Trinity Trees Come Down

I was expecting something a little more dramatic as I walked down the Trinity Trail near the Rogers Avenue bridge. Bulldozers. Chainsaws. Contractors from Blackwater.

A friend sent me an e-mail this afternoon that the Trinity Trees were coming down. I guess I expected it to be a work in progress. But it was a done deal.

What I found was an open area where Chesapeake Energy's pad site will be, along with blue sky and silence. No one was there. The only noise came from the Union Pacific yards next door.

After months of meetings, petitions, letter writing and lawsuits, the Trinity Trees controversy was over. I guess spokesperson Julie Wilson is still polishing the press release that says, "Hey, we just cut down a bunch of trees."

I had hoped against hope that some Capra-esque miracle would transpire. Maybe like Claude Rains at the end of Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, Chesapeake Vice President Tom Price would go sprinting down the Trinity Trail, racked with guilt while tearing off his Men's Warehouse suit and screaming, "I was wrong! Global warming does exist! These trees must be SAVED!"

But that hope died even before the ink was dry on Melissa Kohout's lawsuit.

The realistic view was best articulated by Jim Marshall. A few months back, Jim told me that in spite of everything, there were positives to come out of this:

Chesapeake altered its plans.

Chesapeake secured permission from Union Pacific to locate part of its drilling equipment on Union Pacific property. The alternative plan proposed by the Trinity Trees group was to relocate the entire drilling site to UP property.

Current plans call for the pad site to be reduced from 2.5 to 1.4 acres, saving an additional 1.1 acres of the 8.33 acre tree grove.

The perimeter tree planting surrounding the pad site is being enhanced following a revised landscape plan with 268 new trees ranging from 5 to 14 feet in height.

Chesapeake has committed to donate $500,000 to the City tree farm.

Saving over an acre of old growth trees ain't nothing. Getting Chesapeake to part with $500,000 for trees ain't nothing, either.

And I was thinking about that while I walked the Trinity Trees site this afternoon. It's a perfect example of what Lyndon Johnson called "half-loaf" politics -- a half a loaf of bread is better than no loaf at all. It's compromise. Everybody wins.

Well, there certainly were some winners.

Someday soon, a drilling rig will reach to the sky alongside the old oaks on the banks of the Trinity. And someday not long after that, the money will flow into the coffers of Chesapeake Energy, Union Pacific and Colonial Country Club.

But what about the rest of us here in Fort Worth. You know, the people who are concerned about keeping our neighborhoods safe, maintaining our natural environment and other little things like that. What about us? Did we get a half a loaf out of this? Because doesn't seem like it.

Then I remembered something that someone said to me recently. "Why is it that whenever there is some sneaky shit going on with gas drilling, Chesapeake's name is on it?"

Um, I dunno? Maybe because of the Trinity Trees, injection wells, the proposed Eighth Avenue drilling site, signing a drilling lease with the Star-Telegram.

And that's when it clicked for me.

Like a rebellious teenager, Chesapeake pushes the limits to see what it can get away with. Maybe Fort Worth will say no to a few things, they figure, but who knows what that town will say yes to.

But no matter how many billboards Chesapeake buys, the people of Fort Worth have started to notice this pattern of behavior. They are judging Chesapeake on their deeds, not their dollars. And those deeds may have already cost the company some dollars.

I believe the Trinity Trees issue hurt Chesapeake in lease negotiations in Mistletoe Heights and Ryan Place. I also believe that the Trinity Trees helped get the gas drilling ordinance back on the table. Who knows, maybe we'll end up with an ordinance that does more to protect our interests, not the gas drillers.

If that's the half of the loaf we got, Fort Worth, that ain't nothing.

TCU Gas Drilling Site Receives Permits

The first TCU gas wells have received permits from the Texas Railroad Commission. The wells, TCU Well No. 1H, TCU Well No. 3H and TCU Well No. 5H received permits on Nov. 16.

