By Faith Chatham - DFWRCC - May 27, 2009 State Rep. Lon Burnam wrote a good bill, which would have made life safer for residents in the Barnett Shale. The House Energy and Resource Committee, chaired by former Speaker, Rep. Tom Craddick, butchered Burnam's bill (HB1537), removing requirements for gas to be odorized and dehydrated at the wellhead, and relaxed pipeline inspection standards from 2 years to 5 years. C.S.H.B. 1537, the committee's version, has few of the protections Burnam tried to get for the people of this region. Read entire article on Arlington Texan
PHOTO BY EDDIE CROSSWHITE - copyright 2009 - used by permission Driver Pipeline's work crew's responded to instructions this week to cover-up the deep well hole (sump holes) on the Daniel Drive DFW Midstreams Pipeline/ONCOR constuction site in East Arlington. Homeowner Eddie Crosswhite photographed the hole from his back yard after the crew was gone. The president of DFW Midstreams Pipeline, in a phone coversation with Faith Chatham Wednesday afternoon stated:
"They are supposed to be covering the sump hole when they leave each day. Do you know if that is happening?"
PHOTO TAKEN BY EDDIE CROSSWHITE IMMEDIATELY AFTER PRESIDENT OF DFW MIDSTREAM PIPELINE TOLD FAITH CHATHAM "They are supposed to be covering them (the sump holes) up."
Adjacent to the dumpster at an East Arlington Apartment Complex
20' deep sump holes were "sometimes" covered with ply board. We found this one next to the "caution children at play" sign uncovered several weekends during the 60+ days DFW Midstreams Pipeline was working on this site.
A toddler plays a few feet inside this opening
Beyond this opening several 20' deep well holes remained uncovered for nearly 3 months. Five children lived only feet away from this unfenced pipeline construction site. Local authorities had no jurisdiction on this pipeline site. State law grants oversight of pipelines to the Railroad Commission.
When the portable drill was removed, there were 20' deep well holes in the unfenced worksites
Horizontal drilling for pipelines is similar to horizontal drilling for gas wells, only there is no required set-back for pipelines from homes, schools, and other structures.
Parents chose a quiet safe family-oriented neighborhood
but ended up with a pipeline war zone where their children were unnecessarily at risk for nearly 4 months of industrial construction in their neighborhood.
The Luminant utility easement in their neighborhood resembled a war zone for months.
No environmental study was required and there were no public hearings before construction equipment moved into Daniel Drive. Texas Law grants homeowners and the city no oversight over usage of existing utility easements.
Ways to Win Friends When Invading a Neighborhood
Porta potty stationed by front yard of Daniel Dr. resident for 3 months; Some workmen relieved themselves in field across street from residents' homes. It was a long easement. There were better places for their toilet! Months later along the same easement homeowners in the Colewater Creek subdivision complained that workers on the same pipeline exposed themselves, "relieving themselves 'au natural' in their neighborhood.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Pipelnes, gas wells and Cowboy Stadium
By Faith Chatham - DFWRCC - June 8, 2010 If this well is approved, the pipeline serving it will be DFW Midstreams Pipeline. The pipeline company's President Brett Wiggs says:
The pipeline at the Center St. well won't be as big as the one that blew up in Johnson County. It will only be 12' in diameter - 16' maximum.
Wiggs says the route of the pipeline is still not determined. Roger Veneable, head of the City of Arlington Real Estate Office said:
If the Center St. well is drilled, the pipeline route will probably be up Center st to Sanford and west on Sanford.
Derron Groath, the Oil and Gas specialist for the City of Arlington mentioned that
There is a possible alternate route along a street immediately west of Center to avoid disruption of traffic on Center.
In reality, once a gas well drilling site is approved by the City Council, except for right of way across or along city street or on other city property, the city really has very little control over the route of a pipeline. Oversight of pipeline construction and operation is under the jurisdiction of the Texas Railroad Commission. Critical eyes are on the Railroad Commission. Railroad Commissio ner candidate Jeff Weeks says:
The Railroad Commission operates under outdated rules and regulations.
Weeks says:
Many of their rules were written twenty to forty years ago for vertical wells. Most wells these days are drilled horizontially and the rules are not written to regulate horizontial drilling.
The Railroad Commission is understaffed and does not have adequate numbers of inspectors to adequately oversee the number of Oil and Gas sites they are charged with sole oversight. For the past decade their departmental budget has been consistently cut each year while the number of sites they are to inspect has escalated.
In Arlington alone since 2004 the number of gas wells drilled has cimbed sharply each year. Derren Groth, City of Arlington Gas Well Coordinator, says:
In 2006 there were 6 wells permitted in Arlington. In 2007 there were 40 wells permitted in Arlington. In 2008 there were 55 wells permitted in Arlington. In 2009 there there 68 wells permitted in Arlington. To date this year 17 permits have been issued 39 applications for wells in Arlington are pending. (Total of 56 permits thus far this year).
