A Fracking Conundrum *Update*

This blog post is late coming out because, quite honestly, we do not know what to think or say about our City or Enervest, or the October 28th Arlington, TX City Council meeting.
   

It was a busy week in the gas patch due to many fracking-related events taking place across the metroplex.  On Monday Phelim McAleer, creator of FrackNation debated Calvin Tillman, former Mayor of Dish, TX at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch.  On Tuesday Enervest received unanimous approval from City Council for a zoning change.  On Wednesday Dr. Anne Epstein came to Mansfield with her presentation, "A Medical Perspective on Gas Drilling."  Finally, Wendy Davis visited with the neighbors in Southwest Arlington on Saturday.  And let's not forget Election Day when Denton residents get to vote on on a fracking ban. 

And now we learn that Enervest scheduled another Town Hall at 6:30 pm at the Bob Duncan Recreation Center for the Fannin Farms Drill Site on Election Day.  How Patriotic is that?  Don't they realize that some citizens are involved in the political process??  So thoughtless on their part, or perhaps strategic.  

We think it's strategic because Enervest contributed a TON of money to "Denton Taxpayers for a Strong Economy" a group opposed to the fracking ban.  According to campaign finance records the Denton Record Chronicle reports that Enervest gave $195,000 towards this cause.  We wonder if they would be as liberal with their money when it comes down to protecting the public by installing safer control technologies such as vapor recovery systems and a FLIR Gas finder camera to detect emissions which cannot be seen with the naked human eye.

Enervest also scheduled their town hall on the SAME NIGHT as the Arlington City Council meeting where the Perr Drill Site zoning change appears on the Consent Agenda.  Unbelievable.  Enervest's behavor is starting to make Chesapeake look good.

The consent agenda, by the way, is a tool used to streamline meeting procedures by collecting routine, non-controversial items into a group whereby all are passed with a single motion and vote.  Since when has drilling in an earthquake zone become routine business?  And let's not forget Enervest's history of gross violations in other states and the fact that they happened to be working over a well in close proximity to the epicenter of two earthquakes in September.

So, in getting back to Tuesday night's controversial council meeting, it is curious that three councilmen were missing in action ~ Charlie Parker, Robert Shepard, and Robert Rivera.  Does anyone know where they were?  Word has it they may have gone to Vegas, but what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. 

On September 17th the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of EnerVest's request to amend the SUP to establish a drill zone for the Perr Drill Site located on South Cooper Street.

The Arlington City Council ignored their recommendation.

On October 28th eight citizens spoke in opposition at the city council public hearing providing solid reasons as to why the City should deny this case.

The Arlington City Council ignored their recommendations.

Not one person from the community spoke in favor of this item on the agenda except for Shea Kirkman, the applicant.

City Council approved Enervest's request by a vote of 5-0-1 (Kathryn Wileman abstained.)

You must watch this public hearing for yourself to understand how the democratic process works in Arlington:

It is a fracking conundrum!

Arlington, TX Public Hearing for the Perr Drill Site 10-28-2014 
Click here for the link if video won't play.

In case you missed it, here is how Enervest operates in Denton.  Coming to Arlington soon...

Attribution:  Sharon Wilson, Earthworks

By the way, this is the video that the City prohibited to be shown at the October 28th City Council meeting.  Other cities allow their citizens to present audio/visual material, but in Arlington only the applicant is permitted to do so.  It's also a challenge to do or say much in two minutes.  Citizens in adjacent cities are allowed to speak for five minutes.  

If you haven't voted yet, remember to Vote this Election Day.  If you want an advocate for the people to regulate oil & gas rather than another industry insider, vote for Steve Brown for Railroad Commissioner of Texas.  He has spent countless hours speaking with folks in our community and is aware of the myriad of problems associated with fracking inside residential communities.  He has proposed real solutions to our issues.  

