Fracking Truck Traffic in the American Dream City

Photo attribution:  Fort Worth Star-Telegram

XTO has occupied the American Dream City again. 

This operator plans to drill four more unconventional gas wells at the Sue Barnett Drill Site located on Southeast Parkway in Arlington, Texas.  This heavy industrial site shares its fence line with a pretty horse and red barn, a lovely country home, and a small mom-and-pop business strip.  It sits catty-corner to a community college, next door to a subdivision of homes, and down the street from a junior high school and an elementary school.  It was quite the unexpected large-scale operation one would expect to see inside any residential community. 

It felt like a war zone this week as convoys of wide loads of Hodges fracking trucks filed in endlessly onto the pad site hauling all sorts of heavy industrial equipment and numerous tanks marked with "Danger" signs.  Even portable office buildings and trailers rolled in.  

Police in black unmarked FBI-looking vehicles ~ except for the flashing lights ~  escorted the massive trucks onto the pad site.   They appeared to be "police" since they had police patches sewn onto the sleeves of their shirts giving the impression that they were law enforcement.  These men were hired by the same trucking outfit they were escorting.  Thus, they did not issue a single citation for the numerous times their drivers violated the designated truck route which is clearly spelled out in the site stipulations for this particular drilling location.  We are waiting to hear back from the City to see what went awry.   

This week may have been Spring Break for many, but not for those of us who are trapped in Gasland...

TONS of #fracking truck traffic in our hood today. #Arlington #FromGasland @TXsharon @gardencatlady @WCGasette pic.twitter.com/z04LK3cHHH
— Fish Creek Monitor (@Fishcreek1269) March 12, 2015

Hodges' drivers violated truck route today on way to Sue Barnett #Fracking Site @ArlingtonRivera @CityOfArlington pic.twitter.com/eiYVlE1mOe
— Fish Creek Monitor (@Fishcreek1269) March 13, 2015

Video: Does Arlington have any walkable or bikeable neighborhoods? 7 months ago me and my 16 year old son... http://t.co/IbFyaUok8M
— Arlington Proud (@ArlingtonProud) March 12, 2015

*We heard back from the City, and here is the UPDATE:

Notice of Violation - XTO Energy - Sue Barnett - Transportation Route

 

Amount of Fine:  $0.00

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? 

 

FLIR on Fish Creek's Fulson

Chesapeake, the Good Neighbor

At least that's what they told us... when the landman talked about a well that we would never know was there...

 Fulson Drill Site located on South Hwy. 360 near Sublett Road in Arlington, TX

Over Thanksgiving weekend Sharon Wilson, Gulf Regional Organizer, came to Arlington with Earthworks' new FLIR GF320 Infrared Camera in tow.  She has received proper certification to operate this specialty camera which carries a hefty price tag of around $80,000.  She travels all around the region detecting and recording gas leaks in real time.  

Our first stop on the itinerary was the Fulson Drill Site.  We saw emissions spewing from the gas lift compressor positioned at the north end of the pad.  The Fish Creek Neighbors have been inhaling these VOC's for several years now.  Because these plumes cannot be seen with the naked eye, it works out quite well for the industry.  Many residents in this area wrestle with health issues, and these pollution plumes which billow and blow in our direction can only contribute to ill health, both physically and emotionally.  It was an extremely windy day, but despite meteorological conditions, the camera did capture a snapshot of what's spewing into our air shed 24/7.

Please know that this camera is NOT merely detecting heat as the industry would have you believe.   It pinpoints GAS LEAKS.  Click HERE for the detailed list of what this FLIR GF320 camera is able to detect.  There is scientific evidence proving that exposure to these gases carries serious health risks to humans.  In addition, the volatile nature of these gases places entire communities at risk for fires and explosions.

We have been asking our City to acquire one of these cameras because we have not felt safe since nearly 60 of these heavy industrial mining sites got permitted in our city.  It's been perplexing trying to understand why our gas well inspectors haven't been utilizing these cameras all along when conducting quarterly inspections of drill sites.  So, we presented this suggestion at a town hall meeting.  Our City Manager, Trey Yelverton, concluded that this was not necessary since our State (TCEQ) handles air complaints, and our City would not want to over-regulate.  Now that this video and others have been released showing definite leaks ~ and they all leak ~ we wonder what Arlington will do now to protect the people who live here or visit the "American Dream City."  
 
So, who benefits from all this clean energy? (sarcasm)  The Fish Creek neighbors do ~ a little.  On rare occasions a royalty check comes in the mail averaging $7 or $8 per month.  This neighborhood owns 50% of their minerals, while Union Life Insurance Company retained the other half.   Also, since there are three leaseholds on the Fulson Drill Site, (Fulson, West Wing, and Forks) neighbors only receive royalties off of ONE lease.  Wells drilled and fracked off the other two leases produce collateral damage to nearby residents while people living elsewhere get to enjoy the monetary benefits.  But, that's a story for another day... 

Bad Form

It's bad business practice to announce a public meeting and then, upon arrival, redirect your guests to a new meeting place clear across town on a cold, winter night.  That's what Enervest did on January 5th.  

One of our activist friends remarked in a tweet, "Mama would call this Bad Form."  

 

Here is that public meeting announcement:
(Note:  Meeting is rescheduled for January 19th.  Enervest will mail a personal invitation to all property owners within 600 feet and neighborhood associations within one mile.)

Ironically, the purpose of this meeting was to discuss the City's updated ordinance which requires the establishment of the drill zone because industry is known for changing surface locations in order to access minerals.  That may work fine in rural areas where there is a lot of open space, but it just doesn't work well in city limits.  

Fracking doesn't work in city limits.   

