The vote to ban fracking in the city limits of Denton was a landslide.

Do not forget that the people of Denton have been struggling for five years to achieve some level of “responsible” from the oil and gas industry.

This did not happen because of one bad operator. That suggestion is complete and utter doody starting with Range Resources fracking across the street from McKenna Park and dumping their sewage into the field. Fracking in Denton has been one long string of bad operators.

Denton is representative of Texas–a predominately Republican city that happens to have two universities–and it would be folly for politicians to ignore that fact. Republicans voted for the ban proving that fracking is a non-partisan issue. Republicans won every race in Denton.

I like love how the Dallas Morning News sent a warning to Texas lawmakers.

People drove pickup trucks with Greg Abbott stickers to the polls, voted straight Republican and still voted for the ban. Eighty plus year-old ladies voted for the ban then ranted against Obama. They voted in Myra Crownover again despite her threats to support legislation to make the ban illegal and her years of supporting industry over her constituents. It will be interesting to watch the awakening.

That’s how bad the reality of fracking is. No one can live with it, not even industry’s political base.

This is industry’s own fault.

There are some things that money can’t buy, even a mega crap-load of money. The opposition buried Denton in deceptive mailers which just made people angry. The mailers at the top with blue banners, those were from Ed Ireland and were not reported in the campaign spending. Even ads during the Cowboy football game didn’t deceive people.

Denton just ruined the win percentage for the Epstein Group.

The stage at Dan’s Sliver Leaf is not big enough for everyone responsible. It didn’t feel right for a few to stand up there when so many worked together to made this happen. Everyone played an important roll and we all worked together like a giant siphonophore. Each part of the Denton fracking siphonophore had an important, specialized part that made the whole work and thrive.

This are amazing, talented, hardworking women and they certainly should have all been on the stage at Dan’s.

Rather than reflecting upon their irresponsible actions that brought Denton people to this point, industry quickly filed two lawsuits against the city. That’s how they roll. Never address legitimate concerns, just steamroll over the people.

This is what it looks like to release bottled up emotion from a five-year struggle.

This is a presentation given in Mansfield, TX by Anne C. Epstein MD, FACP
Lubbock TX Board of Health.

This presentation clearly shows that fracking is a serious threat to health and should never be in neighborhoods.

Health Risks of Oil and Gas- Development

This is a sign from a frack site 200′ from a family’s backdoor. Thirty-percent of Denton city limits is permitted to allow fracking 200′ or less from homes.

Vote FOR the proposition to prohibit hydraulic fracturing in the city limits of Denton.

Yesterday residents in Denton were treated to yet another mailer from the people who support “Responsible Drilling.” This one, from the wife of one of the two board members, was particularly offensive.

See larger version HERE

The mailer reminded me of a quote I saw yesterday in a video about the BP spill.

“Somebody ought to feel something other than greed.”

The family depicted in the picture above is one of the rare Denton mineral owners who actually lives in Denton. Their minerals are valued at more than the entire Denton Independent School District.

• Average annual mineral value held by DISD (from DCAD): $143,00
• Annual mineral value held by Jones Family Trust (DCAD) : $169,000

So, while the Jones family sends out deceptive mailers leading Denton residents to believe schools will go bankrupt and park swings will break if a ban on fracking is passed, this family gains more from fracking than all the students in Denton schools.

The Jones family are big supporters of “Responsible Drilling” but, until yesterday they have failed to define what that means.

When asked in an interview with the Dallas Business Journal to describe his idea of “Responsible Drilling”, Bobby Jones the treasurer of Denton Tax Payers for a Strong Economy had this to say:

“I guess I don’t see where it falls on the oil companies,” said Bobby Jones who has a pad site within 300 feet of his home. “They haven’t done anything wrong.”

There you have it Denton voters! “Responsible Drilling” means more of the same and the “Responsible Drilling” supporters believe the “oil companies” have no responsibility and have done nothing wrong.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones, according to the complaints logged with the state, your Denton neighbors disagree.

