Documentary “Gasland” Screenings This Week

Documentary “Gasland” Playing This Week in

Fort Worth and Flower Mound

Featuring Never Before Seen Footage From Texas

Dear Corinth Residents, 

ShaleTest and Flower Mound Defense Fund will host the award winning and highly acclaimed documentary “Gasland” for a screening in Fort Worth this Tuesday and Highland Village on Wednesday.

Josh Fox will join the ShaleTest  Board of Directors and the Flower Mound Defense Fund for an viewing of Gasland.  There will be never before seen footage from right here in Texas during these screenings, and a question and answer session with the producer.  After the viewing there will be an after party with Josh, and food and beverages will be provided.  Please join the ShaleTest Board of Directors and the Flower Mound Defense Fund in welcoming Josh Fox and his award winning documentary.

ShaleTest was formed by DISH, TX Mayor Calvin Tillman,  and Wise County property owner Tim Ruggiero. Other founding board members include founder of the BlueDazewebsite and Texas Oil and Gas Accountability Project community organizer Sharon Wilson, Susan Knoll, of Bartonville TX and local Cora Bell of Corinth TX.

Activities will begin at 6:30 PM with the screening beginning at 7:00 PM.  Suggested donations are $12 general admission, $7 for students and $50 for the after party.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.shaletest.org.

October 26, 2010, 6:30 PM
Lander’s Machine Shop Art Gallery, 217 E. Broadway, Fort Worth, TX

October 27, 2010, 6:30 PM
Celebrations, 2380 FM 407, Highland Village, TX
Flyer Flower_Mound
Corinth Cares

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Gas Well Ordinance – OUR LAST CHANCE

OCT 21(Thur) 7pm – Corinth City Hall – BE HEARD!

You may think I am wacko, well I guess people in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and all over the Barnett Shale are too.  I could attend a town or school board meeting almost nightly where citizens already affected and many that are concerned plead for their health and safety.

Watch the video at the bottom of the post (note the following).

About 6 minutes in Judy shows the commissioners her medical testing where her blood has phenol and benzene in it. She also talks about health effects.

At 10 minutes in you can hear Steph Hallowich speak. It seems bloody noses are all too common in the gas patch and foolish people allow drilling next to schools no matter where you live.

Yesterday, Flower Mound Shares confirmed 2 cases of brain tumors, 10 cases of breast cancer and potentially 12 cases of childhood leukemia all within the area of Liberty Elementary. These figures are alarming – especially the childhood leukemia part – the children in the area began to be diagnosed in 2005 – one year after construction of 2 gas wells and a compression station.

A lot of hard work by many people has been put in to the review of our Oil & Gas Ordinances, yet our City Council wants to pass the following:

600ft for wells and 1000ft for tanks reduced to 600ft with vapor recovery.

This invites the gas companies right back into our neighborhoods!

We need to DEMAND at least 

1000ft+ with vapor recovery and emission controls.

STAND UP AND VOICE YOUR CONCERN!

When we ignore, downplay or dispute the PROVEN health effects from living in the gas-patch, we are either willfully ignorant or negligent.

Our city council thinks we have faded away.

Let’s prove them wrong!

Review Gas Well Ordinance Draft

http://www.youtube.com/embed/_fWMjft0yck?rel=0

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Readings of Permanent Air Monitor Installed by TCEQ Questioned

DISH, TX — A permanent air monitor installed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in DISH, TX near a massive natural gas
compressor complex, is giving inaccurate readings. The Town of DISH
contracted independent testing near the permanent monitor, and the
independent testing showed level of the carcinogen benzene at triple the
levels detected by the state’s permanent monitor. For the carcinogen
toluene the levels detected during the independent testing were 50 times 
the monitor’s detections. Additionally, there were several other chemicals
detected that the permanent monitor does not sample for.

DISH is located in the epicenter of the Barnett Shale gas play and is home
to a mega-complex of compressor stations, as well as pipelines, metering
stations, gathering lines and gas wells. The town of DISH spent nearly 
15% of its annual budget on a comprehensive air study after months of 
complaints to the state regulatory agencies and the operators of the compressor sites gave the citizens no relief.

DISH mayor Calvin Tillman says that “we really thought our air quality was
improving, this is devastating to find this information is inaccurate. 
The TCEQ permitted this facility, and they have no idea how to clean it up to 
to protect public health. It is also very disappointing that the State of
Texas has spent a million dollars on equipment that is not accurate”.

The monitor has been running since mid April and has detected no major
problems with the air quality in the community. It is unclear whether the
monitor is not capable of producing accurate results, or if the results 
are being manipulated. The TCEQ has not given the Town of DISH any explanation for the false readings, or any plans to protect the health of the citizens of DISH.

For More Information Contact
* Calvin Tillman, Mayor, DISH, TX
(940) 453-3640
, tillman4council@aol.com.

* Town of DISH
5413 Tim Donald Road
DISH, Texas 76247

Link to story in Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/08/09/2393815/dish-mayor-questions-results-of.html

Video Link of testimony before EPA:
http://un-naturalgas.org/weblog/2010/08/every-agency-has-its-price/

 

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Corinth Gas Well Committee Update

The Corinth Gas Well Committee met on June 10 for the first time.  During the meeting several items were discussed including:

  • Use of an independent Environmental Consultant/Company to review appropriate parts of the ordinance, or conditions at a proposed well site.
  • Presentation titled ‘Gas Drilling 101’ by NCTCA to provide information on the drilling process from a non industry perspective.
  • Submitting recommended ordinance changes for review by an Oil and Gas Attorney towards the end our committee.
  • Sage Environmental could provide more detailed analysis of the BTEX emissions concerns raised at the XTO Permit Hearings.
  • A study of property value changes due to gas well proximity.
  • Each committee member began reviewing the ordinance and creating a document tracking recommended changes.