Mark your calendar for these important dates.  Enervest will request a zoning amendment to establish the drill zone for the Fannin Farms Drill Site located at 2322 Eden Road, Arlington, TX.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at 6:30 (Bob Duncan Rec Ctr)

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at 6:30 (City Council)

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 5:30  (Planning & Zoning)

Tuesday, Decembr 16, 2014 at 6:30  (City Council)

Click here for more details.

Stay tuned, folks.  There's more to come...

EnerVest, Earthquakes, and Arlington Fault Lines

EnerVest CEO John Walker (photo from Houston Business Journal)

On October 7, 2014 Houston Business Journal reported, "It will be first liquid butane frac in that area — and maybe in the United States," Walker said. "If that works, it could open up a very big area. It’d be akin to the oil window of the Eagle Ford. So it’s probably our most upside and the thing that I do my daily prayers over. But I’ll have to caution that every time we really need something to … happen, I don’t think in my life it’s ever happened (laughs)."

 

Click here for full article.

So, EnerVest CEO, Mr. Walker, prays over liquid butane frac.  We pray too ~ even harder since attending their Town Hall on September 15th.  We are surrounded by drill sites, and EnerVest, LLC is currently operating inside the borders of our City (Arlington, TX) where 370,000 people reside on top of a massive gas reservoir ~ the Barnett Shale.   They want the gas, and we are a nuisance in the way.

When a resident at the town hall inquired as to whether or not they planned to use the same process in our city as they do in other places around the country, they dodged the question.  We pray they don't plan to experiment with liquid butane frac at the Perr Drill Site.  An explosion on South Cooper Street would be catastrophic for this thriving business sector of Arlington.

When that same resident mentioned the 500 microquakes in Ohio (where EnerVest heavily operates) they knew nothing about that!  One would think that these spokesmen live under a shale rock, but it is doubtful they do.  Industry strategy has always been to tell the public as little as possible.

Take a look at this Railroad Commission GIS map.  See where two earthquakes recently shook Arlington.  Both of these quakes are suspiciously close to EnerVest drill sites:

 This statement was overheard at the EnerVest Town Hall:  "Arlington has a lot of fault lines ~ known and unknown." 

The industry has more knowledge about the location of these fault lines than the average citizen.   We may not find out where they are until an earthquake happens.  It looks like there may be a possible fault line running down Cooper Street, the main artery of the City.  Two quakes struck just to the east of Cooper Street.  If this is true, and the industry had knowledge of this, why were they drilling in the first place?  Our City and State government should not be permitting gas wells in faulted areas because seismicity impacts property and public safety.  There are no regulations in place to address this ~ yet.  This is why we are encouraging everyone to elect Steve Brown for Railroad Commissioner of Texas. 

The USGS reports, "Earthquakes east of the Rockies that are centered in populated areas and large enough to cause damage are, similarly, likely to cause damage out to greater distances than earthquakes of the same magnitude centered in western North America."  Just imagine the impact of a frackquake during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season when droves of people are pouring into the Parks Shopping Mall.

There are two kinds of earthquakes ~  naturally occurring and human-induced.  These human-induced quakes can be triggered by oil and gas extraction.  Extraction is the same as production.  So, if the USGS knows that extraction causes seismicity, and we now know that hydraulic fracturing is linked to earthquakes, and we have known for some time that injection wells are definitely linked to earthquakes, why take the risk of damaging property by allowing such an invasive activity that has the potential to threaten our city's vitality?

Now we can't help but wonder if there is a link to Enervest's activity and these September earthquakes because a workover rig was up at the UTA Drill Site before, during, and after the shaking.  We found out that a resident who lives near the UTA drill site sent an e-mail to Councilwoman Lana Wolff on September 15th and sent another e-mail to UTA on September 16th as she had concerns that the activity taking place on that site could have triggered an earthquake.  During the EnerVest public meeting on September 15th, however, we were told they were not responsible for the earthquakes since, "they were not drilling on those days."  Well, alright, then. 

Since the UTA drill site is on State-owned property, it is doubtful our City gas well inspectors would have visited that location as it is not bound by our local City ordinances.  How do we know they weren't  conducting an experiment which triggered seismicity?  

