TX State Senator Kelly Hancock says, "Wow! It's a Liberal Runaway Train!"

Trinity Boulevard has collapsed and is closed west of Bell Helicopter, per @DFWScanner pic.twitter.com/WoI0HAc92x
— Bud Kennedy (@BudKennedy) March 16, 2014

Kelly Hancock, Grand Prairie and Westchester's Republican representative in the Texas Senate (at least portions of it) (District 9) (see the map below) is apparently alright with some name calling with the "L" word.

A road collapsing very near or in Mr. Hancock's district (hard to know by looking at the configuration of the weirdly-drawn Republican district) inspires him to criticize those who dare discuss this bad news.  

So, Mr. Hancock, we say, "Wow." We think our "Wow" makes more sense since we thought your job was to make Texas laws to protect us from infrastructure failures.  

Once again, "WOW!"

Vapors, Storage Tanks, Static Electricity = Catastrophic Explosion.

This photo provided by Nathan Hergert shows a fire burning at an oil and gas drilling site near Greeley, Colo., on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Static electricity is being blamed for the massive explosion and fire at the oil and gas drilling site north of Greeley that injured two workers. 
(AP Photo/Nathan Hergert)

Oil-and-Gas Explosion North of Greeley, Colorado Results in Two Minor Injuries 

By Monte Whaley The Denver Post Posted: 03/04/2014 10:44:09 AM MST 

Fire crews used a foam retardant to mostly extinguish a massive fire at an oil-and-gas-drilling site north of Greeley on Monday night. 

An explosion that could have been started by static electricity rocked neighbors out of their beds at about 11:20 p.m. Monday. 

The resulting fire was seen for miles. "We were getting ready for bed, and the whole house shook," said Liz Hegert, a resident in the area, told the Greeley Tribune.

The fire came from a drilling site about 2 miles east of Lucerne near Weld County Roads 27 and 70. The Eaton Fire Protection District as well as crews from Windsor-Severance Fire Protection District and the city of Greeley responded. 

 [...] 

The exact cause of the blaze has yet to be determined, he said. But it could have started as workers were pulling a water/oil mixture out of storage tanks on site to take to a separator.  Static electricity may have set off the vapors. 

 "That is a distinct possibility," Kane said.

Big Trouble at the Eagle Mountain Lake Dam! Where's the RRC? *Update(s)*

By now, most have heard about the earthquake swarm (*1st Update* now upwards of 20 earthquakes 30 earthquakes over the past month since November 1, 2013) happening in the vicinity of Azle, Reno, Mineral Wells and Springtown, Texas and near Eagle Mountain Lake and Dam.  The most recent one this morning was a 3.7 Magnitude.

Since we've written extensively about dams and fracking, specifically, the Joe Pool Lake Dam, we believe there should be a more heightened sense of concern from our Texas oil and gas regulatory agency, The Railroad Commission of Texas.

We don't see any recent Press Releases about this issue on the RRC's web site.  Our local North Texas news outlets are reporting on this issue daily. 

BREAKING--3.7 Magnitude earthquake reported overnight near Mineral Wells.
— WFAA TV (@wfaachannel8) December 9, 2013

We are baffled since it is such a serious matter for those living near this dam and for all of us who live in North Texas.  The industry has clearly and irresponsibly drilled and fracked directly below this earthen dam.

 

Railroad Commission of Texas GIS Map of Horizontal Gas Wells  Under Eagle Mountain Lake Dam  (Managed by the Tarrant Regional Water District) Click on the map to enlarge it.  (We've added text & a circle around the Dam.)     Eagle Mountain Lake Dam (Description)   

So the Westchester Gasette's question is this:  

What is the Railroad Commission of Texas's Plan of Action regarding this North TX earthquake swarm in the vicinity of the Eagle Mountain Lake Dam? This is an earthen dam ~ already designated as "High" for hazard potential because of the people and property in such close proximity. We will post the reply here when we see or get a response. 
Have a very nice day, y'all.