It is unclear if a high impact variance will be required. According to the city's gas drilling ordinance, a high impact permit is required if the well is within 600 feet of a residence, religious institution, public building, hospital, school, or public park. There are many houses north of Cantey that appear to be within the 600 perimeter, but no request for a variance has been submitted, the city's Engineering Services Office told me this morning. And that red dot? That's the main reason I care. Gas drilling is not without some risk, and that red dot is Alice Carlson Elementary School. My daughter goes to school there.

All high impact permits, without a waiver from the protected use property owners, must be approved by the city council after a public hearing. At the hearing, the city council may consider whether the natural gas drilling would conflict with the orderly growth of the city, whether there are other alternative sites, access for fire personnel and equipment and the recommendations of the gas inspector. The city council may accept, reject or modify the application.

If the gas well is located greater than 600 feet but less than 1,000 feet from a residence, religious institution, public building, hospital, school or a public park, the well is classified as an urban permit. No public hearing is required, however, the city told me that as a courtesy, they will inform the school board if a school is within 1,200 feet. Whether or not that means there will be a hearing remains unclear.

Stay tuned.

City Responds to Trinity Trees Lawsuit

The Startlegram reports that the city is asking a state district judge to throw out Melissa Kohout's lawsuit to prevent drilling at the Trinity Trees site. The basis for Kohout's lawsuit is that she was denied her right to address the government.

Sez the S-T (emphasis below is mine): "Kohout and her lawyer Jason Smith say in the lawsuit that the city violated its own ordinance by giving Chesapeake a special high-impact permit to drill near the trail.

"Such permits are required for gas wells within 600 feet of homes, parks or other 'protected uses' and can't be issued without a waiver from the property owner or the City Council. The ordinance doesn't include the trail system, though, because it is owned by the Tarrant Regional Water District.

"Chesapeake didn't apply for a high-impact permit and didn't post notices that it was seeking one. But city officials gave Chesapeake a permit after water district President Jim Oliver signed a waiver.

"Kohout's lawsuit points out that the city argued exactly the opposite in a 1995 zoning case, when it fought a topless bar that it felt would have been too close to the trail system. The lawsuit also says the city gave preferential treatment to Chesapeake and denied residents a chance to petition the council about the permit because the company's notices didn't mention it. Instead, they mentioned a less restrictive type of permit."

Although I am not a lawyer -- I'm just a simple caveman -- the whole sneaky way that the high-impact variance was granted seems to have some merit. We depend on the city's gas drilling ordinance to protect the environment and the safety of the people who live here. If the ordinance doesn't do that, what's to prevent a gas drilling company from putting up a well wherever they please? Is the public just going to be left out of this process altogether?

More Westside Drilling on the Way

All those folks in Tanglewood will soon get to find out how much they really like urban gas drilling. TCU announced on its Web site that the natural gas exploration lease for TCU's campus has been transferred from Four Sevens Resources Co., Ltd. to Chesapeake Exploration, LLC, an affiliate of Chesapeake Energy Corporation.

Four Sevens work as the landmen for Chesapeake, and it's an arrangement that works quite well for them. Last year, Four Sevens and Sinclair Oil sold 39,000 acres in the to Chesapeake for $845 million in cash to Chesapeake Energy. Four Sevens and Sinclair split the take 50-50.

Sez TCU: "Currently, Chesapeake has begun to conduct site analysis near remote parking on the north side of campus. In addition, the company also will begin the process of filing initial permits with the Texas Railroad Commission and communicating with local residents.

"TCU's decision to drill follows on the heels of other Metroplex organizations pursuing natural gas exploration opportunities with Chesapeake. These organizations include the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County College, Fort Worth Independent School District, Tarrant Regional Water District, Colonial Country Club and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport."

Wow, that's pretty impressive list of clients, Chesapeake.

Of course, I think it is also worth noting that Four Sevens executive Dick Lowe was the booster at the heart of the TCU football recruiting scandal back in the 1980s. Back then, Lowe said that a "blue chip" running back cost $10,000 to $25,000 down, $1,000 a month and a new car.

