Denton Fracking Ban Could Spur Wider Legal Clash
DENTON — Debbie Ingram understands the importance of Texas’ oil and gas industry, and she enjoys the look of a lit-up drilling rig rising in the nighttime sky.
But a few months of living about 400 feet from a natural gas well — the source of a cacophony of noises and nauseating fumes that, at times, have overtaken her brick house — prompted her to join hundreds of others pushing back against the industry in this North Texas city.
“I couldn’t sit on the back porch because I couldn’t breathe,” said Ingram, 67, wearing a black T-shirt reading “Frack Free Denton ...
Comments (21)
Budman 007
If neighbors were entitled to royalties and mineral rights they may feel differently, but bringing energy production out of rural Texas & into cities is going to remain a problem as long as resulting property values and municipal disturbances are intertwined at the expense of locals, who get nothing but fugitive emissions and vapors out of the deal.
Stephen Smith via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If they don't want it, they shouldn't have it- but then again, if you are the person sitting on it, you would want the money.
Candyce Byrne via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Love it. A collision between two of the things that have driven Texas' insane politics and attitudes for as long as I can remember. Sadly, there's reason to fear the outcome.
Jerry Andrews
2 property rights collide, not to mention that fracking is a "taking" of natural resource of clean water by those who chose to "fully exploit" the resource of well water under their land. The right to take/use all of the water under your land is also a property right on equal footing with the right to exploit mineral resources. Given these conflicts of property rights, a rational approach would weigh the 2 property rights of the humans living on the land as more important that the one property right of companies to exploit the mineral resources in the ground. Expect the Texas Supreme Court to do as they always do, side with the money, in this case, the energy industry. Sorry Denton folks, but you don't stand a chance. Well, you do, but you'd have to actually vote for legislators and judges not on the lever pull of the Republican slate and we all know that will not happen, especially in Denton county.
Kym Munson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Assure those surrounding new drilling sites they will remain healthy, be able to sell if necessary and live quiet, normal lives and this isn't that much of an issue. Sadly for many this has not proven to be the case, we see sick children, homes unable to sell,noise and disruption24/7 .
Vicki Jackson McGaugh via Texas Tribune on Facebook
It's fine to rape the resources, ruin the water tables, destroy the ecosystems of third world countries for generations now....but once you start impacting middle white America......guess that is what it takes for people to start waking up. Or is it just more of the "everything is about me' syndrome we have going on now. It's going to be fun either way..
WUSRPH
I think I read recently about a recent Texas Supreme Court decision that appears to give the mineral rights owners the power to do anything they want to get to their "property".....including tear up the surface owners' land....
ChicoMendez
“If one community after another continues to say ‘Not in my backyard,’ then before long, a tsunami of exclusion will jeopardize our freedom as a country,” said Chris Faulkner, the chief executive of Breitling Energy in Dallas....." You won't find a more backasswards, Orwellian statement summarizing the industry's fear of democracy overruling a corrupt state regulatory system.
Sharon Cooper Morgan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/07/25/3464121/judge-overturns-colorado-fracking-ban/
Cheryl Sims via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Vicki, I don't think people understood much about the hazards of resource development until they experienced it personally. I want to believe that few people would have willingly supported the exploitation of third world countries if they had any idea of the impacts. "Middle white" Americans may be uninformed but I don't think the majority of us are evil. We are just somewhat blinded by our comforts until something opens our eyes. For instance, I lived in Texas my entire life and honestly had no idea of how brutal the fossil fuel industries were to both people and the environment.
David Spratt
“To say that this is a slam dunk, it’s a taking, I think that’s painting with an overly broad brush,” said Terrence Welch, a lawyer who has helped write drilling ordinances in several Texas cities. “The property — the mineral estate isn’t left valueless. You can drill, but you just can’t frack.”
Kinda like saying you can fish but you can't disturb any water or even get close to it. Without fracking and horizontal drilling these formations are not viable economically. Does not seem these anti drilling people are reasonable. Reasonable setbacks are understandable,, an outright ban is not reasonable.
Storm Britten Ilouno via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Please, let them re-shape Texas.
TimRuggiero
This isn't about money, it's about quality of life, health and property values. 85% of Denton residents support the ban. Not one of the people opposed to the ban actually live in Denton and have to live with drilling operations, dehydration units, spills, leaks, constant truck traffic or compressor stations. Almost all of the money being made off these wells leaves Denton.
Perhaps, to Barry Smitherman's concern that if enough communities ban fracking, there will be more drilling in Texas. Maybe Smitherman and Industry should come to the realization that fracking in neighborhoods is not a viable option and cannot continue.
David Cargill via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Stop the drilling and fracking. We are smarter than that? I hope
Kim Feil
Women fought to have equal rights to vote, blacks to end slavery....changing the law where subsurface mineral rights trump surface rights is the next big movement that will have to be (NIMBY) citizen led for change...though it may not be pretty getting there. Risking air and water (health) should be on the radar for ALL biosphere inhabitants....most are too busy working and raising families and ASSume the elected officials are doin' their jobs....rise up we must-all hands on deck....planet B doesn’t exist ya’ll.
David Spratt
If all you people complaining would quit using the product ,, why not boycott electricity, gasoline, don't spend ANY money at all because anything you buy has been transported by truck using diesel fuel. Everything you buy has some fossil fuels used in manufacture. What a bunch of hypocrites , post here and then jump into the Excursion and drive to the mall.
Jim Baxa
If Denton passes this, they will be sued, and they will be paying out billions in addition to the law being overturned. If this is passed, it would bankrupt the city.
Adalberto Cervantes Rodriguez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The indians are arriving through Swisserland instead of a direct flight, to make sure they will not have any problems with US inmigration. Gang stalker are controlling all the airports, it is incredible that our money is wasted in security, there are no security at the airports because the chineses and indians are protecting themselves targeting innocent people.
annie S via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If science was better taught there wouldn't be a debate about the dangers.
Mark Causey
‘Not in my backyard,’ then before long, a tsunami of exclusion will jeopardize our freedom as a country,” said Chris Faulkner, the chief executive of Breitling Energy in Dallas, one of many industry representatives who spoke at City Hall before the Council’s vote.
So, let me get this straight, our freedom hinges on allowing Fracking in my backyard. If I don't allow it I am giving up my freedom, but if I let the Energy Companies dictate what can be done on my property, am I gaining additional freedoms. Get logic, for idiots.
Bill Owens
What people refuse to bring up is the fact that the gas wells were there before the houses.The people that are bitching didn't pay attention when they bought and realize they made a mistake after the fact..The original wells were vertical (old technology) and when they were sold to Eagleridge energy where they were re drilled on the original pad site using horizontal technology.There are currently new homes being built 300 feet to the south of the well site that people will buy and then complain to the city of the smell and heath effects down the road.It boils down to bad planning from the city to allow residential development beside existing gas wells and poor judgement from consumers If you buy a house near an airport don't bitch about the noise and fumes from the planes.