*2nd UPDATE*   OK. Now we've learned that Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter will conduct a Town Hall in Azle, Texas on January 2, 2014 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Azle High School's Auditorium. Here's the News Release:

Press Release: Azle, TX Town Hall Hosted by TX RRC Commissioner David Porter 1.2.2014 by Westchester Gasette

The Westchester Gasette is certainly glad to see at least one RRC Commissioner coming to North Texas for such an urgent matter!  Stay tuned...

Perforating the Horizontal Wellbore: The Documentary

"...ballistics systems that help optimize the value of oil and gas assets."

Our Grand Prairie, TX Gas Drilling Ordinance doesn't appear to address this issue. Since it hasn't been updated since January 18, 2011, we think it's about time for a revision. How many of these PERF Jobs have been conducted already near our communities? Dare we ask? 

Here's what a PERF Gun contains (Be sure to scroll down through ALL 11 pages of our SCRIBD document.)  There are too many skulls and crossbones, in our opinion:

Material Safety Data Sheet (PERF Guns) by Westchester Gasette

Also, click here to read the story and the comments on Bluedaze, today. 

Thank you for stopping by.

Steve Lipsky's Water is On Fire from Recent Fracking ~ RRC Says, "No, It's Not!"

Featured in the Debut of  Josh Fox's "Gasland 2" on HBO Earlier Tonight.  It will run at various times all week. 
Watch carefully, as Steve Lipsky's water catches on fire.  

Thank you to WFAA's Award-Winning Journalist 

Brett Shipp 

for this important report earlier this year.

Click Here to read all about the Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order issued by the EPA for this methane contaminated water well in the backyard of the Lipsky's. (December 7, 2010.)

"This Gas Is So Clean...It Goes Directly to the Dr. Pepper Bottling Plant in Dallas." ~ Tom Blanton, Trinity East **UPDATE**

Irving, TX City Council. Thank you.

**UPDATE** December 13, 2015 ~ In light of the Irving/Dallas Quakeswarm that began to kick in by 2014 on the "eastern" border of Irving, go to 48:56 to hear the beginning of the discussion about the "Monstrous" Fault on the "western" edge of Irving, Texas. Watch the entire video to hear some amazing information from an O&G industry executive asked to fill in many blanks for a North Texas City Council.

Go to 8:00 to Hear the Dr. Pepper Declaration from Tom Blanton of Trinity East/EXPRO Engineering/Keystone Exploration. Listen to ALL of this Irving, TX City Council Meeting Briefing 2 weeks ago ~ if you can. It may open your eyes to some gas-industry spin that has successfully managed to "git er done" all across North Texas.  We note how Mr. Blanton refers to "The Luna Site," [sic] as if it's already been approved by the City of Dallas. 

(The day after this March 20, 2013 meeting, the Dallas City Plan Commission voted down the 3 Permits once again. 8-7; 9-6; and 9-6.  The Dallas City Council will now need to have 12 votes out of 15 to approve these permits. That vote has NOT been scheduled at this time.)

This was by far some of the best questioning of the industry we've heard by a City Council in the Barnett Shale ~ and all of it in broad daylight!

Note: Mr. Blanton refers to a "Perfect Seal" at around 20 Minutes. And how there is "no way that a fresh water zone could have been contaminated by a production casing failure."  Oh, and at 22 minutes be sure to hear Mr. Blanton tell Councilman Gallaway how many wells Trinity East has drilled IN TOTAL. Be amazed. It's all quite revealing. 

According to Mr. Blanton, Trinity East wants to drill and frack 60 shale gas wells on 3 Sites at the borderline of Irving and Dallas in Dallas City Limits. This includes construction of a Processing Plant and/or a Refinery 1/2 mile from North Hills Prep in Irving and at the Northwest Entryway to the City of Dallas.

In Summary:  Trinity East has drilled a total of 12 wells in the Barnett Shale and 100 wells in Texas.  Two (2) wells were drilled at the border of Irving and Dallas by Trinity East in 2008 and 2009, respectively.  The Dallas Lease's well FAILED. Trinity East now wants approval (from Dallas) to drill up to 60 wells (in the Trinity floodplain) after having that production casing FAILURE (during fracking) at 3400 Tom Braniff in 2009.
 