Searching the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s complaints from last Halloween to this Halloween yielded hundreds of complaints. Here is a sampling from the Southridge neighborhood where fracking occurred on the Acme Brick site:

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

The complaintant states there is black smoke outside and there is a bad smell in their living room.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

STRONG ODOR FROM 9:15 AM THAT LAST APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES. ODOR INDUCES EXTREME HEADACHES.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

EXHAUST SMELL WAS SO STRONG THAT IT BURNED THEIR EYES.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

DUST IS GETTING IN EYES AND THROATS CAUSING ITCHING AND BURNING SENSATIONS OCCURRING BETWEEN THE HOURS OF ~6:00 AM-~7:00 PM.

A sampling of the complaints from the Meadows of Hickory Creek and Vintage nieghborhoods:

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

SORE THROAT, TROUBLE IN BREATHING, COUGHING AND HEADACHES DUE TO EMISSIONS FROM GAS WELL DRILLING SITE.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

SORE THROAT, FATIGUE, NAUSEA AND BAD HEADACHES DUE TO EMISSIONS FROM ALLEGED SOURCE.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

COMPLAINANT WAS WALKING IN NEIGHBORHOOD AND IS NOW EXPERIENCING BURNING LUNGS, SORE THROAT, COUGHING AND A DIFFICULT TIME THEIR CATCHING BREATH.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

THE COMPLAINANT ALLEGED THAT A LARGE ABOUT OF FUMES WERE BEING GENERATED BY THE FACILITY AND THESE EMISSIONS WERE CLEARLY VISIBLE. COMPLAINANT ALLEGES THAT THE FACILITY IS CAUSING HEADACHES, WATERY EYES, AND SINUS ISSUES. ALL OF WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN PREVIOUS ISSUES.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

NEARBY DRILLING RIG CAUSING STRONG CHEMICAL ODORS, EYES IRRITATION, AND HEADACHES.
THERE IS A FOG OF EMISSIONS IN THE AIR MAKING IT HARD TO BREATH

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

DIESEL FUMES. THE COMPLAINANT STATED THAT OUSIDE THE SMELL WAS VERY STRONG ALMOST MAKING THEM FAINT.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

FUMES THAT LEAVE A BITTER TASTE IN THEIR MOUTH AND THE FUMES HAVING A SULFURIC SMELL AND ROTTEN EGGS SMELL.

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

OVERPOWERING CHEMICAL ODOR WHILE WALKING OUTSIDE FOR 10 MINUTES, EXPERIENCED A PIERCING HEADACHE AND NAUSEA, THROAT IRRITATION, AND EYE BURNING

There are hundreds of complaints like these listed at the TCEQ website.

How about this? Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

How about this? This child has a fracking site 200′ from his bedroom. Does this look like “Responsible Drilling” to you?

If you don’t want fracking in your backyard, vote FOR the proposition to prohibit hydraulic fracturing in the city limits of Denton.

UPDATE: While you’re here, don’t miss my conversation with Randy Sorrells at the polls in Denton.

UPDATE: Vote to keep this sign out of your backyard.

The fact that breathing hydrocarbons can be lethal should not surprise anyone. Breathing hydrocarbons kills babies and adult oilfield workers. What you may not realize is that these same hydrocarbons are in the air venting from the oil and gas facilities in your backyards.

I’ve blogged about Dustin before. When I have time to blog, all kinds of people contact me. Several people close to Dustin contacted me after my blog post. I understood how important the deposition was. You’ll have to read the article and connect some dots to know what all that means.

Dustin, like several other men in the story, was a flowback operator. Flowback is part of the completion process where the fracking fluid comes back up to the surface. They store this fluid in tanks onsite that have 16″ x 16″ vents on top because the flowback is so volatile it will blow up the tanks if not vented. That venting of flowback is bad news for neighborhoods. Here’s what it looks like:

This is across the street from Apogee Stadium in Denton

And this is in the Meadows of Hickory Creek neighborhood in Denton. You can clearly see that the fumes are crossing the fence-line and trespassing into people’s backyards.

Here is what I want you to understand:

“If the emissions are bad enough to cause death,” Subra said, “they have to be causing severe health impacts.”

