The Corinth meeting was very well attended and their Mayor and Town Council seemed to really listen and be concerned.
XTO is asking for 10 variances!! Even those that have signed leases with XTO showed up demanding that the variances NOT be granted. The meeting went till early morning with the council tabling the decision and calling for another "Informational Meeting" in 2 weeks.
We have updated the info.
XTO is planning to drill a well within the 600 feet from a Corinth neighborhood. This would require a variance since their setback is 600 feet. There were 9 other variances requested.
Many residents showed up and voiced their opinions and concerns to the Mayor and Town Council. Those against granting the variances are residents directly affected by this well. Some had signed leases with XTO and are unhappy with the drill site. It appears that XTO did not keep certain promises.
Parts of Corinth is in the Lewisville Lake watershed. So drilling and placement of wells in this town could affect many other communities.
Corinth does not have the strong setbacks in their Ordinance that other towns like Flower Mound, Grapevine, Southlake and Colleyville have. Although it did appear they have a Mayor and Town Council that were willing to listen and ask the right questions of the drilling company. Let's see if they actually HEARD what the residents were saying.
Stay tuned.
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15 comments:
I really wish people would be careful with their facts. The proposed well heads will not be within 200 ft of any neighborhood or any schools. The closest house in any neighborhood is over 500' away from the well heads.
The only structures between 200' and 300' are the owners of the property the drilling will be done on. They have an agreement with XTO to do just that. The property is the Lake Sharon Christian Center - not a "neighborhood".
The Closest school, Hawk elementary, is over 2000' away, and the closest facilities of Guyer high school are well over 3000' away.
The Corinth Drilling ordinance has a 600' setback for the wells. So, one of the variances is to allow drilling with houses between 600' and 500' away - and each of those property owners had filed a legal agreement with XTO to agree to the variance.
Mr. Hanson thanks for the correction. I will update the data later. But I did hear 10 variances. please correct me if it is less than that.
Then why were the people who live in Corinth at the meeting objecting, or raising hands? If all is good and fine, why are they there?
Lake Sharon Christian Center is surrounded by neighborhoods on three sides. Look at any map. Maybe the Christian Center should think about the neighbors before the money.
We are taking off some of the info on the main post. But, I do remember hearing that a variance for a tank setback down to 100 or 200 feet. The map I saw last night does show that there are homes within the 600 feet. So I am to assume that may be one of the variances. Even if the well heads are just over 500' from the homes, that would require a variance if I am reading Corinth's Ordinance correctly. Also, those raising their hands were residents who did not want the variances granted. Those hands did include residents that had signed leases with XTO and felt XTO did not keep certain promises. It did seem to me that most of the residents directly affected by this drill site were not in favor of granting the variances. Mr. Hanson is a Corinth Council Member and we welcome his thoughts on the variances and the amount of citizens not wanting the variances granted.
Part of the confusion is due, I think, to a conflict in the Corinth Drilling Ordinance. In one place it stipulates a 600' setback and in another place it says 100' from tanks. Of course, 100' from the tanks is way too close.
There are 9 variances to the drilling ordinance and one variance to the tree ordinance.
I'm in agreement with Councilman Hanson that facts are important. That's why I was disappointed that the XTO representative was allowed such a long presentation with ample time to apply loose facts.
I think a more reasonable plan would be to hire an environmental expert with no connection to industry who could provide an untarnished view of the drilling process.
One important consideration: Residents wanted to know how long the drilling process/disruption would last. The truth is that it will never end. There will be frequent re-workings and the well will be fracked and re-fracked possibly many times. The disruption to the neighborhood will be ongoing.
Please,
Is the placement of this well within a flood plain area of the lake? No. Please learn the purpose of variances. They are not hard and fast rules, but merely devices to circumvent "major" problems, created by tough ordinances, which Corinth has in place. Again, please allow the Corinth Council and it's citizens, to housekeep their own ordinance.
Another Concerned Citizen @ 4/2 11:03 - You did hear 10 variances - 9 to the Gas Well Ordinance and 1 to the Tree Preservation Ordinance.
Anonymous @ 4/2 11:08 - Who said all is good and fine? I have reread my comment several times and no where in there do I say all is good and fine.
The original blog post stated the variances were for XTO to drill within 200 ft of neighborhoods and schools. my comment states otherwise.
Another Concerned Citizen @ 4/2 13:21 - Yes there is a request to set tanks and equipment at less than 200ft (162 to be precise). The building in question is part of the Lake Sharon Christian Center.
The closest homes in the neighborhood to the east are right at 390 ft.
I have been providing a running commentary on this at my blog http://bruceforcorinth.blogspot.com
You are reading the Ordinance correctly. That is why XTO is requesting the variance.
Of the people that spoke or wanted their position read in to the record, the vast majority did not want the variances granted. Several people did want the drilling and expressed that they were fine with the variances.
I have been writing my thoughts on the variances, the process, the ordinance, etc on my blog.
There is so much to discuss on this I have been updating that as often as I can - just can't really type it all in here again. hope you understand.
SOS - SOS - SOS
Hanson has invited the TCEQ to instruct the Corinth citizens about the air quality.
TXSharon@4/2 1:44p: your right, there is a conflict in one section of the ordinance - basically that section should have been deleted, but wasn't. And I tend to agree with you that 100' is way to close.
Try to understand that XTO is the applicant - hence they are allowed to present what they need to. Also, we asked XTO questions which they get to answer.
I like the idea of an objective (as in not XTO) expert on Drilling processes.
I think the question of "how long the drilling process" is a very good one, and your point is well taken.
These hearings are nothing more than kangaroo courts. Roughly 9 times out of 10 (in Flower Mound) substative variances are granted, and when they are not given a lawsuit is threatened.
Yes but in the Red Oak vs Flower Mound Judge Carmen Rivera-Worley ruled the FM Oil &Gas Board was just and upheld the ordinace. Remember, Red Oak
wanted 12 to 15 variances. Call XTO's bluff.
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