Barnett Shale News Items

South Side Update: The FWWeekly offers a catch-up story on the gas drilling battle on the South Side, primarily focusing on Don Young and Liane Janovsky. Not really much new in here, but I think it is worth remembering that XTO's alternative to its Eighth Avenue drilling site is, as Liann reminds us, "within 1,000 feet of the Fort Worth ISD’s Daggett Montessori school, as well as Daggett Elementary and [Daggett] Middle School and the Montessori preschool. There are also a couple of dozen poor rental properties over there. And I object to the idea of a gas well that close to schools.”

In the article, Young also says that a gas drilling pad site has been staked out just south of the beautiful old Texas & Pacific warehouse on Lancaster Avenue, which is going to be developed for high-end condos. I asked Kevin Buchanan at Fort Worthology about this the other day, and he actually went down to the site and took some pictures. He didn't see anything. Did he miss it? Nonetheless, I find it hard to believe that drilling would be allowed so close to a building complex that is on the National Register of Historic Places and an active residential complex at that. But there are so many dumbfounding aspects to urban gas drilling, where do you begin the list?

Oh, funny running into you here: Talk about an awkward moment. Mayor Mikey decided to take a little stroll down by the Trinity Trees the other day. Maybe he was thinking about the $620,000 he earned from his oil and gas holdings in 2006. 2007 should be a better year. Then, boom! He runs into Melissa Kohout, who is suing the city over the Trinity Trees drilling site. Wow. Where can a Mayor go to get away around here anyway?

East Fort Worth Residents Protest Strip Club

East Fort Worth residents protested a planned strip club at Trinity Boulevard and East Loop 820 over the weekend. I wholeheartedly support the efforts of these residents to decide what kind of businesses can be put in their neighborhood.

Of course, I think it is worth pointing out that if one follows the Chesapeake Energy logic on property rights -- you know, the idea that a private property owner has the right to develop their property in any way that the city allows -- then these citizens should just shut up and go home.

And, much like the Trinity Trees case, the Startlegram has pointed out that "if the club meets the city's requirements for sexually oriented businesses, there is no process for residents to appeal."

Of course, it is also worth pointing out that although city ordinance requires gas drilling wells to be 600 feet from homes (although they can be closer with a high-impact variance), sexually-oriented businesses must be at least 1,000 feet away from homes. Or, as Sharon has already pointed out, breasts are more dangerous than gas wells.

More on "What's Wrong With This Picture"

I spoke to Chad Lorance at the Tarrant Regional Water District on Friday about the What's Wrong With This Picture post from last week. Lorance added to what he e-mailed last week. He said that the TRWD had their inspectors take a look at what happened and what they found were the pumps in photos are used to draw water from the river to be used in the fracing process. He says these are one-way pumps. Any water that goes through these pumps is not connected to the fracing process. Any chemicals that are used in the fracing process do not go through these pumps.

“What would be worrisome to us is if water was going from a frac tank into the river, but that is certainly not the case here,” he said.

Lorance also reiterated that the TRWD appreciates that there are people who are concerned with water quality and are willing to make the TRWD aware of potential pollution violations. The fact of the matter is that the TRWD can only react to situations like this one -- their inspectors can’t be everywhere. They depend on concerned citizens like to help protect our environment. And that is up to all of us who live here and love Fort Worth. Keep it up.

UPDATE: What's Wrong With This Picture?

I finally heard back from the Tarrant Regional Water District regarding the post from the other day:

Steve,
Hi, I am the communications manager at the Tarrant Regional Water District. I was just made aware of your Oct. 14 blog post and related pictures of water being pumped back into the river near Riverside Drive. I have no idea where your original email inquiry landed, but I apologize you didn’t get it answered sooner.

We have researched the situation and this is what I can tell you…

To the best of our knowledge, there were no hazardous chemicals being put into the river at this location. The photos captured unused water being pumped back into the river. Essentially, the pumps that move water to the frac job can pull too much from the river at once, and these bypasses allow them to circulate the unused portion back into the river. The bottom line is this was excess water that never made it to the fracing process.

I hope this information helps to ease any public concern generated by the pictures. It is nice to know there are people out there who share our concern for water quality, and are willing to make us aware of potential pollution violations. We applaud those efforts.

Also, please feel free to email me directly anytime you have specific questions. I would be glad to help you any way I can.

Chad Lorance
TRWD Communications Manager

Below is my reply.