The same thing that killed Dustin and these other men, “hydrocarbon poisoning due to inhalation of petroleum vapors,” is in the air around all these facilities.  Even industry’s own air testing confirms that. The question is not IF you will be exposed but how often and to what extent? Here’s why:

• Permits in Texas allow these facilities to vent 25 tons per year of volatile organic compounds. (Other states like Colorado allow much less, but not good old Texas.) There are ways operators in Texas get around that permit requirement and vent even more.
• All the tanks come with vents. The purpose of a vent is to _________?
• These facilities are also allowed special get out of jail cards called “allowable emission events.”

Here is a video of a facility with three tanks and all three tanks are venting. Now you know what those pipes sticking up are. They are vents.

Imagine this behind your house. People in Denton, TX live less than 200′ from tanks like these.

And industry’s response when confronted with this fact of constant exposure is not to suggest improvements so neighbors won’t be exposed to petroleum vapors ,but rather to dismiss it because it’s permitted.

@TXsharon @UNTActivities Did you see fully permitted site which will not be impacted by #fracking vote?

— Adam Haynes (@adamphaynes) October 26, 2014

They call that “Responsible Drilling.”

When confronted with an even more egregious example…:

…the response is to attack the messenger.

@TXsharon That is a baseless claim. Please provide data. You are intentionally misleading. — Adam Haynes (@adamphaynes) October 29, 2014

It’s no wonder the opposition to fracking continues to grow. This industry is stuck on stupid.

Breathing petroleum vapors can kill you or make you sick. Duh!

UPDATE: Industry’s response to this post:

@TXsharon You are immoral. Making a political statement – again – over tragic accidents where people died. You have less than zero class.

— Adam Haynes (@adamphaynes) October 30, 2014

I was doing a little poll watching in Denton this morning. It was a fine, cool morning unlike the previous days where I felt like I was melting. And the “Responsible Drilling” hired guns where not there misleading voters so things were quite pleasant.

I saw a man wearing a “Responsible Drilling” t-shirt and recognized him immediately from this video in which he goes on and on listing various farm animals but doesn’t seem to know much about fracking other than that he makes money from it. The man was Randy Sorrells a board member for Denton Taxpayers for a Strong Economy, the group opposing the ban in Denton and the group that accuses me of having ties with Russia.

I decided to ask him about that. Here’s how the conversation went:

Me: Hey, I want to ask you a question. Why do you have on your website that I am affiliated with Russia?

Sorrells: I don’t know.

Me: You don’t know why you accuse me of having ties to Russia? I don’t even know anybody from Russia.

Sorrells: All the studies I’ve read say that fracking is safe and my kids haven’t ever had one nosebleed.

Me: That is not what I’m asking you. I want to know why you say on your website that I am affiliated with Russia.

Sorrells: I don’t know. I didn’t put that up there.

Me: But it’s your website and you are a board member so you are responsible and I want it taken off.

Answer: I’ll look into it.

Like “Responsible Drilling,” saying I have ties to Russia is just something to say. It means nothing and there is nothing behind it. When asked for examples of “Responsible Drilling” the opposition, industry and our law makers do not offer one viable example.

UPDATE: to further illustrate this point.

I asked the nice man handing these pigs out at the polls what “Responsible Drilling” means. He said it means protecting the aquatic live when drilling in the ocean. I asked him what is means in Denton (where there is no ocean). He said he was out of work and this is just a job.

This journalistic service brought to you by me because no “real” journalist–that I know of–has asked this important question.

You are welcome.

It’s irresponsible to lie to the residents of Denton.

This is a very busy time for me with early voting in Denton. The “Responsible Drilling” hired guns at the polls are misleading voters about how to vote so they must be constantly watched. And today has been a busy day for some rather bad news for fracking. I’m popping in there with some random thoughts about today’s news.

