwater from an underground spring.   The lab is testing the water samples.  Rumor has it they are testing for salt, because fracking fluids contain salt, according to a dispatcher with the Arlington Water Department.   Since these containers are on a nearby unsecured gas pipeline installation work site, we hope the lab is looking for these chemicals too:

https://climatejusticetaranaki.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/excerpts-from-appendix-i-msds-25march2012.pdf

 brown goop??

Lana Wolff, Arlington City Councilwoman, came by our neighborhood Saturday morning to witness this strange phenomenon.  We are sincerely grateful for her concern ~ considering that she doesn't, technically, represent our district.  Robert Rivera does. 

In addition to all the drilling and the fracking, we wonder if the massive gas pipeline construction project currently underway near our homes may be causing the groundwater to seek  new pathways.  Like BIG GAS, water seeks the path of least resistance.  Fortunate people find their new path by moving the heck off the Barnett Shale.  Wish we could...Perhaps someday...

Meanwhile, the City of Grand Prairie, Texas received a lump sum of $587,620 from DFW Midstream to lay UNodorized gas gathering pipelines through the community.  Here's a taste of what this looks like:

Click Here to read these details on the Westchester Gasette. 

Amen.

If you use these pictures, attribution is appreciated. :-)

Broken Promises: Fulson Drill Site

Notice that when the June 23, 2009 public hearing for the Fulson Gas Drill Site begins no one bothers to correct Mayor Cluck's blunder announcing Glory Park as the item being discussed.   No one is paying attention - not even the City Manager.   

Although this proposed drill site on South Highway 360 near Sublett Road is in Robert Rivera's district, notice how he doesn't even ask a single question about turning this prime piece of real estate into heavy industrial use.

Sheri Capehart, however asks good questions.  She asks Chesapeake's Public Affairs Coordinator, Sarah Griffis, how long it will be until residents receive their royalty checks.  Ms. Griffis  indicated  it would be six months to one year.  It's a good thing it's not written in stone!   That Fulson well began production in February 2011 and we still have not received royalty money.   Word has it that some lessors are just now beginning to receive division orders.    Here is a copy of  e-mail correspondence from May 10, 2012 between a Fish Creek Neighbor and Chesapeake:

Nature of Inquiry: Regarding the Fulson Well 1H Lease No. 259101 which has begun producing as of 2/16/11, has this gas been sold at market?... Why have the mineral owners not been paid royalties yet?

Hi:

Thank you for contacting Chesapeake Energy. The title opinions for the Fulson unit are still not yet complete. The division orders were due to be distributed at the end of June 2011. After this date, due to the delay, we will pay interest (2% over prime) on the revenue which will be passed onto the royalty owners on their second royalty check...

Marissa Gibbs

Notice how Chesapeake is not paying the penalty on the first check.  Why not?? 

In addition, this site plan was to include evergreen trees along the east perimeter of the pad site to hide all the horrible things that would be going on in there.  They all died.

We are still waiting for those seven or eight prime tracts of land to be developed as Cliff Mycoskie mentions in his speech, but let's get real.  That's just not going to happen.  Who in their right mind would want to develop land on the back side of a gas pad?  Plus, there are gas gathering lines snaking all over the place.  More about that topic later...

Sarah Griffis states that Chesapeake has an aggressive drilling plan for that site with the first six wells being drilled within the first 15 months.  Thank God that did not happen because it was sheer torture living through three.  Many nearby residents were complaining of health issues during the drilling of the first wells, and we have good reason to believe their symptoms were directly related to Chesapeake's industrial activity taking place in such close proximity to our homes and schools.  In addition to the health effects, we heard that two neighbors downwind from that pad site died in February 2011.   

With one sweeping vote on the night of June 23, 2009 our Arlington City Council turned our community into an industrial zone.  This decision has already had serious repercussions, and  folks, it's not going to get better anytime soon.  If we only knew then what we know now...