Fracking a "Nuisance," Denton Tells Court
One day before its first-in-Texas ban on hydraulic fracturing is set to take effect, Denton called the oil and gas extraction technique a “public nuisance” that the North Texas town has the right to regulate.
“Those activities have caused conditions that are subversive of public order and constitute an obstruction of public rights of the community as a whole,” Denton’s attorneys wrote in a legal brief filed Monday. “Such conditions include, but are not limited to, noise, increased heavy truck traffic, liquid spills, vibrations and other offensive results.”
The argument came in the city’s two-page response to a ...
Comments (39)
John Deike via Texas Tribune on Facebook
dont like fracking, quit using gas and oil in your cars and gas heat in your homes
George Orr via Texas Tribune on Facebook
A community has every right to determine what does or not occur within their city limits - that is what "local control" is all about, which all the teapublican politicos espouse all the time, as long as it doesn't dip into the pockets of their big money buddies
Steven Kays via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Nobody ever said Denton had much sense, this legal battle will drag on for years and cost them tons of money.
Jefferson Woodruff via Texas Tribune on Facebook
John, most of probably like Fracking? They just don't want it literally in their back yard. It's ok out of the city limits where there is still lots of oil and gas to be fracked.
John Deike via Texas Tribune on Facebook
so your gonna limit the ability of the neighbors to develop thier property rights because you dont like it
K'Lin Noble via Texas Tribune on Facebook
They do.
Mary Mahurin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I hope the citizens of Denton win!
John Deike via Texas Tribune on Facebook
im glad i left that shithole years ago
Robert Brophy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Last I checked, Denton has the right to make ordinances. In typical Texas Republican fashion, here come the "conservative" Texas posters bending over backwards to defend the oil industry instead.
Ann Kennedy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
With the price of oil dropping by the minute, fracking may become unprofitable pretty quickly and shut down.
Steven Felfe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Will this fracked oil help lower gas prices?
Mike McKinnon via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Small government republicans (except when it stands in the way of economic and ideological gain).
Marcia Withrow via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Go, Denton!
Phil Rogers via Texas Tribune on Facebook
NIMBY hahaha
Lee Hutchings
Let's see here..................The City of Denton vs Texas Oil & Gas Association, A Republican Governor, a Republican dominated legislature, a Republican dominated US Senate, a Republican dominated US House of Representatives, a conservative dominated US Supreme Court, Wall Street, The US Chamber of Commerce, and various other wacko wingnut groups.......
Looks like Denton has a fairly long shot at winning this battle. There's something wrong with this picture, I can't quite quite put my finger on it. A little help, here!
Susan Oliver via Texas Tribune on Facebook
These sites are next to playgrounds, hospitals and schools. The air in Denton is filthy. The people took their town back. Citizens have rights. Go Denton!
Janey Busby via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Set the BAR Denton!!! So proud of you!
Joan Hardy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Years ago pig farms, roosters, smelters, etc., were banned from most cities by zoning ordinance because they are at least nuisances if not out right unhealthy and disruptive to a community. Why is fracking considered different?
Steven Felfe via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Seeing most cities have zoning laws why don't they just create a Fracking district.
Rick Bentley via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Wonder what GA is gonna do 'bout this?
Stefanie Nicole via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Nuisance is too lenient a word.
Rick Straus
The R's are only for Local Control when it benefits their agenda. The R's are pro drilling and the Railroad Commission is controlled by the O&G Industry. Therefore, Denton has a lot of forces standing against their wishes. Stand up and fight for your Liberty, Denton !
Matt Ocker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
This is a loser in Court. When actual evidence is presented and subject to cross-examination, the environmentalists' propaganda gets destroyed every time. The people that want to talk about Gasland never tell the whole story. That entire documentary was a lie. The people that believe that think that Cuba's healthcare system is better than ours because Michael Moore said so.
Alexandro Giraud via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Awesome!! Let's save America from the greedy enemies!!
Matt Ocker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Can't we label those that spread falsehoods about fracking domestic terrorists? I think I read that in the PATRIOT Act.
Marty Jamieson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Take back our rights....
Corporations are not humans...
Kim Krause via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I <3 Denton!!
Scott Nicol via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The General Land Office IS the oil and gas industry
Kim V Distin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Go Denton!!
Leslie Turner Lindsey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Way to go, Denton! Water is a precious commodity in the whole state; it certainly doesn't need to be wasted or polluted in the fracking process.
Pickles Sorrell
Lots of DAB comments on here today. That's an acronym for 'Dumb Ass Beyotches' for you liberal yankee imports reading this blog.
Roger Williams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Local control...the republican way....right?
Doris Maldonado via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Good for you Denton, for standing up to them !!!
Tim Ruggiero via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Makes me laugh the amount of people whose only answer to the multitudes of problems is to 'stop using oil and gas'. Because it's either unfettered drilling and fracking with reckless abandon- spills, leaks, constant emissions, flaring, compressor stations, blowouts, contaminated water- or we're back in the horse and buggy days. Is there anyone here making comments in favor of drilling and fracking with a drill site and infrastructure in their backyard? Because if you don't, then you really have no say in the matter.
Matt Ocker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
reason.com/archives/2013/07/05/the-top-5-lies-about-fracking
Matt Ocker via Texas Tribune on Facebook
http://dailycaller.com/2013/07/08/gasland-part-ii-director-uses-hoax-as-evidence-against-fracking/
William Ardis
both websites listed are fring extremist right-wing websites, not ones to be unbiased by any stretch of the imagination.
Funny how conservatives hate the overreach of the federal government, they want to rely on state government to "solve" the problems. But drill down one level, the state is about to overreach in reaction to Denton. There may be a bill coming to ban fracking bans. So the state (i.e. the big government) will be telling cities (i.e. the local government) what they can and cannot do. Normally conservatives/republicans would be against this, but when $$$ from donors is involved it is another story. They will do the bidding of these gas companies to stop local governments from having any say in what companies can do. Because the business of government is business, If you think they are here to protect people, think again. It is all about $$$$
Heather Ammons via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Go Denton!
Polly Hearn via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas politicos say they want individual rights to prosper. That means local governments should be able to question local land use that might affect health, welfare and safety issues. But this article seems to suggest that local governments all over Texas are subject to the whims of state agencies.