Letters to the editor, Oct. 28

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ELECTION LETTERS

The Denton Record-Chronicle welcomes letters to the editor pertaining to the Nov. 4 general election. All regular submission rules apply. The deadline for letters concerning statewide races and local propositions on the Nov. 4 ballot to be received in this office was 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24. None will be published after Friday, Oct. 31.

 

Vote no on ban

The scare tactic used in the Frack Free Denton mailer “One Fracking Blowout” should be reserved for Halloween. Only ghosts are missing.

The myth alleges that dangerous levels of emissions were released during an April 19, gas well incident in Denton.

The facts from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) determined that the well owned by EagleRidge Energy, suffered a pipe separation.

It was capped off the same day with no fire, explosion, danger or health risk to the public, while following OSHA rules.

TCEQ air samples for determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air both before and after the incident, determined that no compounds exceeding the air monitoring comparison values (MCV) for either long-term or short-term exposure existed.

EagleRidge had estimated that the event resulted in the release of 1,281 pounds of natural gas VOCs or 100 MCV of total natural gas, which was below the reportable quantity level of 5,000 pounds.

The TCEQ’s investigation estimated that the total emissions were well below EagleRidge’s estimate of 83.7 Mcf for the entire event.

An independent third-party investigator, KJ Environmental (KJE), reviewed the TCEQ findings and noted that, based on TCEQ’s findings, no acute or chronic health effects were realized.

KJE also noted that many of the contaminants found in the air by TCEQ “are not found in natural gas production emissions and have no relationship to any EagleRidge operations.” TCEQ concluded there were “No violations associated to this investigation.”

Vote no on the ban.

Bill Lawson,

Denton

 

Vote to ban fracking

In my research to better understand the issues surrounding the fracking ban, I just read these two opposing articles: http://tribtalk.org/2014/10/03/why-denton-should-ban-fracking and http://tribtalk.org/2014/10/03/why-denton-shouldnt-ban-fracking.

Ed Ireland, executive director of the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council, has basically one point to make and it's all about money. According to him, if we ban fracking, it “will lead to economic damage.”

All of his catchphrases center around money. “Negative economic impacts” ... “potential losses” ... “local entities would give up millions of dollars over the next decade” ... then he goes into the legal battle Denton may face if we succeed in passing the ban.

Which is all about money.

All that money that someone might be making from fracking? It’s not going into my bank account.

What is going to directly affect me is the air that my husband, daughter and I breath every day.

Adam Briggle, vice president of the Denton Drilling Awareness Group, conveys that Denton has the worst air quality in the North Texas area, due in large part to byproducts of fracking.

He points to peer-reviewed studies showing that people in close proximity of fracking have issues with headaches, nosebleeds, breathing difficulties, nausea and sleepless nights.

Our groundwater is being affected — chemicals that weren’t there before fracking are there now, and I’m not a fan of arsenic.

Ask me to choose between someone else getting rich or my family having good air quality, water quality and health — I choose my family. So should every single Denton voter.

I will be voting for the fracking ban.

Julie Simmons,

Denton

 

Ban fracking

In January 2013, Denton passed an ordinance requiring a 1,200-foot setback on well sites from homes and other protected uses. In January 2014, new horizontal wells were hydraulically fractured within 200 feet of homes in my neighborhood.

That’s crazy, right? This is allowed to happen in spite of our ordinance because industry says the ordinance doesn’t apply to anything that was permitted before 2013, which is at least 270 wells in Denton.

Denton tried to protect its citizens by setting responsible limits, but industry continues to say those limits don’t apply.

Due to the unreasonableness of industry, any new regulation will not apply to the wells in Denton and the only way to stop them from fracking near our homes, schools, parks and hospitals is with a ban.

The people trying to convince you that we just need “better” regulation know this. They financially benefit from fracking and are trying to protect their pocketbook, not Denton’s.

Do not be misled by their assertions that a ban on fracking will hurt Denton’s economy. If they were truly concerned about Denton, they wouldn’t be threatening to sue us.

Please vote for the ban on hydraulic fracturing in the city of Denton.

Maile Bush,

Denton

 

Frack ban is a drilling ban

Some, opposing hydraulic fracturing, have claimed that a frack ban is not a ban on drilling.

