Denton Drilling Awareness Group
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Published by CBS11
This is the press release provided by the Denton Drilling Awareness Group before CBS 11's original story.
This is the press release provided by the Denton Drilling Awareness Group before CBS 11's original story.
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Denton Drilling Awareness Group * Earthworks
PRESS RELEASE: MAY 1ST, 2014
CONTACTS:
Sharon Wilson, (940) 389-1622, swilson@earthworksaction.org
Videos, air sampling reveal Denton, Texas' broken promises to monitor fracking pollution
Independent tests of fracking operations prove
city cannot be trusted to oversee fracking
May 1st, Denton
-- Today the Denton Drilling Awareness Group (Denton DAG) released infrared videos of fracking sites within the city, and summa canister test results showing toxic benzene in
a city resident’s yard adjacent to a fracking
operation. Both prove the City Council is breaking its public promises to monitor fracking air pollution.
View Denton FLIR GasFindIR Videos & Locations in a larger map
The series of videos from the three fracking-enabled drilling sites, -- taken over a period of several weeks with an infrared FLIR camera widely used by Texas regulators, -- show Volatile Organic Compounds pollution near residences. VOCs often include cancer causing toxics like benzene.
from a Denton resident’s backyard less than 425 feet from an EagleRidge fracking operation
. The tested residence is one of many adjacent to the same fracking operation. The summa test, performed near the end of the flowback process, showed that residents were exposed to levels of benzene pollution exceeding state long term exposure limits and six other compounds including acetone.
In 2013, the Denton City Council promised in an open public meeting that it would, if not
proactively prevent pollution from fracking operations, at least monitor those operations to insure
he air . This promise was essential because a loophole in the Denton City ordinance allows some fracking operations within 250 feet of residences.
“These tests show the City of Denton cannot be trusted to protect its citizens from fracking,” said
Cathy McMullen, president of the Denton DAG.
She continued, “Because the City cannot uphold
its public promises to measure fracking pollution -- let alone prevent it -- we have no option but to
protect our health by banning fracking altogether.”
“The City’s broken promises on fracking have hurt my family,” said Deborah Ingram, in whose yard the summa canister test revealed benzene air pollution from fracking. She continued, “I have
had nose bleeds and breathing trouble as a result of this industry. I support a fracking ban because both city and state government seem more interested in protecting the industry than
protecting the public.”
“Recent studies indicate the closer one is to the fracking process, the greater one’s negative
health effect risk,
” said Rhonda Love, a retired professor of public health and Denton DAG secretary. She continued, “Fracking has not been demonstrated to be safe. We must ask why we