We hope they don't suck as badly at fracking as they do in setting up meetings, but it's not looking hopeful.  We've seen the gas buster.  Here's how they roll in Denton, TX:

Video by Earthworks

In case you're wondering who will receive royalties from the Rolling Hills 9H well, (if approved) here is a highlight of some of the lessors from the 76-page Railroad Commission of Texas P-12:

Southwest Olshan Foundation Repair Co., LLC

Rolling Hills

Chesapeake Royalty, LLC

City of Arlington

Arlington ISD

Barbara J. Nash

Sanctuary Ventures III LP

WDIC/Hi-Life Properties Joint Venture

Moritz Interest LTD

Texas Health Resources

Foster Fish Creek Properties

Criswell Center Biblical Studies

Pebblebrook Village Condominium

Kroger

The Dallas Foundation (36.945 acres)

If the North Texas Quakeswarm continues ~ and we have solid reasons to believe it will ~ there will be a higher participation rate at future public meetings and local elections.  When houses come crumblin' down, people get motivated.   

Oh, and we understand a developer has plans to construct new homes near the Rolling Hills Drill Site very soon.  That's also bad form.

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...

EnerVest, Earthquakes, and Arlington Fault Lines

EnerVest CEO John Walker (photo from Houston Business Journal)

On October 7, 2014 Houston Business Journal reported, "It will be first liquid butane frac in that area — and maybe in the United States," Walker said. "If that works, it could open up a very big area. It’d be akin to the oil window of the Eagle Ford. So it’s probably our most upside and the thing that I do my daily prayers over. But I’ll have to caution that every time we really need something to … happen, I don’t think in my life it’s ever happened (laughs)."

 

Click here for full article.

So, EnerVest CEO, Mr. Walker, prays over liquid butane frac.  We pray too ~ even harder since attending their Town Hall on September 15th.  We are surrounded by drill sites, and EnerVest, LLC is currently operating inside the borders of our City (Arlington, TX) where 370,000 people reside on top of a massive gas reservoir ~ the Barnett Shale.   They want the gas, and we are a nuisance in the way.

When a resident at the town hall inquired as to whether or not they planned to use the same process in our city as they do in other places around the country, they dodged the question.  We pray they don't plan to experiment with liquid butane frac at the Perr Drill Site.  An explosion on South Cooper Street would be catastrophic for this thriving business sector of Arlington.

When that same resident mentioned the 500 microquakes in Ohio (where EnerVest heavily operates) they knew nothing about that!  One would think that these spokesmen live under a shale rock, but it is doubtful they do.  Industry strategy has always been to tell the public as little as possible.

Take a look at this Railroad Commission GIS map.  See where two earthquakes recently shook Arlington.  Both of these quakes are suspiciously close to EnerVest drill sites:

 This statement was overheard at the EnerVest Town Hall:  "Arlington has a lot of fault lines ~ known and unknown." 

The industry has more knowledge about the location of these fault lines than the average citizen.   We may not find out where they are until an earthquake happens.  It looks like there may be a possible fault line running down Cooper Street, the main artery of the City.  Two quakes struck just to the east of Cooper Street.  If this is true, and the industry had knowledge of this, why were they drilling in the first place?  Our City and State government should not be permitting gas wells in faulted areas because seismicity impacts property and public safety.  There are no regulations in place to address this ~ yet.  This is why we are encouraging everyone to elect Steve Brown for Railroad Commissioner of Texas. 

The USGS reports, "Earthquakes east of the Rockies that are centered in populated areas and large enough to cause damage are, similarly, likely to cause damage out to greater distances than earthquakes of the same magnitude centered in western North America."  Just imagine the impact of a frackquake during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season when droves of people are pouring into the Parks Shopping Mall.

There are two kinds of earthquakes ~  naturally occurring and human-induced.  These human-induced quakes can be triggered by oil and gas extraction.  Extraction is the same as production.  So, if the USGS knows that extraction causes seismicity, and we now know that hydraulic fracturing is linked to earthquakes, and we have known for some time that injection wells are definitely linked to earthquakes, why take the risk of damaging property by allowing such an invasive activity that has the potential to threaten our city's vitality?

Now we can't help but wonder if there is a link to Enervest's activity and these September earthquakes because a workover rig was up at the UTA Drill Site before, during, and after the shaking.  We found out that a resident who lives near the UTA drill site sent an e-mail to Councilwoman Lana Wolff on September 15th and sent another e-mail to UTA on September 16th as she had concerns that the activity taking place on that site could have triggered an earthquake.  During the EnerVest public meeting on September 15th, however, we were told they were not responsible for the earthquakes since, "they were not drilling on those days."  Well, alright, then. 

Since the UTA drill site is on State-owned property, it is doubtful our City gas well inspectors would have visited that location as it is not bound by our local City ordinances.  How do we know they weren't  conducting an experiment which triggered seismicity?  

EnerVest seems to be infamous for their grand experiments.  Currently, they are converting vertical wells into horizontal wells in the Clinton Sandstone, located in eastern Ohio.

Click here to read, "Enervest's Grand Experiment:  Fracking Clinton Sandstone in Ohio.  

We have serious concerns about shale gas operators experimenting with new technology in our communities.   This is where we live, work, and play.  Let them experiment in their own backyards ~ not ours. 

On Tuesday, October 28th at 6:30 p.m. a public hearing is scheduled at Arlington City Hall where EnerVest, LLC will request an amendment to a Special Use Permit to establish the drill zone at the Perr Drill Site located at 2825 South Cooper Street, Arlington, TX.  Everyone is invited, so please come ~ prepare your speech and say a Hail Mary because they have scheduled more town halls with plans to drill all over Arlington.  More about that later...

In case you've never seen EnerVest in action, here is how they operate in Denton, TX.  No wonder the residents there want to ban fracking.

Attribution:  Sharon Wilson of Earthworks