EnerVest seems to be infamous for their grand experiments.  Currently, they are converting vertical wells into horizontal wells in the Clinton Sandstone, located in eastern Ohio.

Click here to read, "Enervest's Grand Experiment:  Fracking Clinton Sandstone in Ohio.  

We have serious concerns about shale gas operators experimenting with new technology in our communities.   This is where we live, work, and play.  Let them experiment in their own backyards ~ not ours. 

On Tuesday, October 28th at 6:30 p.m. a public hearing is scheduled at Arlington City Hall where EnerVest, LLC will request an amendment to a Special Use Permit to establish the drill zone at the Perr Drill Site located at 2825 South Cooper Street, Arlington, TX.  Everyone is invited, so please come ~ prepare your speech and say a Hail Mary because they have scheduled more town halls with plans to drill all over Arlington.  More about that later...

In case you've never seen EnerVest in action, here is how they operate in Denton, TX.  No wonder the residents there want to ban fracking.

Attribution:  Sharon Wilson of Earthworks

Motion Denied

Following two earthquakes and a boatload of violations EnerVest, LLC appeared before the Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission to request an amendment to a Special Use Permit to establish the drill zone at the Perr Drill Site.  Their plan was to drill at least three more gas  wells on an existing site in the heart of Arlington on the heavily traveled Cooper Street between the UTA campus and the widely visited Parks Shopping Mall.  

The motion was DENIED.  

Both the Chairman and Vice Chairman voted in opposition to EnerVest's request.

Here's the video of the September 17, 2015 public hearing for the Perr Drill Site:

P&Z Regular Session - Sep 17th, 2014

 

Here are some violations that FracDallas dug up for us:

EnerVest 1st Quarter Inspection Report 2014

Page 12 ~ Perr Site, 2825 S. Cooper St. ~ Failed Lightning Arrestor System  

Page 18 ~ Swapo II Site, 5408 US 287 ~ Failed Lightning Arrestor System

Compliance Notice - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Arkansas DEQ cited four significant violations in this report

Pennsylvania DEP cited failure to control or dispose of waste to prevent contamination of Commonwealth Waters

Pennsylvania DEP cited inadequate exploration and production plans in violation of law

Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission cited a well being shut-in without a mechanical integrity test being performed, as required by state law 

Pennsylvania DEP listing of operators that failed to report production levels  in violation of state law

Of the companies operating injection wells, Houghton Investments, LLC, had the most violations with a total of 85 followed by EnerVest Operating, "the largest Oil & Gas operator in Ohio," with 59.

Mercury Contamination in Louisiana

  

To be continued...

EnerVest, LLC Requests to Frack in the Arlington Quake Zone

Arlington, Texas is a rockin' and a rollin' this week, and it's not because of the great concerts at the Levitt Pavilion.

There were two earthquakes in Arlington, Texas this week ~ the first one in the downtown area on September 7th with a 2.4 magnitude.  The second one ~ a 2.5 magnitude ~ occurred on September 12th.  The epicenter is in close proximity to the EnerVest, LLC drill site (formerly owned by Carrizo Oil & Gas.)  They plan to drill a bunch of shale gas wells in the quake zone.

Dumb Idea.

EnerVest has scheduled a public meeting this Monday, September 15th to discuss future plans for the Perr Drill Site located at 2825 South Cooper Street, Arlington, TX:

PublicMeeting Notice Perr Gas Drilling Site

After the public meeting EnerVest, LLC gets to present their case before the Planning & Zoning Commission on Wednesday, September 17th to request an amendment to a Special Use Permit (SUP) to establish a drill zone to drill more gas wells - in an earthquake zone. 

Perr Drill Site Public Hearings Notice

Click HERE for the Perr Site Plan

We're pretty sure ALL future plans for fracking in Arlington are over ~ or at least they should be.  Our next mayoral candidate tells us that gas drilling discussion will happen soon, but as one English Composition instructor taught our class ~ "show, don't tell."  As human-induced seismicity continues to shake the ground in Arlington and other towns, we have mountains to move in our State.

