Colleyville Approves Stronger Gas Rules In Spite of Threats of Lawsuits

Threats and intimidation by the gas companies didn't seem to work in Colleyville.

Mayor pro tem Jon Ayers said:

The city's tightened rules on drilling and pipeline construction is an effort to balance rights: "The right of the producer to get the resource out of the ground. The right of the citizens to recoup the royalty interest. But also the rights of the city to have a safe and environmentally sound city."

Ayers described the rights of gas pipeline companies as "pretty broad." He suggested the council leave the pipeline provisions in the revised ordinance. "If we can't enforce them, then the gas pipeline [companies] need to take us to court and tell us that we can't," he said.

Councilman Mike Taylors thoughts on this matter:

Taylor said sometimes ordinances will be challenged, but it is best to pass the entire gas ordinance as a "safety net," since not all of it might be struck down. "We don't knowingly or wantingly want to sit here and make stupid laws, a law that would get us into legal battles that cost the taxpayers money," he said.

Remember, Flower Mound Oil & Gas Ordinance already stood up in court when Red Oak Gas challenged the denials of numerous variances for the River Walk location back in 2008. The case was dismissed in August 2009.

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