First up:

New Report: FRACKING’S TOXIC LOOPHOLE: Thanks to the “Halliburton Loophole,” Hydraulic Fracturing Companies Are Injecting Chemicals More Toxic than Diesel

Using information from FracFocus, the Environmental Integrity Project found that the fracking industry is using chemicals with 10 to 50 times more benzene than diesel. Remember that only 1/4 teaspoon of benzene will contaminate an olympic sized pool of water. One example from Texas:

Between August 22 and 28, 2014, Blackbrush O&G, LLC, injected nearly 150,000 gallons of base fluid containing up to 9% benzene – or 14,300 gallons –into a well in Dimmit County, Texas. That is as much benzene as contained in 14.3 million gallons of diesel fluid with a maximum concentration of 0.1% benzene.

Next, we could have done something earlier but we pretended there was a debate and waited three years:

Energy Department: U.S. must act now on methane emissions

This is the same Energy Department whose leader, Dr. Chu, proclaimed the Howarth/Ingraffea study as not credible. Seems Chu was wrong and Howarth/Ingraffea were right. Too bad we wasted three years and allowed more methane to vent from the wells into the air.

ICYMI,

We released some FLIR videos yesterday taken in and around Denton that show the emissions are a chronic problem. Important to note that natural gas is methane. So Denton is doing it’s part to speed up the climate crisis. Think about that then vote FOR the ordinance to prohibit hydraulic fracturing in the city limits of Denton.

Industry likes to claim that FLIR videos only show hot air. Are we supposed to believe that industry, state and federal regulators are spending millions for cameras that show hot air? (rhetorical question) I made a home video that shows no hot air:

Texas received some Doctor’s orders from the top toxicologist in the state:

No running, no gardening and don’t walk your dog because you need to stay inside. No joke, Texas air is that bad.

Texas’ Top Toxicologist: EPA’s New Smog Regulations Unnecessary, Just Stay Indoors

Pièce de résistance

The last bit of news tells us that McCarthyism is alive and well in Denton, Texas. There are two video interviews of councilman Roden who busts some of the misinformation being circulated by all 2 of the “Responsible Drilling” advocates in Denton along with their buddies from industry.

If you receive results from water testing and you don’t know what it means, I can help with that.

“Our studies indicate that over time an increasing number of wells is significantly correlated with inpatient rates of hospitalization,” Penning stated.

The study has not been released yet but the results were revealed recently to a Senate Policy Committee meeting.

Ruth McDermott-Levy, associate professor and director of the Center for Global and Public Health at the Villanova University College of Nursing, has been researching health needs in communities in Pennsylvania where fracking is taking place and supports Senate Bill 790.

There is a relationship between certain air pollutants and lung cancer and heart disease, she said. The air pollution doesn’t just come from drilling sites, but from support facilities including compressor stations, dehydration stations and truck transport, she said.

Study: more gas wells in area leads to more hospitalizations link fixed

At a public forum last night, Tom Giovanetti, The not from Denton Master Debater, dissed a recent report from ShaleTest that showed benzene in Denton’s McKenna Park. He claimed that harmful effects of benzene decays in hours and hinted that the benzene could be coming from wood.

Giovanetti ignored some important information. The ShaleTest report was released with FLIR videos showing emissions of volatile organic compounds coming from the tanks and an explanation that the air sampling was taken as close as possible to the emission plume.

Condensate tanks and produced water tanks all come with a vent. The purpose of the vent is to allow volatile organic compounds to escape into the air. Each pad site is allowed to vent 25 tons of volatile organic compounds per year. But the industry is not required to meter the emissions escaping from the vents so it’s all just guesswork and honor system

The ShaleTest study is not the first time high levels of benzene have been detected in McKenna Park. During fracking and completion of the gas wells across the street benzene was detected on three different occasions.

Benzene was detected on three different days at 4.81 ppbv, 16.2 ppbv, and 55.4 ppbv, all are exceedences of the long-term ESL exposure limit (Center for Disease Control says long-term is one year) and one exceeds the short-term limit (short-term is typically 15 – 30 minutes).  LINK

 

The fracking industry is covering Denton in layers of slick, deceptive mailers and now they are doing more manipulative polling calls. All this is only serving to anger Denton residents.

From Facebook:

Just received a very interesting survey call. The industry folks must be nervous. The caller invoked Putin and Russia, and Al-qaeda and Al Jazzera in trying to get me to try to change my mind about how I intend to vote on November 4. Misinformation and scare tactics don’t work with this lady, folks. VOTE FOR THE BAN ON THE FOURTH!!!!!!!

