Archive for September 2010
As requested by many people, here are the links to two of the presentations presented at the Gas Drilling Forum of the Environment and Energy Committee of the Denton County Democratic Party.
The Environmental Defense Fund study illustrated the direct relationship between gas drilling and pollutants in Denton County. This was presented by Cherelle Blazer.
The OGAP presentation discussed the general issues of gas drilling and their efforts to organize citizens. This was presented by Sharon Wilson.
For more presentations and information, please come to the upcoming forum in Flower Mound on October 6th at 7:00 pm.
Everyone is welcome!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Flower Mound Police Station, Community Room
4150 Kirkpatrick Lane, Flower Mound
About 50 people attended the forum, “Gas Drilling in the Barnett Shale: Community, Health, and Legislation, last night in Denton.
Cherelle Blazer of the Environmental Defense Fund, Neil Durrance (Congressional Candidate for the 26th District), Deborah Rogers of Mineral Owners for Responsible Action and Land Safety, Sharon Wilson of the Texas Oil and Gas Accountability Project, and Jim Wall of Flower Mound Cares were on the panel.
The audience posed questions on how they could bring about changes to gas drilling practices, get the community involved, and improve governmental oversight. There were also concerns voiced about the impacts on property values.
As Jim Wall stated, there are over 11,000 wells in the Barnett Shale and they are moving westward into Denton County like “locusts.” Flower Mound Cares had mounted a successful campaign to get a moratorium on gas drilling permits and to elect a new mayor, with the highest number of voters ever.
One audience member wanted to know about Durrance’s experience with this issue prior to this forum. He talked about his 27-year experience with oil and gas leases and legal issues, his experience on the Texas Public Utilities Commission, as well as his focus on the issue of responsible gas drilling during more than one year of his Congressional campaign. He pointed out that the local levels and Federal levels are very important for environmental regulation, since if a property is outside of a local jurisdiction, the EPA laws are applicable. As Sharon Wilson pointed out, Texas has some of the most lenient regulations in the country on gas drilling.
One property owner wanted to know how to legally hold the gas driller responsible for the condition of her property now that drilling has stopped. Until this time, she had been unable to get any response. Neil Durrance, having many years of experience with drilling leases, indicated that the gas drilling lease will show that the driller, not the land man, is most likely responsible for upholding the lease agreement.
Deborah Rogers, and economist who serves on an Advisory Committee for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, answered the question about why there is still gas drilling when there is currently a 75-year reserve of natural gas. She pointed out that the gas companies need to drill new wells because existing wells in the Barnett Shale only produce gas for about 7-8 years on average, not the 20-30 years often touted in marketing efforts to land owners for new leases. The investors on Wall Street expect continuous new drilling and production, even with dips in the price of gas. Many gas companies take on debt for drilling.
Jim Wall and the other panelists noted that distributing information person-to-person is the best way to get people active on this issue. Sharon Wilson shared her story of how OGAP and her blog has become a national source of information on responsible or “less destructive” drilling practices. She pointed out that hydraulic fracturing and other aspects of drilling are exempt from many EPA regulations for water and air quality.
Cherelle Blazer said it is a good time for citizens to write letters and emails to the EPA and the TCEQ about the gas drilling issue, given there are new laws in the works and revisions to existing air permit and environmental rules and legislation. The EDF had conducted an extensive study on Denton County that showed a dramatic increase in air pollutants associated with drilling as directly related to the increase in gas drilling activities.
The next forum is scheduled for October 6th in Flower Mound.
Facebook Page for Event
Tuesday, September 14th, 7:00 pm. Denton County Democratic Headquarters. Tasks and items for upcoming forums on September 21st and October 6th.
Two Forums with Local Experts, Community Activists, and Political Candidates
Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 7:00 PM
Denton Fire Station, Community Room
332 E. Hickory Street, Denton
Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 7:00 PM
Flower Mound Police Station, Community Room
4150 Kirkpatrick Lane, Flower Mound
Join us for updates and a lively discussion on the impact of gas drilling to our environment, health, quality of life, and the economy in Denton County.
You will hear from experienced experts and advocates including:
- Calvin Tillman, Mayor of Dish, Texas
- Cherelle Blazer, Environmental Defense Fund
- Ginger Simonson, Flower Mound Cares
- Neil Durrance, Candidate for the 26th Congressional District
- Jeff Weems, Candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission (Oct. 6th only)
- Sharon Wilson, Texas Oil and Gas Accountability Project (Sept. 21st Confirmed, Oct. 6th Tentative)
- Deborah Rogers, Economics, Mineral Owners for Responsible Action and Land Safety
- TCEQ representatives have been invited.
- Congressman Michael Burgess has been invited.
Sponsored by: The Environment and Energy Committee of the Denton County Democratic Party, 940-566-1165
Environment and Energy Committee of the Denton Cou 