The next meeting was a joint City Council and Gas Well Committee meeting for the ‘Gas Drilling 101’ by NCTCA presentation on June 29.  This was attended by several citizens also who asked questions of the panel after the presentation was over.

The third meeting was on July 6 and the topics on the agenda included:

  • The need more information about compressors, tank servicing and maintenance since it is becoming more common that up to 20+ wells could be on a single pad site.
  • Inviting the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council to present information on Gas Well Drilling and Production, a fracturing fluid recycling operator, a vapor recovery company, the gas inspector who handles much of Tarrant County and performs well inspection for Flower Mound and Argyle, and Society of Petroleum Engineers possibly from local schools such as UNT, UTA.
  • Inquiring about the courses as NCTC on Gas & Oil Production and utilizing the College as a resource.
  • Committee member initial recommendations on Chapter 114 Corinth Code of Ordinances.
  • Special Use Permit or changes to existing zoning that require Council to adopt a zoning ordinance; Planning and Zoning Commission must have a public hearing and take action first. Last possible P&Z meeting would be Aug 23, 2010. The City Council would then be able to take action at the September 2 or September 16 meetings.

The fourth meeting was held on July 13.  Items on the agenda included

  • Following up on previously mentioned presenters. 
    • The Barnett Shale Energy Education Council contact had not replied due to being out of the area until the week July 12
    • The fracturing fluid recycling operator, Fountain Quail offered to attend a meeting and allow the committee to tour the facility in Justin
    • The NCTC Gas & Oil Production courses are held at the Bowie Campus but the instructor was open to email correspondence in regards to questions.
    • Other presenters had not been contacted or responded
  • It was generally decided that the priority had to be completing our review of Chapter 114 Corinth Code of Ordinances and multiple presentations may take valuable meeting time away from that process.
  • Recommending the City Council consider the process of  a Specific Use Permit for gas well drilling operations in its next meeting.
  • Some information on property values in proximity to gas well in Colorado was presented by Dave Goodwin.
  • Randy Gibbons suggested utilizing the Southlake ordinance as a comparision to our current ordinance for parameters since it has greater distances on setbacks.
  • Continued discussing the review by each member and some consultant recommendations on Chapter 114 Corinth Code of Ordinances.

Our next two meeting dates are Monday July 19 and Wednesday August 10 at 7 p.m. at Corinth City Hall.  If you have any questions or comments please post and we will request our resident representatives to respond to them.

On another topic: If you are a Cypress Pointe Resident, please read the message on the Facebook page in regards to our landscape fund.  Click here

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EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study Meeting in Fort Worth July 8

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a series of free meetings to obtain public input on EPA’s upcoming research study to investigate the potential adverse impact that hydraulic fracturing may have on water quality and public health.

EPA will make a short presentation at the beginning of each meeting. Attendees will have the opportunity to provide verbal and written comments directly to EPA.

Please complete a Registration Form if you plan to attend one of these meetings. Capacity at the meeting sites is limited, and EPA wants to ensure that everyone who wishes to attend can be accommodated. While “walk-ins” will be permitted to register on site, the number of attendees is expected to be very high. Priority speaking slots will be given to those who pre-register. Walk-ins will be assigned speaking slots on a first come-first served basis as time permits.

Public Meeting Information
Date: July 8, 2010
Location: Hilton Fort Worth, 815 Main Street Click here to show map

Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm; pre-registration begins at 5:00pm
Register for this meeting

Click here for more information on hydraulic fracturing and EPA’s research study.

 

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Corinth Cares Community Picnic Pictures

Great fun at the Corinth Cares Community Picnic last Saturday! Corinth residents came together to relax and enjoy a nice late Saturday afternoon at the Lake Sharon Estates Amenity Center.  DJ Eddie Ruesewald had everybody swinging with some good music while enjoying hamburgers and hot dogs, the swimming pool and the huge water slide. However it was the amazing group of people in the Corinth community that made the picnic a huge success. Thanks to everybody for joining!

Remember to join us at tonight, Tuesday at Corinth City Hall for Gas Drilling 101.

For more pictures of the event visit the Corinth Cares Facebook Group.

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Gas Drilling 101 Presentation in Corinth, Tuesday, June 29, 7 p.m.

The NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COMMUNITIES ALLIANCE will present GAS DRILLING 101 next Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Corinth City Hall, 3300 Corinth Parkway, Corinth, TX 76208. This informative program was developed by key members of the NCTCA Advisory Board after repeated requests by individuals, organizations, and communities for an educational program that would offer the “basics” in terminology and history on gas drilling procedures and ordinances. 

“The program is not meant to make folks ‘experts,’ but rather to give them a working knowledge of basic facts and terminology so that they can have more effective communications with both the gas drilling industry, their elected officials and area municipal personnel” explained Esther McElfish, NCTCA President.

NCTCA presenters include Advisory Board members Jerry Lobdill, Vice-President Gary Hogan, and Treasurer Louis McBee. There will be an opportunity for a question and answer period following their presentation.

The program is open to the public (adults and youth, alike!).  If you or your neighbors are being approached to sign a lease with a natural gas well drilling company, this is the perfect opportunity to educate yourself on the entire process.  All residents in the surrounding communities are also invited to attend. 

For more information on North Central Texas Communities Alliance background and current information, visit the nonprofit organization’s website www.nctca.net

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