America's Nightmare?

 Click on this map to enlarge it and see the details.

In case you missed it, we wrote about DRHorton's retention of minerals for their properties last year.  Click here to read about that.

In recent weeks, we have discovered that our Grand Prairie, TX Gas Drilling Ordinance doesn't address the issue of homes being built dangerously close to gas drilling sites AFTER a drilling site is already established.  

Denton Drilling Blog has been writing about this somewhat confusing issue as well.  (Denton, TX currently has a 1,200 Ft. protected use setback, by the way.  Many residents had wanted it to be 1,500 Ft. with the latest revision to their Gas Drilling Ordinance in January 2013.) Read about that here.

Our current Grand Prairie, TX Gas Drilling Ordinance addresses protected use setbacks for already established protected uses...including homes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, businesses, day care centers. That protected use setback is 700 Feet with a variance of 500 Feet in certain cases that must be approved by City Council. (Our group and city staff had advocated for a 1,000 Ft. setback back in 2011, but unfortunately our City Council decided upon the 700 Ft. setback.) A 1,000 Ft. setback for parks is the current rule (with stipulations).

Grand Prairie, TX Gas Drilling Ordinance (as of January 18, 2011) by Westchester Gasette

Here's a Chart available to everyone on the Grand Prairie, TX Web Site and prepared by the Environmental Services Department.  It shows the new provisions enacted when the Revised Gas Drilling Ordinance was voted in on January 18, 2011.  We like the detail it shows for new permits vs. old permits.

The Dangerous Loophole 

The Howell Pad Site is situated several miles north of our Westchester community on Great Southwest Parkway near Jefferson/Abram St.  Surprisingly, the home builder, DRHorton, is not in violation of any current protected use setback requirements (as specified in our current Gas Drilling Ordinance) even though the new homes are dangerously close to the pad site (see the map above). (FYI:  Just for the record, we have learned that the minerals for this particular new DRHorton development were retained by past land owners, not DRHorton. Mineral property is such a tricky business.)

According to our current city Gas Drilling Ordinance, it appears that DRHorton or any developer can build homes  in Grand Prairie as close as they wish to drilling sites when the pad site already exists.  Or maybe they are working off of the 200 Ft. State of Texas protective setback requirement for oil wells in densely populated areas ~ a statewide requirement established long before horizontal drilling?  Not sure.

One would think "America's Builder" would have a stronger sense of ethics about it.  We just don't understand why they don't. And why they didn't ask the city? But wait...this would have been a zoning issue to do with a new housing development, so it must have been presented to the Grand Prairie Planning and Zoning Commission.  Surely P&Z would have seen the problem. Maybe Consent Agenda? We will check on that...

Important: If a drilling rig were up, then people might be more aware. But there has not been a rig up since 2011 according to the Grand Prairie Gas Drilling Status Report (Page 6).

But most people will have no idea what to expect with future drilling operations. This is an URGENT matter that must be addressed by our cities in North Texas.  

What are we doing to our communities and to the families that only want to live the American dream of owning a home? We must address this Critical Issue. NOW. 

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.

Chesapeake Wins. We Lose.

It certainly started off well. That's why we're really shocked that this (7 Man,1 Woman. Minus 1 Recused Councilman) City Council was apparently unmoved by the speeches from individuals who are ACTUALLY experiencing drilling operations RIGHT NOW within a few feet of their backyards. They seemed so disengaged or maybe they were just confused during the 3 1/2 4 hour meeting.

The proposed changes to the Grand Prairie Gas Drilling Ordinance had some excellent ideas put forth by City Staff. One of those included a 1,000 foot setback with only a possible 700 foot variance. This City Council doesn't seem to be very informed at all about shale gas drilling. People came to the microphone, poured their hearts out and then members just sat there like zombies. (Update: Maybe that's too harsh, and they just didn't know what to say.) The new Ordinance left out those most crucial parts the Westchester-Community Alliance requested.  Namely, a Public Overview and/or a Specific Use Permit required for each and every well site going in.

So, after all the speeches (mostly in SUPPORT of the new Ordinance as presented during the Work Session last Tuesday AND posted on the Web site) there was a vote on tabling this "Earlier Revised"  Ordinance so that we could have more time for feedback. That one didn't make it. And then there was another vote for going with a 700-foot setback with a 500 foot variance (presented at the 4:30 PM City Council Session). That one passed.

Yay, Team.

And then the BEST Part. They kind of went right to a vote to lift the 6-Month Moratorium. WHOOSH. Over and Out.

• 1,000 foot setback becomes 700.
• 700 foot setback variance becomes 500 AND
• 6-Month Moratorium becomes 2-Month.

But the biggest kicker of all is how each and every gas operator that spoke tonight mentioned all the meetings they had with Environmental Services about the Ordinance during this hurry-up process.

So, to summarize, I guess what this Westchester Neighbor is saying is this:

We're really not a TEAM. We ARE Chesapeake.

Tuesday Night at Theo's

Seen and Overheard Last Night

After the 3 1/2 Hour Grand Prairie City Council Work Session on the Proposed *New* Shale Gas Drilling Ordinance ~ Chesapeake representatives* Gas company contractors were later overheard discussing and dissing the work session and individual City Council members... 

and big-time dissing of

Environmental Services Director, Jim Cummings. 

Chesapeake reps Gas company contractors said they were "overall" very happy ~ especially with Greg Giessner and Mark Hepworth. Must have had something to do with their wanting to keep the minimum setback for pad sites at 500 ft.

Apparently, Councilman Giessner (At-Large Rep for Grand Prairie, TX) and Councilman Hepworth (District 1 Rep for Grand Prairie's Northern Sector) are Chesapeake's shale gas drilling contractors' new best friends. That's OK. To each his own.

Westchester-Grand Prairie Community Alliance would like to especially thank Mayor Charles England for his statements that were very supportive of  the concerns of the Alliance. Thank you, Mayor England.

And sometimes...

Some politicians just don't get it.  But that's what elections are for. 

Interesting, this.

P.S. Chesapeake Shale gas contractors may want to know that members of the Grand Prairie community who are very informed about shale gas drilling sometimes go to Theo's. And sometimes they can't help but overhear conversations at adjacent tables. Just a few points to ponder.

*Correction:  Apologies to Chesapeake Energy. We cannot confirm that the contractors were associated with Chesapeake. They were dressed very nicely and looked very professional.  They certainly didn't sound very professional. So, it's good to know (from Laura Patton, Public Affairs Supervisor for the City of Grand Prairie/Chesapeake) that none of their reps were at Theo's Tuesday night. WHEW!