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.