See this previous Westchester Gasette blog post about the Trinity East "FRAC Job" casing failure.

Residential Uses: Gas Drilling as of Oct. 23, 2007 (Arlington, TX) **Update**

Thank you for this video, Fish Creek Monitor.

Residential ZONING

Gas Drilling

Arlington, TX

 

We're wondering how that vote went down? Did all City Council members (at that time) vote FOR this Amendment to the Ordinance?? Stay tuned...

Click on the Links below for More Information:

• Zoning Information/Definitions for City of Arlington, TX
• Overall Zoning Ordinance for City of Arlington, TX
• City of Arlington, TX Gas Drilling Ordinance (Specific to Gas Drilling)

From the comments...So, now we know. Thank you, Fish Creek Monitor!

**Update** ~ Click Here to Read the Shocking Results for How It All Went Down.

Oh, Seismicity. Wherefore Art Thou?

3.0 Irving, TX Earthquake January 22, 2013

*Click on the Map to Make it Larger*
Many Gas Well Pad Sites Surrounding DFW Airport showing Multiple Horizontal Wellbores Per Padsite
(Railroad Commission of Texas GIS Maps)

Click Here to See the United States Geological Survey Event Page.

For more facts about it...Click Here.

"In some areas, seismic activity, better known as earthquakes, can occur as a result of oil and gas production. In this article, we review the modern history of human-induced seismic activity, and present the findings of a recent project to monitor injection- and production-related seismicity. Scientists in Russia, in a cooperative project with Schlumberger, are analyzing the seismic energy recorded during these events to extract information about the reservoir, to more fully characterize the state of stress in the field and to optimize the recovery of reserves."

And then there's this: Click Here.
 

Happy New Year!

Pending and Permitted Shale Gas Well Pad Sites Grand Prairie, TX (December 18, 2012) Grand Prairie, TX Shale Gas Pad Sites and Well Information Updates (12.18.2012)

To find the location for the documents above you need only go to the City of Grand Prairie, TX website.  Click on the tabs as shown below:

  Departments & Services/Services A-H/Gas Drilling.  Yes. That's it!  
And you can find it in alphabetical order between  
Garbage Collection and the  
Graffiti Hotline.  Click on over there and see for yourself. 
 It's a BIG Yee Haw!

City of Grand Prairie, TX Website

The GasFRAC Cometh: Proven "Proprietary" Process?? Or Just Another Disaster in the Making! **Update**

As seen on Interstate 20 headed East from Grand Prairie, TX
Sunday, August 12, 2012

GasFRAC Energy Services

Numerous patents/Numerous pending

Proven innovative technology

GASFRAC has developed an innovative closed stimulation process and injection method, utilizing gelled LPG rather than conventional frac fluids.

The LPG used in the closed GASFRAC system is primarily propane, C3H8, a naturally occurring hydrocarbon that is non-damaging to the formation.[emphasis added.]

And the "proprietary" GasFRAC prevents vapour buildup?

GASFRAC's proprietary LPG process is designed for maximum safety. Our pressurized, closed system ensures the process is completely controlled and that the LPG gel maintains its fluid state—with zero exposure to oxygen—preventing vapour build-up.[emphasis added.]

** Update:   Hmmm. Apparently, this blog post landed on a stock market message board!??  We have had more hits on this blog post within the last 24 hours than any of our posts in such a time period, lately.  Too bad.  The stock market crowd only wants to know how GasFRAC is doing. They really don't seem to care about the BIG PICTURE.  And want to tell us how the cow ate the cabbage...rather than how the cows died from drinking the fracking fluid. 

16 Cows Die from Drinking Spilled Fracking Fluid at Chesapeake Drilling Site

Oh, and to the Anonymous commenter who left such a detailed reprimand for us ~ Thank you.  Unfortunately, it was accidentally deleted by our iPhone. Please post it again, and we'll be sure to post it as long as the condescension is down a notch or two. Thank you, everyone, for reading. And try to think about making your money from businesses that are in business for the good of humanity.  This ain't it. Amen.

Cowboys, Baseball and Gas Drilling ~ Yee Haw!

