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What’s the Risk for Our Children?

Here is a good one. The Texas Railroad Commission wants Texas teens to know the dangers of being around oil/gas well sites so they developed a lesson plan for Middle & High School teachers. Included is an enlightening video (at the bottom of the page) which has great quotes such as this one: “These are oil tanks, definitely no place to chill. The slightest spark, even static electricity could wipe out a skate park.” (or a school!)



Here is the inspiration for the video:
       In April 2003, four students in Palestine, Texas were killed when they inadvertently set off a massive explosion of several oil storage tanks. While appearing safe, the oil stored in the tanks can give off flammable fumes. According to investigators, these fumes were ignited by a cigarette lighter. (http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/riskproject/index.php)

This is one question the video didn’t answer: If well sites are so risky, why would they opt to let them be installed next to schools? If given a choice, I would bet most parents would pick the safety/health of their children over cash. Do you know if the school which your child attends has a gas well close by? If so, post a comment.
I’ll start: Guyer High, W.S. Ryan Elementary, McNair Elementary, Selywn…

Besides a potential explosion what else is wrong with having wells beside schools? Toxic air emissions, trucks hauling lethal substances alongside buses & cars full of kids, soil/water contamination….
Here is a parent speaking out in Corinth about wells close to Hawk Elementary which is a school in Denton ISD.  This was orginially posted on the Corinth Cares blog.
What can you do? Speak up. Let the City Council and the School Board (link for the Selwyn folks) know this is unacceptable!


Ensure this issue gets addressed - Come to the April 20th City Council meeting located at:
City Hall
215 E. McKinney
Denton, TX 76201

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anyone know the time of the council meeting?

Anonymous said...

City Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers, with work sessions beginning at 4:30 pm in the Work Session Room. Executive Sessions (Closed Meetings) of the Council begin at 5:30 pm.

Anonymous said...

So you mean the meeting on April 20th (as written below) and not May 20th (as written above), right?

Maggie said...

Whoops! Thank you for catching that mistake. I've got it corrected.

Anonymous said...

There is a well site on the property of Harpool Middle School in Lantana right by the Tennis Courts. It doesn't seem like a smart idea to me.

Anonymous said...

There is one by McMath middle school. Of course, they also have Acme Brick to contend with.

"The Smokestack Effect,” a 2009 analysis of air quality at schools nationwide conducted by USA Today, used some of the older inventory data to look for toxic hot spots. That older data put the air quality around McMath Middle School, which is just southeast of the plant, among the poorest in the nation, ranking it in the fourth percentile."

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_Toxic_release_1220.36e096f09.html

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