The Public Forum

What DO you do after the fracking fallout?  

After your community has been transformed from the suburbs into a heavy industrial mining zone due to predatory landmen scamming uninformed neighbors into signing mineral leases... 

After the State passes legislation (HB40) that strips away municipal control to regulate and protect the health and safety of its citizens because Oil and Gas must continue to make big profits...

After the water and air shed has been contaminated because that's just what industrialization does to the environment...

After your home gets damaged from earthquakes because injection AND extraction does cause induced seismicity...

And after your City tells you ~ that as a citizen ~ you are NOT allowed to speak at a gas drilling PUBLIC MEETING to address your concerns...

You Stage a Protest: 

Photo attribution: Codepink Dallas

Photo Attribution:  Fish Creek Monitor and Westchester Gasette

 The room was fairly empty until the protesters filed in and filled some chairs.

It was clear that the citizens had more knowledge than the panelists.  They asked thoughtful, educated questions which the regulatory bodies could not answer. 

In case you hit the snooze button on the alarm clock and missed this early morning meeting ~ which most folks did ~ it is recorded for your leisurely viewing and analysis.  They should have cleared away the empty chairs in the center of the room to make space for a big dance floor because there was a lot of tap dancing going on.   

It was unfortunate that the Arlington City Council members left early because they missed a very important detail about a new Railroad Commission rule, but more about that later...

Dog and Pony Show Comes to the Arlington, Texas Convention Center! *Update

*UPDATE:
 
Dog and Pony Show comes to the Arlington Convention Center!

Parking is Free

Fracking Fun for the Entire Family

 Date:  Saturday, August 1, 2015

Time:  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon  11:30 a.m. 

 Where:  1200 Ballpark Way, Arlington, TX

Rooms 5, 6, 7, and 8

Topic:  Gas Well Education Forum
Urban Drilling Educational Forum
 

(Click HERE for the City's press release which came out the day after our announcement.) 

Vantage Energy's blowout on April 11, 2015 at the Lake Arlington Baptist Church Drill Site gushed tens of thousands of gallons of fracking fluid into neighborhood storm drains and creeks.  This industrial accident forced dozens of families to evacuate their homes and the church to move Sunday worship service to a nearby high school auditorium.  What is even worse is that the City ~ upon completion of an investigation finding several violations ($2,000 each) ~ gave Vantage the green light to re-open their gates on June 25th to resume fracking operations.   Shameful.

Now the City, along with the Railroad Commission of Texas, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), plans to sponsor a Gas Well Educational Forum to teach us about gas drilling and the regulatory roles of local and state government.  A Three Ring Circus.

Citizens asked for equal speaking time.  Our request was denied.  We asked for a microphone so that citizens may comment or ask questions.  Our request was denied.  We asked about the room setup.  The Convention Center would not answer that question stating that all inquires must go through Collin Gregory, Gas Well Coordinator.  We are waiting for Collin to call us back.   

(We appreciate Mr. Gregory's speedy response and are glad to hear about the movable walls that will allow all citizens to be in one room together.) 

The City will announce the rules of decorum.  We are to sit in the audience like a bunch of obedient schoolchildren.  The authorities will teach us.  We get to write a question on an index card.  At the end of the meeting, they will select which questions the emcee will read which, in turn, will be answered by a panelist representing one of these three governmental entities.  And that's all folks.  

We regret to inform you that Railroad Commissioners, Christi Craddick and Ryan Sitton are unable to attend this event.  Gaye McElwain, Director of Communications of the RRC, will speak on their behalf.  She did not respond to our question concerning the LABC blowout.  Perhaps we should ask her the same question in person next Saturday.  

*UPDATE:  Ms. McElwain responded to our question from five weeks ago regarding the LABC blowout the morning following the publication of this blog post.  So now the question becomes why was the Railroad Commission so slow to respond to a citizen's question? 

Refreshments will not be provided.  

 

Who You Gonna Call?

When fracking sites encroach upon your residential neighborhood, who DO you call when you hear an explosion, smell fumes, feel the earth move, or worse yet ~ who DO you call if a dam is breached?  

The Railroad Commission of Texas, the State agency that regulates Oil and Gas, requires gas operators to clearly display proper signage listing emergency contact numbers.  Since emergencies can happen at any time on any given day, one would assume that a responsible party would be available to answer these calls 24/7.  

Just out of curiosity, we tested the three emergency numbers listed at the bottom of the signage of this Vantage-operated Lake Arlington Baptist Church Site to find out who actually answers gas drilling-related emergency calls.  

 Signage at Lake Arlington Baptist Church Gas Drill Site, Arlington, TX

The first number rang and rang.  No answer.  No voice mail to leave a message.  We called the third number, and a recorded message said, "caller not accepting calls at this time."  When we tried the number with a Colorado area code, a guy named Dan answered his cell phone.  He stated that he is with Vantage, and that he is located in the Denton area.  That is a wonderful place to be since the citizens of Denton voted in favor of a fracking ban. 

It is curious that the number for the Railroad Commission of Texas ~ the State agency responsible for regulating Oil and Gas and protecting our groundwater ~ is NOT listed on this signage.  If residents call 911, the City is not required to communicate or report incidents to the appropriate regulatory agencies responsible for protecting our air and water.  That is the citizens' responsibility. 

Oil and Gas self-regulates.  

So, for instance, if an operator has a mishap and cracks a casing or experiences a pressure issue, they are required to self-report.  It's an honor system.  And we know how forthright they've been with our communities thus far.

So, who will you call when when you hear an explosion, smell fumes, feel the earth move, or worse yet ~ who you gonna call when the dam is breached?