This is incorrect, indicating a lack of understanding of the oil and gas drilling and completion process.

The first commercial hydraulic fracturing operation was in 1949. Since that time, hydraulic fracturing has become a normal part of the well drilling/completion process, applying to horizontally and vertically drilled wells.

A vertically drilled well is fracked to increase the permeability of the producing zone, enabling the oil and/or gas product to flow to the well bore.

Without the ability to hydraulically fracture the producing zone, the vast majority of vertically drilled wells would not produce oil or gas in commercial quantities, not justifying the cost to drill and complete the well.

And, until the late 1980s, all wells were vertically drilled wells. A number of wells drilled today are still done vertically.

And, horizontally drilled wells must be fracked. Industry experts have known about the oil/gas shales for years, but shale development was not feasible without recent horizontal drilling and multistage fracturing technology.

Before you vote on banning this technology in the city of Denton, please understand the true ramifications of approving a frack ban, which is a de facto drilling ban.

Look up industry information, opposition information and even Wikipedia, which goes into some explanation of the fracturing process.

Pat Sloan,

Denton

 

Vote for ban

As George Washington observed, “Many men [people] will sell their integrity to the highest bidder.” The results of the fracking issue in the current election will show whether the citizens of Denton sold the integrity of our community to the highest bidder!

Some people gain a great deal of money if we vote to allow fracking within the city limits. However, thousands of us who actually live in Denton lose a great deal more if we sell out our city and our environment, compromising our health and quality of life.

The last time I checked, we were all still free individuals and this is our city — we have the right and responsibility to decide what we will and will not allow in the town where we live. Voting for the fracking ban leads to more-responsible drilling practices by forcing companies to drill outside of our city limits; away from our neighborhoods, parks, shopping areas and schools.

Don’t sell the integrity of our community — vote for the ban on fracking — keep Denton frack-free and retain our high quality of life, which is priceless.

Elaine Davis,

Denton

 

Make an informed decision

As people who are about to make a huge decision that will affect the rest of their lives, ask yourself, am I prepared? Did I research the matter? Did I look at TCEQ’s site, the EPA information, the Railroad Commission site and maps, the chemicals involved and their effects both long- and short-term?

Did I look at the effects of mixed chemicals? Did I even look at what is involved in the process of fracking? Did I weigh the cost for and against? Did I do all that I could do to make an informed decision?

Ask yourself and then answer those questions and make an informed decision. Just remember these decisions not only affect you, they affect your children, their children and the world. Think. As Rush once sang in a song, if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

Rebecca Williams,

Azle

 

Vote no on ban

As we begin early voting and approach Election Day, we have an important local vote that will affect Denton on many different levels, our private property rights, jobs and financially.

I have had the opportunity to attend several forums with both sides of the issue speaking. Without exception, I have heard creditable sources confirming that the health of our area has not been affected by the fracking (drilling). I personally know of people who have worked around the fracking for years on a daily basis with no ill effects.

After we had lived in Denton for several years, I was told that Denton is the allergy capital of the U.S. because so many people developed allergies after they moved to Denton.

I do believe that we need to do something to prevent wells close to homes (whatever that measurement might be, 200 feet is too close); however, banning fracking is overkill in my opinion. Do not rely on passionate appeals. Do your research and vote no on the ban.

Barbara Russell,

Denton

 

Vote your conscience

Be honest. Would you really want to live next to or near to a fracking well? Would you if you had any other choice? If not, vote for the fracking ban within the city limits of Denton.

Think for yourself and vote your conscience. This vote is not about which political party you prefer. Don’t let Big Oil and Big Business tell you what to think and do with their slick, paid public relations efforts and political advertisements. They do not care about you or our city and only care about their monetary profits.

Give yourself and your kids a better future. Give our health a chance.

Lloyd Sanborn,

Denton

 

Vote for the ban

A fracking site in Denton has already experienced a blowout. Fortunately, there was no fire or explosion. Who is protecting us from such hazards?

The Energy Policy Act of 2005, passed by the U.S. Congress, exempts fracking from virtually all environmental regulations including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

So it appears we will get no protection from the federal government. As far as I can tell, the state of Texas will provide no help, either. That leaves it up to us to protect ourselves and our families. On Nov. 4 vote for the ban on hydraulic fracturing in Denton.

Marshall Smith,

Denton


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