Welcome to Arlington, Texas.

Truman Drilling Site 

(2 Leaseholds Pooled Units converging  ~Truman and Bobcat ~ totaling 1,020 acres with plans for 14 shale gas wells)

You can certainly find more information about ALL the drilling operations in Arlington, TX by clicking here and visiting Chesapeake's Arlington Neighborhood Center.  It's very user-friendly. We count 35 Chesapeake drilling sites inside the Arlington, TX city limits. Beautiful!

Based on what we've learned, and what we know about shale gas, the FRAC Pond you see in the picture (the pond in the lower left that's holding the brownish-colored water)  ~ this FRAC Pond and the accompanying drilling operations will be a fixture in the core of the Arlington, TX downtown business sector for many years to come.  [Are you reading this Dallas?]

So, bring out the Welcome Wagon.

The Truman has landed!  AMEN.

**Update:  Here's some more detail.  Just in case you aren't sure what you are seeing. We understand how it's hard to know with all of this. It's a very special and unique new neighbor.

They ALL Leak - By Chip Northrup

"The horizontal well bore is longer than a vertical well, its circumference is greater, it undergoes more stress during a frack, and where it bends to go lateral, the casing is compromised. Plus cement does not adhere to shale. So they leak more than vertical wells.

A horizontal well bore is four times more likely to leak than a vertical well." ~ Chip Northrup

Click here to view a presentation by Chip Northup where he discusses the critical well casing issue, along with other serious issues having to do with shale gas drilling in our communities across the United States of America.

The Mineral Deed

In recent years, DR Horton (America's Builder) has been holding on to the minerals and groundwater when they sell homes in their subdivisions.

DR Horton Development. Clark Road. Dallas/Duncanville, TX.

Click here to see all the DR Horton "projects" in the area.

Texas Sharon writes a stunner today on BlueDaze: 

"Amid fracking fears, lenders refuse to fund DR Horton homes."

So, now, in the beautiful Mountain Creek area of southwestern Dallas County, TX ~ a certain kind of property transaction occurred in mid-February 2012:

Mineral Deed ~ DR Horton to DRH Energy*

*Not to be confused with a Gas and/or Oil Lease

Scroll down to Exhibit A in the above mineral deed to see the general location of the property being deeded.

Clark Ridge No. 2 Homes ~ 7002 Mesa Drive, Dallas, TX

Map of the DR Horton Clark Ridge No. 2 Housing Development as described in Exhibit A

Click here and go to the last page of that Mineral Deed to see
Item #5.

Kind of Important Question: So, why are George H.W. Bush's ancestors discussed in a DR Horton Mineral Deed??!!

Oh, they were thumpin' for shale gas just last year out that way...

The End.

Does Oprah Know?

Transcendental Meditation's Popularity Surges After Oprah's Recent TV Show

[Clint Eastwood] “I’ve been using it for almost 40 years now. I think that it’s a great tool for anyone to have.”

Frac Job, Argyle, TX ~ March 11, 2011

Help. Please.

The Power of the Whistleblower

The Story.

"The Problem with the fracking is all the unknowns."

 ~ The Whistleblower

Interesting development today.  Chesapeake will just back away from all of it, for now. What a great idea.

The Holiday Flowback Extravaganza!!

But Before We Get Started You Won't Want to Miss..."The Flood" on December 14, 2011: 
Click Here to Read About It on BlueDaze!

♫♥ And Now Let's Begin the Show♫♥♫♥

The Forks/Fulson/West Wing Shale Gas Pad Site in SE Arlington, TX
Welcomes You To The Neighborhood!

December 17, 2011

♫♫It's the "Most" Wonderful Time of the Year...♫♫

 ♫♥♫Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly! Fa la la la la, la la la la!♫♫♥

♫♫Tis the Season to Be Jolly
Fa la la la la,la la la la♫♫♥

♫♫♥Haul Out the Holly...♫♫♫♫♥

♫♫♥Put up the tree 

before my spirit falls again.♫♫

♫Slice up the FRAC Pond♫

♫♫It hasn't snowed a single flurry,
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry, so...♫♫

Uh. Oh. Sorry.  We Interrupt This Holiday Fracking/Flowback Extravaganza

OK. The fracking flowback flood water from the Fracking/Flowback Process on the F/F/WW Pad Site seems to be flowing down into this Festive Storm Drain.  

