There are 281 gas wells in Denton.
Plus 30% of our land area is permitted for fracking (that’s 10,000+ acres). Here’s an example of a plat near the Southridge neighborhood (211 acres).
Thanks to vested rights laws, all of this is governed by old rules. And the old rules say you can frack less than 200 feet from protected uses. To be clear: fracking is permitted less than 200 feet from homes, schools, and parks. And there is nothing we can do about it short of the ban. The industry wants “responsible” fracking. We tried that. For years, we worked for a reasonable set of rules. But it was too late.
Here’s an illustration. AFTER passing an ordinance that stipulates a 1,200 foot setback. Fracking happened in this neighborhood less than 200 feet from homes. Why? Because our reasonable rules do not apply! They don’t apply to our 281 gas wells and 10,000+ acres already in place and permitted.
The cows are already out of the barn. No regulations can solve that problem. And the industry knows it. They’ve said they can frack as many wells” as they want “in perpetuity.” The only reasonable option the industry left for us is the ban. It’s the only way to protect our health and safety.
That’s enough industrialization of our neighborhoods. Vote FOR the Ban.
Here was a blowout that happened in Denton last year.
Nearby homes were evacuated. 1,200 pounds of VOCs (a class of chemicals, some of which are cancer-causing) were released. 4,100 gallons of hydrochloric acid. 5,700 gallons of “proprietary and non-disclosed ingredients.” (Not even first responders know what the chemicals are.)
Toxic chemicals gushing out of the ground for 14 hours. That could happen at any of our 281 gas wells, which can all be re-fracked. That can happen right next to kids’ bedrooms. We don’t even let bakeries in neighborhoods. Why this?!
One blowout is enough. Vote FOR the Ban.
The cancer-causing chemical benzene was detected at these sites in Denton, both right next to homes. One right next to a park and a hospital. Moms and dads report children with headaches, nausea, breathing difficulties, and nosebleeds.
Our families have suffered enough. Vote FOR the Ban.
Each fracked well contaminates 6 million gallons of water forever. For Denton, that’s over 1 billion gallons of our precious freshwater and counting.
That’s enough wasted water. Vote FOR the Ban.
Recent science shows that areas with fracking have much higher concentrations of smog-forming and asthma-worsening ozone than areas without fracking.
That’s enough air pollution. Vote FOR the Ban.
Recently, arsenic and fracking chemicals were found in groundwater wells around our area. The chemicals were not there before fracking and they were not in areas without fracking.
That’s enough water pollution. Vote FOR the Ban.
The industry’s own numbers show that fracking constitutes a measly 0.2% of our economy, 0.25% of our workforce, and 0.5% of our tax revenue. Meanwhile, Denton residents get just 2% of the royalties but 100% of the pollution. More damning for the industry, their own numbers also show that every acre devoted to residential development generates 4x as much tax revenue for our roads and schools than an acre of fracking. An average acre of land in Denton generates 2x as much economic activity as an acre of fracking. And fracking leaves behind land that is forever blighted and devalued.
That’s enough wasted economic opportunity. Vote FOR the Ban.
The industry even has the gall to suggest that Denton is not doing her part for American energy independence. Denton!? Did you see the maps of how much fracking happens here? If you crammed all of Texas’ gas wells into the 7% of its land area that is urban, Denton would still have 3x as many wells as the average city in that extreme scenario. We have done far more than our fair share. And we will continue to do so with 281 gas wells still producing after the ban.
We are doing more than enough. Vote FOR the Ban.
Clutching at their last straw, the industry now resorts to personal attacks and scare mongering. They call us terrorists. They accuse us (McCarthy style) of being un-American. They threaten us with lawsuits. But they know that the ban is perfectly legal and less restrictive than other valid ordinances in Texas.
That’s enough hate and enough fear. Vote FOR the Ban.
It’s our air and water. It’s our health and safety. It’s a new dawn for OUR DENTON!
