"Canary in the Coal Mine Gas Field"

The Ft. Worth Weekly has an extensive, and well-researched article on Denton County gas drilling, "Canary in the Coal Mine Gas Field." See it here: http://www.fwweekly.com/content.asp?article=7133

Note that the Cherokee Horn representative stated "There’s a lot of misinformation promoted about the hazards and dangers [of drilling],” she said. “In reality, everything is regulated by the Railroad Commission and the state and towns. The concerns are a little bit overblown.”

Two comments: First regarding the TRRC regulation. There are only enough inspectors to inspect a well about once every five years. Also, generally, the inspections are "pre-announced". Not terribly reassuring.

Second comment about the concerns being "a little bit overblown." There's so many ways to refute this comment, but I'll just say that I bet you're not personally faced with have a gas well drilled 500 feet from your house.

A "small inconvenience"

Tommy Lee Jones touts the benefits of the Barnett Shale and proclaims that even though it may come with just a bit of inconvenience it will be so much better for all of us.

Please take the time to watch this video. It tells the facts about pipelines and what eminent domain can and will do to MANY people as urban gas drilling becomes more and more commonplace.

I always try explain "our side" with the facts and with as little emotion as possible. (I believe that you always present a stronger case when you fight it with facts.)

So when you hear the argument that "it's all gonna be over in 30 days when they take down the drill rig", you should know that is an absolute falsehood. (And remember, that "30 days" is for EACH horizontal line that they drill. There could be a dozen per pad site.)

Please. Take the time to watch this video.

http://westandclear .com/2008/ 08/17/a-conversa tion-with- jerry-horton/

It's just plain STEALING !!

Many (if not most) of us have experienced the theft of our "Just Say NO to Urban Drilling" signs. And if you're like me and have replaced them--you've likely had then stolen again and again.

While some might attribute this to simply unrelated actions of a bunch of kids--I'm not so sure.

I think it's interesting that our adversaries in this fight would even consider stooping to such measures. Do they think that if they steal all the signs, it will suddenly be OK to bring gas drilling (heavy industry) into our beautiful neighborhoods? Doesn't this say that they're afraid of "free speech?"

I know that the "dark side" reads this blog. So here's my comment for them...Just keep stealing signs...it doesn't matter. We're not giving up and letting you destroy our neighborhoods so that you can make a few bucks.

To those of you who are part of this fight. I have purchased HUNDREDS of signs and "Just Say NO" bumper stickers.

Email me at stopthedrilling@gmail.com or rebeccajbelcher@yahoo.com and we'll get you as many signs and bumper stickers as you need.

Remember, this is all about education and one of the best ways to educate your neighbors and friends is with a sign or a bumper sticker. Something that will make them ask, "what's all this urban drilling talk about?"

And one last thing, if someone takes your sign, it's just plain STEALING and there could (and should) be legal consequences.

A Different Perspective

I saw a terrific response on another web site to a comment that there is already a gas pipeline in Flower Mound and that 24" high pressure, gas pipelines are simply part of the "modern conveniences we all enjoy, like water service, trash service and sewer lines" and that "we will regulate it responsibly and learn to live with it and benefit from it."

Response:

Perhaps a difference in perspective … the pipeline you speak of was there BEFORE the subdivision. It wasn’t added after the fact, after the folks who live near it bought their homes. One can argue that those folks were, or at least should have been, aware of the pipeline in their neighborhood. This isn’t much different than someone who chooses to buy a house next to a busy airport or freeway.

On the other hand, we are talking about the building of new gas wells in, or very near, residential neighborhoods. Most folks living here did not buy their homes with the notion of having a gas well “in their backyard.” Many will tell you that had that been a probability at the time they bought their homes, they might have opted to purchase their homes somewhere else … adding wells now changes the “rules” after the fact, much as adding an airport next door would change the rules.

Let’s take the discussion a step further … many / most of us have easements through our property now for utilities … gas, electric, cable, telephone, etc. We purchased our homes with the knowledge of these easements and their location a known quantity. With the gas wells come at a minimum the requirement to build a pipeline from the well site to one of the existing lines you speak of. The drilling companies have the right as a utility to seize property through eminent domain so they can build their pipelines to get the gas out. That means that ANYONE’s property that sits between a well and a transport line potentially could have a pipeline run across it, creating new easements, etc.

Again, the rules of the game are being changed after the fact, and that is what most folks are objecting to … how would you like it if they decided to run a line through your yard, cutting down your trees, etc.??? What would that do to the value of your house??? …

Oh, and by the way, one way for the drilling company to get the millions of gallons of water that they contaminate during the drilling process away from the well site is to build yet another pipeline.

Would I love to have the “free money” for the gas under my house? Sure, but not at the expense of my quality of life, and I don’t want it if it is at the expense of my neighbors in the town of Flower Mound , either. I am no hypocrite. I own my minerals …. Many folks here do not, so they won’t even stand to benefit. They could have wells and pipeline, but no cash. I guarantee you that no one thought about wells in their backyards when they signed on the dotted line.

So no, I do not want a well in my backyard. I do not want a pipeline run under my property. But I adamantly believe that NO ONE in a populated, non-rural area should be forced to have them either. We need the gas … OK. Find a way to get it that doesn’t put wells a few hundred feet from someone’s backdoor and doesn’t force someone to have a pipeline a few feet from their house.

DMN story about Flower Mound's fight against Urban Gas Drilling

Here's the link to the story in today's Dallas Morning News:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/yahoolatestnews/stories/080108dnmetfmdrilling.39e1e08.html?npc

Also, here's a comment I received from someone who was forwarded the link to the video that went online yesterday:

"I sure know about this mess. I have several rigs drilling around me now here in east Fort Worth . The noise is ridiculous. We get paid for our mineral rights but no amount is worth the noise. We fought it from day 1 but our city council allows the gas drillers to do whatever they want. Really sucks."