It Took an Earthquake *Update*

Citizens have been trying to shake up Arlington City Hall for a long time.  

  It took an earthquake.

Thank you, Westchester Gasette for this RRCTX GIS Map with labels.

On Sunday, September 7, 2014  just before 4 am a 2.4 magnitude frackquake rocked downtown Arlington, TX.

On June 5, 2012 one of southeast Arlington's long-time community leaders spoke out at City Hall about these tremors she had been feeling since gas drilling activity began in her community.
Click Here for that link.  

On January 4, 2011 many citizens came to city hall to speak out in opposition to Chesapeake receiving a gas well permit for the Truman Site located within one-half mile of Cowboys Stadium.  When one citizen expressed legitimate concerns about fracking and protecting the integrity of a stadium with a capacity to hold over 100,000 people, Mayor Cluck replied with a chuckle, "You think it's gonna fall?"  Click Here and scroll to around 54 minutes to witness this exchange for yourself.

Ironic that a frackquake struck downtown.  

Here's what another Arlington resident said on Twitter after the earthquake:

@CityOfArlington 24 years in my central ARL. home, & first time I was near thrown from my bed from an earthquake. Time to take action, plz.
— Matt (@Centerlinegp) September 8, 2014

Now, the energy industry blames injection wells ~ not fracking ~ on the recent quake swarms in Azle, TX and other places.  The problem with this argument is that Arlington's gas drilling ordinance prohibits injection wells.  We only allow fracking, and we allow LOTS of it.  We wonder what explanation they'll come up with next. 

If you feel a tremor or an earthquake, report it immediately to USGS under "Did you feel it?"  If you felt it in Arlington, be sure to call it in to Arlington's Tremor Hotline or e-mail the Fish Creek Neighbor.

 USGS link

 NBCDFW news story

 WFAA news story

Earthquake in Arlington coincides with water main break

The Amendment: Thou Shalt Not Drill Here

Our last blog post mentioned a sleight of hand regarding an amendment to the Gas Well Ordinance Fire Prevention Ordinance.  We learned that an important section from the International Fire Code was removed when the gas drilling ordinance was revised in 2011.   

Oops.  

Now the City put it back in.  Here is that staff report, and here is the ordinance amendment.

Councilman, Robert Shepard, wanted  to take this item (VIII B 2) off the consent agenda to be considered separately with the following language:

To subsection 3406.3.1.3.1 the language would read as follows:

"Where wells exist on a drill site additional wells may [sic] be drilled and drill zones may be established within 300 feet (91440 mm) of buildings with an occupancy in group A, E, or I.  If feasible, additional wells shall not be located closer to the buildings than existing wells."

Here is that video clip:

Apparently, gas wells have already been drilled closer than 300 feet from buildings where people assemble.  So now ~ in essence ~ we clean things up up and make it legal.  It sure is handy having a lawyer on the city council!

(We wonder if Mr. Shepherd intended to use the words "may not" instead of "may" when changing the language in the amendment.  Arlington grants too many loopholes to undesirable neighbors ~ this time with the clause, "if feasible.")  
 
This is how the subsection 3406.3.1.3.1 of the International Fire Code reads:

In case the print is too small to see, this is what it says,

"Wells shall not be drilled within 300 feet (91440 mm) of buildings with an occupancy in Group *A, *E or *I.

Click here for the International Fire Code.  It is curious that the City of Arlington is adopting an amendment from the 2009 code when the 2012 has been out for some time.  In fact, the 2015 code is now available for viewing.  When we asked about this, the City said that they only adopt every other Code that is published. 

That's all for now on how to write a city ordinance.  Don't know whether to tackle the next story or go for a beer, but you won't find me hanging out in any bars closer than 300 feet from any shale gas wells. 

*A - Assembly
*E - Educational
*I - Institutional