[...]

She also asked me if I would still vote for the ban if I knew that Obama and the democratic party were giving money to the Denton leaders that supported the ban. As if! Obama is pretty much pro-gas, so far, so that was pretty stupid!

You cannot believe, Dear Readers, the dirty tricks the opposition is pulling out of their sleaze bag. Someday soon, I hope I can share ALL those with you. Until then, carry on. These dirty tricks are a sign of desperation.

UPDATE:  Here is the latest mailer which burns with irony since high levels of benzene were detected in McKenna Park more than once. (Larger version HERE)

Side 2 (larger version HERE)

 UPDATE 2: Just heard that donations are flowing in at http://frackfreedenton.com/ in response to the latest dirty tricks.

In the beginning…

Cathy McMullen evacuated Wise County because she was surrounded by fracking. She moved to Denton where she thought it would be safe.

Shortly after Cathy, I evacuated Wise County because we were surrounded by fracking. We moved to Denton where we thought we would be safe.

I didn’t know Cathy and she didn’t know me.

Range Resources put up a t-post with a ribbon on it in the field across from McKenna Park near Cathy’s new home. Anyone who has lived with fracking knows what the beribboned t-post means. You are about to get fracked!  Cathy learned that Range planned to frack five wells a few blocks from her new home.

She started rounding up neighbors to fight back. Somehow–serendipity–she rounded me up. This was before I started working for Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project.

The meetings started as a group of mothers meeting in living rooms. Mothers who didn’t want to see their children exposed to fracking harms and didn’t want to see the character of Denton ruined.

Range Resources flare as viewed from McKenna Park. Photo credit: Cathy McMullen

A few times, those living room meetings included City Councilmen, Gregory Dalton or Jim Englebrecht. There were also doctors, and more doctors who stood up against drilling so close to homes, parks and medical facilities. We all became part of the Denton fracking opposition and we started speaking and making citizen presentations at City Council meetings. Gradually, the opposition grew.

In August 2009, I moved to an apartment complex across the street from Evers Park and close to my work at UNT’s Research Park. Later I rented an apartment from Denton’s new mayor, Chris Watts.

One day Cathy called to tell me that Range Resources was dumping their sewage into the field behind the drill site across the street from McKenna Park. Dumping raw sewage is a big money saver for the industry but it is illegal. Cathy and I called that sewage dumping event DoodyGate. Here’s the poop on DoodyGate. Cathy and I walked through the muck wearing sandals to capture the essence of DoodyGate on VIDEO.

In May 2011, I accepted a full-time position as Texas organizer with Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project. I am grateful that Earthworks has allowed me time to help the Denton Community, a place I still call home, as they faced increased mistreatment by the oil and gas industry. Earthworks helps communities like Denton when we are asked. Denton asked for Earthworks’ help.

DoodyGate took place over five years ago. We are still meeting in living rooms but the conversation has changed. This website has chronicled much of what has happened in Denton the past five years. It is easy to see that industry has brought this opposition on themselves. We tried to be reasonable and responsible but they refused any limitations on their activities.

Denton will soon be the first city in Texas to vote to ban hydraulic fracturing. No matter how the election turns out,  the conversation has forever been changed. Nowhere else will the fracking industry be able to run over and abuse residents like they have in Denton. Never again.

Solidarity.

Some additional highlights from the past.

Denton Succumbs to Greed. Range Resources to Drill 5 Wells
Denton passes Phase I of drilling ordinances 7-0
7,812 pieces of Barnett Shale pollution emitters in Denton County
Denton drilling task force
Denton public health and safety at risk from weak gas well ordinance
Report: Investigate environmental causes for breast cancer
The news about the Denton blowout is worse than you think.
Fracking executive confirms: Homeland Security thinks fracktivists are terrorists
Evacuations caused by EagleRidge gas well venting across the street from UNT Apogee Athletic Stadium
Denton voted to increase noise levels at gas well sites
Caught on video: Petition circulators deceive Denton residents