Thanks for your reply, Chad. One thing I was wondering about this issue: are permits required for this type of operation? If so, are these permits public record?


Although you explain that these pumps are just returning excess water that never made it to the fracing process into the river, are there any requirements on the equipment used for this process? Because the fracing process sometimes involves known cancer-causing chemicals, are there any guidelines in place to make sure that the equipment returning water to the river hasn't been used previously in the fracing process? My concern is that residue from hazardous chemicals could find its way into the river this way. What safeguards does the TRWD have in place to make sure this doesn't happen?

Thanks for your reply. I will be posting information about this on my blog later today.

Best regards,

Steve

I'll let you know what I hear.

Landscaping at Trinity Trees Site

No, the bulldozing hasn't begun. Chesapeake is just doing a little landscaping at the Trinity Trees site. Planting a few small trees before knocking bigger ones down.

Makes sense, doesn't it?

UPDATE, 10.18.07: See Pete's pix here. Not as good as the picture in the S-T of the guy sitting on his ass smoking a cigarette, but still good.

City Asked To Rescind Trinity Trees Permit

The Startlegram's Barnett Shale blog reports that Melissa Kohout, who threatened to sue the city if natural gas drilling is allowed next to the Trinity River hike-and-bike trail, has sent another letter demanding that the city rescind the drilling permit. She and her lawyer, Jason Smith, argue that the gas company, Chesapeake Energy, got a high-impact well permit even though didn't apply for one. That means, they argue, that people didn't get a chance to sound off against the high-impact permit. It also show favoritism to Chesapeake, the letter says.

Ad Decoder Can't Let It Go

The Chesapeake Ad Decoder continues riffing on the Mullet Man ad, parts of which he likens to "a elementary social studies report written by one's drunk, conservative dad." It's funny, yet very factual. Check it out, if only for the video of the rant from Chesapeake VP Tom Price.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

What's wrong with this picture? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. But you'll probably never know. Keep reading and you'll find out why.

Last week, Environment Texas, an Austin-based environmental watchdog group, released a report that should help us calibrate our shame here in Texas. Texas led the nation in the number of facilities discharging pollution at levels exceeding federal clean water guidelines.

In 2005, 318 facilities in the state reported 1,340 incidents in which they discharged more pollution than permitted under the federal Clean Water Act. The group also reported that more than 53 percent of Texas' industrial and municipal facilities discharged more pollution in 2005 than permitted under the law.

"With so many facilities dumping so much pollution, no one should be surprised that more than half of Texas waterways are unsafe for swimming and fishing -- but we should be outraged," Environment Texas Citizen Outreach director Brad Hicks said in a statement.

But where is the outrage? Maybe we are just getting what we deserve here in Texas after a decade-plus of delivering this state to anti-regulatory, anti-environment Republicans such as Dubya, Slick Rick Perry and Tom Craddick.

But what does that have to do with that picture? Let's narrow our focus a bit.

Here in Fort Worth, Chesapeake Energy has a permit to put an injection well in East Fort Worth. That's a done deal, but the city of Fort Worth has put a moratorium in place to prevent any other injection wells from going ahead for the time being.

The crux of the issue is a difference of opinion between Chesapeake Energy -- and other gas drillers -- and the city over what exactly is in the fracing waste that injection wells pump into the earth. Drillers contend it is just water and clay, but Brian Boerner, the Director of Enviromental Management for the city of Fort Worth, told a League of Women Voters forum last week that this waste also includes "some chemicals."

What are these chemicals to which Boerner refers? The EPA tells us that many fracturing fluids contain chemicals that can be toxic to humans and wildlife, and chemicals that are known to cause cancer. These include potentially toxic substances such as diesel fuel, which contains benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene and other chemicals; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; methanol; formaldehyde; ethylene glycol; glycol ethers; hydrochloric acid; and sodium hydroxide.

