Danger Zone

Friday, July 6, 2012 around 4:30 p.m.

Good grief.  This man is digging dangerously close to gas gathering pipelines at the Fulson Drill Site in Arlington, Texas.  Since those homes in the background (look beyond the gas gathering pipeline marker) are very close, we would not want him to accidentally strike a gas line and blow up the community.  

While trees are a wonderful asset to most settings and great for the environment,  we wonder why these trees are being planted so close to gas gathering pipelines which transport unodorized gas through our communities? In an effort to make these industrial drill sites look as aesthetically pleasing as possible, are we setting ourselves up for another public safety risk? 

Question:  Should trees ever be planted in close proximity to gas gathering pipelines?  A representative from the Railroad Commission of Texas told us yesterday that the State of Texas has no spacing requirements for the planting of trees near natural gas pipelines.  Other areas of the world do have spacing requirements.  

We know that mature tree roots have been known to damage foundations of homes and lift up sidewalks.  Likewise, they can cause serious damage to natural gas pipelines.

CLICK HERE and scroll down a little to see an illustration of this. 

If planning to dig,  Call 811.  This Call Center notifies all the utilities for you so they can come out and mark the location of the utility lines.   However, gas gathering pipelines are very unique from other utilities.  Questions are being raised about whether these pipelines are for the public good or for industry.  To add to this, these thousands of miles of gas gathering pipelines are regulated by a small number of inspectors at the Railroad Commission of Texas. 

Now, this is where a problem arises.   In this particular case, it has come to our attention that as of June 4, 2012,  DFW Midstreams failed to turn in Completion Paperwork to the Railroad Commission for these particular gas gathering lines at the Fulson Drill Site.  According to a Railroad Commission of Texas representative, their records show the current status of these lines as "In Construction Phase" with a Start Date of "October 2009".  Well, that's not good.
 
A complaint  was filed with the Texas Railroad Commission over a month ago.  It is still under investigation. 

Ironically, while following up with the Railroad Commission on the status of this complaint, we have learned that our local inspectors are at this very moment in Austin for a week-long Pipeline Safety Meeting!   We hope and pray they are able to straighten out this mess since many of us are living at ground zero.   One mistake can have deadly consequences.

Meanwhile, men are digging trenches over here.   

Good Grief!

It appears that yesterday's gusty winds blew over the newly planted trees at the Fulson Drill Site in Arlington, Texas.  What a shame because we really love trees.

Trees are wonderful. We have all observed their beauty. In childhood we climbed them.  As adults we lie in hammocks beneath their shade.  Trees provide food and shelter for wildlife.  They cool and cleanse the air.  At this location, they will serve as screens to hide all the ugliness that goes on at that drill site. Nothing in this world is more serene than strolling through a grove a trees. 

As Charlie Brown said, "I've killed it.  Oh, everything I touch gets ruined!"

Arlington, Texas: It's Christmas in July!

It's Christmas in July! 

The scraggly trees died a long time ago. 

 Time to plant more trees.

These look much nicer than the first ones.

Voila ~ a tree lined drill site and highway...

to hide all the horrible things that go on behind that fence line.

No digging here, please.

It's 100 degrees! Time for a snow cone break! 

Season's Greetings from our neighborhood drill site to yours!

 Click here to see last year's Holiday Extravaganza at the Fulson Drill Site. 
...and stay tuned for more exciting news!

Just How Temporary Are Those Frac Ponds?

Did Mayor Cluck really tell Charles Davis of Chesapeake to, "go ahead and drill 80 wells if you want to"?  {on the Rocking Horse Pad Site }  Yes, he did ~ as long as they can find a different water source because he wants them to take that frac tank [sic] out.  We can't blame the developer for wanting that frac pond removed because as long as that pond sits there, he cannot develop his property.

These ponds are temporary. 

     Definition of temporary: not permanent; a short period of time.  

So, the question is:  Who gets to define temporary?  It has been two years, and only one well out of a dozen or so have been drilled.  At this rate, the temporary frac pond will need to remain for an additional 22 years!  

(June 5, 2012 Arlington City Council Public Hearing - Rocking Horse Well)

(We wonder what brand of gum XTO's Walter Dueease is chewing?)

Now let's talk about the water.  Last summer ~ during the intense Texas drought when residents were asked to conserve ~ water was being transported via an elaborate pipeline highway which stretched under Interstate 20 from a mega church's pond  and reached its final destination at the I-20 JV Drill Site adjacent to Bowie High School.  Click here to see those photos and story from last summer.  

Whew.  It was a really hot summer!

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

It has come to our attention that  today, June 29th is Charles Davis' last day of employment with Chesapeake.  We would like to share his farewell letter with you:

"It is with great sadness to inform you that my last day with Chesapeake will be this Friday, June 29. Every one of you has played a vital role in my development at Chesapeake Energy and within your community. Thank you for always having an open door.

Even though my last day with Chesapeake is this week, please rest assured that you will continue to have access to information regarding the company's operations. If you or your neighbors have any questions regarding your lease, royalty payments, status of operations at a wellsite, or are just curious about future plans, our Neighbor Relations team remains ready to answer those questions. They can be reached at askchesapeake@chk.com or by calling 817.502.5000.

Truly, I will miss you all, and thankful to our digital world we are only an e-mail.[sic] So as I hang my Chesapeake hat on the door, I would like to say "ciao" for now. I am sure our paths will cross again, and I will forever remain appreciative for our business relationship."

Sincerely,
Charles Davis

"Ross Dress for Less" Explosion

In 1985 the Ross Dress for Less store in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles exploded injuring 23 people.  It is believed that methane gas migrated from a nearby oil field due to improperly abandoned wells.  The gas migrated up a path of least resistance through fractures and well bores until it reached the surface.  Since naturally occurring methane is odorless, the buildup of gas went undetected until it was too late.  Here is video footage of that incident:

For information about the Salt Lake Oil Field which lies beneath the City of Los Angeles, click HERE. 

Should Arlington, TX  be labeled a High Potential Methane Zone?

Protecting our Water?

The gas industry spends a ton of advertising money trying to convince us that they are protecting the water.   Seems like the more they try to convince us, the more we distrust them.  We want to thank Josh Fox who just released his newest documentary, The Sky is Pink.  Watch it and discover truth.   

THE SKY IS PINK from JFOX on Vimeo.