Really??

Whatever...

SO climb down the chimney;

Put up the brightest string of lights I've ever seen.

Slice up the fruitcake;

It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough.

For we need a little music,

Need a little laughter,

Need a little singing

Ringing through the rafter,

And we need a little snappy

"Happy ever after,"

Need a little Christmas now.
~Lyrics from the Broadway musical, Mame, written by Jerry Herman

Click Here to Hear "We Need a Little Christmas" sung by the Brady Bunch. Click Here If You Like More Scary Shows.

A Fracking Factory Fire in Waxahachie, TX ?? *Update*

Who Knew?? Waxahachie officials say they didn't know.  It's more than a sure thing that TCEQ and Texas Railroad Commissioners didn't know about this fracking operation, either.   

Is this different than a meth lab??  We're just asking...because no one seems to know what they were doing. It's clearly all very DANGEROUS and, in FACT, it did BLOW UP!

So, now, WE the People, know.  Thank you, Brett Shipp.

*Update* ~ And, to be completely accurate, TXSharon discussed it first.   Here.  Keeping up with her blog is usually everyone's best bet for this kind of information. We understand that TXSharon's work with the Earthworks' Oil and Gas Accountability Project keeps her very busy these days...but BlueDaze is still the place to go for the latest news about drilling and fracking on the planet. As so often happens in MediaLand, the TV media may appear to be the "first to know."  Thankfully, unlike fracking chemicals, it all comes out in the wash.

Link

"Waxahachie Fire-Rescue Chief David Hudgins told News 8 he was not aware that 80 percent of what Magnablend produces is fracking chemicals.

EPA officials said they had no idea what Magnablend was producing at the plant.

While it's legal to blend fracking chemicals, federal law states if enough dangerous chemicals are being stored on site, then the company must file a risk management plan.

No such plan [risk management plan] has been filed for this facility.

Local, state and federal authorities continue their investigation."

HELP. Please.

It's Fracking Flexible

This FlexFrac frac truck has a very nice parking spot all safe and secure, comfy and cozy at the Lake Prairie Towne Crossing Shopping Center at 360 and Camp Wisdom in Grand Prairie, TX.  There are numerous shale gas pad sites nearby.  Very special.

For those down times at the pad site, FlexFrac can enjoy his friends on Facebook who are apparently spending most of their time in the Fort Worth Cultural District.

Yee Haw.

The Water Mafia Strikes Again!!

It's a Lollapalooza!!

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) August 23, 2011 - While many North Texans are being asked to conserve water during a statewide drought, three large pipelines are pulling millions of gallons of water out of the Trinity River in Fort Worth, near West Seventh Street.

The pipelines cross over several roads and trails in Trinity River Park. They were put into place just days before water restrictions are expected to shut off sprinklers in Fort Worth, leaving lawns to dry out.

“They’re just like big straws,” explained nearby resident Don Young, who has seen these pipelines before. “They just suck water from the river or lake or wherever.”

Where are the pipelines taking the water? Follow them past raised sidewalk sections and roadway crossings and you will end up at a natural gas well located just outside of Trinity River Park, operated by Chesapeake Energy.

  And It's Growing the Franchise.

Thank you, Don Young, of  Fort Worth Can Do...for Your Efforts From the Beginning. 

Do We Gain or Lose from Shale Gas Drilling? Conventional vs. Unconventional Shale Gas Drilling

And Now the Question and Answer Portion of 
Dr. Ingraffea's Lecture:

Note that at around 6 minutes 40 seconds,  Dr. Ingraffea discusses how Chesapeake has the highest rate of violations of any gas operator (in Pennsylvania)...even though it holds itself up as a "paragon of excellence."

Earthquakes discussed beginning around 11:00 Minutes: Dr. Ingraffea discusses where there "shall be places that you can not drill...we don't want wells going under schools..."

Click Here to view the Q&A Portion of the Lecture.