That gives 187 wells permitted and still operating since 2006 with applications for 39 under consideration at this time.
The number of oil and gas sites the Railroad Commission must oversee has tripled, staffing has not increased, and three/fourths of the sites are in the Barnett Shale.
Frequently the Railroad Commission Inspectors wait months after construction has begun on a leg of pipeline before making a site visit. Construction and drilling crews work weekends 8-5 M-F. Dale Henry, a petroleum industry safety specialist who was a three time candidate for Railroad Commissioner continually pointed out that
the hours of the field inspectors should include evening and weekend shifts .
With natural gas pipelines running within 20' to 30' from people's bedrooms and adjacent to schools and over playgrounds and parks, the current Railroad Commission practice of only inspecting pipelines for leaks every 3 to 7 years seems inadequate to many Arlington homeowners.
Kim Fiel, president of the Old Town Neighborhood Association near the new Cowboy Stadium in Arlington is very concerned about the safety of her children.
" A new gas well is being considered only a few hundred feet from our home,"
Fiel said. She tried to get her son's blood tested for heavy metals from the VOC's emitted by gas wells near his school but has had difficulty locating a lab which runs that kind of testing. She's been told that the cost will be over $500.00 and her family's health insurance probably won't cover it.
Disappointed with the Arlington City Council which approves almost every well permit presented to them, despite public testimony opposing gas drilling. Fiel wrote a rap song and used it at one Arlington City Council meeting as her comment during public comments on zoning change for the Truman well near her home. Dubbed the "White lady rapper" her City Council rap got over 2500 hits on U-tube within a few days. However the City Council voted to approve the zoning change. Citizens will have another opportunity to comment to the City Council when the gas company applies for a drilling permit.
Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, M.D. expresses concern for citizens health, especially asthma. He stated at the City Council meeting June 8th
"All gas wells in Arlington have been tested by TCEQ and they are all within the levels for health."
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Some citizens diagree with the Mayor. Many question the sensitive of the tests. TCEQ has stated that they withheld data from the City of Fort Worth which showed that the city's air contained toxic chemicals which are not healthy when a person is continually exposed. Children, pregnant women and children in the womb are the most sensitive to the heavy metals (lead, arsenic, etc) which are in the air. In Denton County at Dish citizens living near the compression stations have documented that the contents of heavy metals in their blood are the same chemicals which are in the emission in the air emissions of the compression stations in their town. Kim Fiel and Harriet Irby want to see sound science to show the effect of the air pollution on the children.
DFWRCC co-founder (author) Faith Chatham spoke with Carrizo Oil representative Scott following the June 8th Arlington. Chatham stated: "A good place for your company to start as a show of faith to the community would be for you to install air monitors by the YWCA Day Care Center on UTA Campus licensed for infants and children near your 22 well heads to give some sound science to show what VOCs the children are exposed to from your operation." VOCs are the emissions which contain heavy metals which are dangerous for pregnant women, unborn babies and children. Arlington has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the USA. Although there is nothing tying that directly to O&G production in Arlington, DFWRCC wants to see evidence that oil and gas emissions are not endangering the health and development of children.
ByJim Grimes - News 33 - May, 15, 2009 ARLINGTON, TX - It's a homeowners nightmare. Just a few feet from Eddy Crosswhite's Arlington home sit a half dozen loud, heavy machines driving sections of pipeline deep into the ground. Crosswhite said he had no idea a gas pipeline would be so close to his home.
He's also angry that no one told him until just 12 hours before crews began invaded his neighborhood.
Arlington City Councilwoman Lana Wolf, who represents the district, said she's also surprised. Looking at the work zone she said,
"I'm just appalled; it's ridiculous."
The cities real estate manager, Roger Venables said "Anything on private property, we have limited jurisdiction."
The contractors laying the pipeline work for the Luminant. A spokeswoman for the Dallas-based gas company said it goes out of its way to use existing utility 'right of ways' because it's generally less intrusive.
Grace Darling with the Arlington Conservation Council said "We're just now realizing that pipelines are a big concern." Darling supports new legislation that would give gas companies the ability to use TxDot right of ways. Instead of cutting across neighborhoods, the pipelines could be placed along state highways.
More photos of the pipeline construction site:Photos by Faith Chatham and Harriet IrbyThe pipeline is being laid in a narrow utility easement. High voltage electrical lines already run in that easement near homes and schools. This is directly across the street from the pipeline construction site. The easement runs adjacent to an Arlington ISD Elementary School within feet of the playground. This is only one of three A.I.S.D. elementary schools which are adjacent to the natural gas pipeline running through the utility easement with the high steel towers carrying high-voltage electrical transformers.
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