Rumor has it that Chesapeake intends to commence drilling Corn Valley A (Well 1H; API #113-30195) on All Hallows' Eve. Right before Sunday School. And right under Trailwood. What a perfect day to start the poisoning. Trick-or-Treat??!
Update: Drilling did commence on October 31, 2010 even though the permit for Well 1H; API #113-30195 was not "stamped" approved until November 3rd. (See the Comments for this Post.)
Another Update: See the May 15, 2012 Comment Below. We just keep moving on down that yellow-brick road. Thank you for reading.
Another Update: See the May 15, 2012 Comment Below. We just keep moving on down that yellow-brick road. Thank you for reading.
We'd really like to know what happened to the "Permit" that was approved on July 22, 2010.
ReplyDeleteAccording to all the Grand Prairie Gas Drilling Permit Spreadsheets since July 22nd...the Corn Valley Permit #113-30195 was "Approved."
But now, that Permit has disappeared from the Texas Railroad Commission (TRC) Web site. The TRC receives the gas drilling applications from the gas operators (such as Chesapeake) and then they make decisions as to approving the application or placing a hold on it until any problems are corrected.
If the application is approved, and most of them are with a quick turnaround time, then the City closest to the well bore is then notified and must then decide if the city's own Gas Drilling Ordinance is being followed per the permit. Note: Gas operators seem to know where to go...they know which cities have the most lenient ordinances. They do their homework, well. Grand Prairie has surely been easy pickins'.
Anyway, it appears that all was approved for Westchester's Corn Valley Well A #1H on July 22, 2010...which just so happened to be a couple of days after our July 19th Town Hall Meeting ~ attended by close to 500 people at The Oaks Baptist Church.
But then Chesapeake decided to change some things. And then they decided to change them back, again. If you follow the progression of the "Amendments" as submitted to the TRC, it's a lot of back and forth.
Even though "signing bonuses" in varying monetary amounts have been handed out, all of that has simply been a place holder and a way of buying silence. It seems to have worked quite well. And now, they want to poison us. It's very simple, really.
They start on Sunday. Just when so many are focused on an important election and the first World Series for the Rangers ever. But it's not about us. It's all about Chesapeake.
Let the nightmare begin.
And to follow-up further with this comment made over a week ago...the "Permit" that was "Approved" by the Environmental Services Department on July 22, 2010 was the "Application Permit" from February 2010.
ReplyDeleteBut then in all the back-and-forth frenzy beginning on October 21st, Chesapeake requested a new bottom hole for the wellbore (lateral amendment as it's called administratively).
And that new bottom hole for the wellbore required a new "plat." And then after the frenzy of activity they decided to "forget it," and go back to the February Permit.
And then, on October 29th, they "changed" the bottom hole again. But they drilled on October 31st even with a "Pending Approval" Permit.
The Texas Railroad Commission "Permit" for Corn Valley A API #113-30195 Well 1H was last approved on November 3, 2010 ~ after "Drilling" had already commenced.
Clearly, this is what can be referred to as, "Loosey Goosey."
And now, we know. They've come, they've drilled they've acted like it's all for us, they've lied a lot. And they're still here doing all of it.
God Help Us. Please.
Update: Well, it's 2012 and we've learned a lot. If you are coming across this post after a search of the internet, just know that this journey continues. Since we began in 2010, we've "learned" that once an application is stamped "approved" by the Texas Railroad Commission there is no "new" permit needed for any changes, whatsoever. So, any changes to anything at all about the permit only requires an "amendment." Did you read that carefully?
ReplyDeleteYes. There is no need for a "new" permit if even HUGE changes are made to the original permit. Changes in plats, changes in acreage, changes in surface location for the pad site, changes in location for a frac pond, in other words...a total re-configuration of the original "plan" can happen and no one needs to know, officially.
We now believe that this process is in serious need of revision. Because, as it turns out, unless there is something in an Ordinance about it, our cities will approve the original permit...but the plans can completely change before the permit expires in 2 years. A hole in the ground can hold the leases for a specific permit FOREVER. And, in the City of Grand Prairie, TX, there is no need for the operator to go back to the city for any changes, whatsoever.
A serious CHANGE in the Gas Drilling Ordinance is really needed. It would be nice if the Railroad Commission of Texas would change their Drilling Permit rules as well. But we are not holding our breath on that one.