Are those found in the fracing processes used in the Barnett Shale? There's no way to know. As Texas Sharon pointed out last week, fracing records in Texas don't exist. Essentially, the gas drillers are responsible for policing themselves. And Texas isn't that different in this regard from many other states. According to the Oil and Gas Accountability Project, most oil and gas agencies do not require companies to report the volumes or names of chemicals being injected during hydraulic fracturing. For an interesting look at how little disclosure is required, check out another post from Sharon with a copy of a W-14 disclosure form from an injection well in Boyd that failed. The phrase "drilling fluids" is terrifying in its lack of specificity.

What about federal law? In 2005, the oil and gas industry was granted an exemption from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, making oil and gas the only industry allowed to inject toxic fluids directly into good quality groundwater without oversight by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

So, long story short, protections just aren't there, and chemicals may (or may not) be. There's just no way to know because Texans have decided at the ballot box to elect officials who don't value protecting the environment.

So what about that photo? I got that in an e-mail from Don Young at FWCanDo! last week, along with a few more below.

Last Tuesday, Don stumbled on a Chesapeake Energy crew shooting water from pumping equipment into the Trinity River near Riverside Drive off I-30 east of downtown.

The pumping continued for at least 30 minutes. Don spoke to a foreman who said they were just priming their pumps preparing to send water to the nearby well-site. He said it was just plain river water going back in. Nearby was a bucket labeled Bentonite, a clay used in the fracing process.

Don called a city inspector, Tom Edwards, and told him what was happening. Edwards seemed alarmed and said that nothing was supposed to go into the river. The inspector called him later and said he found nothing, and even if he had, it was out of his jurisdiction. The Tarrant Regional Water District controls the river. Don asked if Edwards was going to notify them, but Edwards wouldn't say. "It seems like no one knows anything or wants to take responsibility for the river," Don said. I e-mailed the Water District but I've not heard anything back.

Was there anything untoward going on here? Who knows? Does Chesapeake have a permit to clean their equipment in the Trinity River? Is there anything in that pumping equipment -- like the residue from chemicals used in the fracing process -- that we wouldn't want in the Trinity? We'll never know because the only way to find out is to ask Chesapeake. What do you think they'll say?

So is there anything wrong in these pictures? You can ask the City of Fort Worth, the Texas Railroad Commission, the Tarrant Regional Water District and Chesapeake Energy. You'll get the same answer from them all. Nothing to see here. Except a few photos, a lot of questions and no answers. And in all likelihood, that's all you ever will have.

UPDATE, 10.18.07: Read the TRWD reply.
UPDATE, 10.21.07: More from the TRWD.

Injection Wells in Fort Worth: Some Facts

The League of Women Voters has been busy this week. I attended the voter's forum the other night, but on Monday, the League's Environmental Committee had a meeting with Brian Boerner, the Director of Environmental Management for the City of Fort Worth. A friend sent me the minutes of this meeting. It's quite an eye-opener. The words are from the meeting minutes, not my own. Emphasis and smart-ass comments are mine though:

"The purpose of the meeting was to share concerns about the potential for additional water disposal injection wells within the City of Fort Worth. Chesapeake Energy already has a permit to drill one such well in East Fort Worth. They would like to drill at least 15 more wells.

"According to Mr. Boerner, they have already received permission from DFW Airport to drill two wells on airport property, one on the north end and one on the south. Walsh Ranch, a large planned development on the far west side of Fort Worth, already has some water injection wells. The City has no control of these wells in its extra-territorial-jurisdiction (ETJ).

"According to Mr. Boerner, the water injection wells create environmental risk in an urban environment. The waste water from the fracing process is saturated with salt and contains some chemicals. [Editor's Note: Really?!?!?] The salt derives from the salt in the Barnett Shale itself.

"There appears to be some question as to the degree of hazard that the fracing chemicals present. However, there is no doubt that the black-water mixture is corrosive and not only kills vegetation, but prevents its growth for an extended period. Injection wells are a dirty process.

"Transporting the water to the well must be done via air-polluting, road damaging trucks or pipelines [Editor's note: Apologies to Chris Turner. I'll buy you a Dr Pepper to make up for it. But still, it sounds like crazy-people talk.] that are subject to leaks. Drilling the well improperly can cause the ground water to be polluted. Leaks are difficult to track and much environmental harm can be done before the leak is found. Water well injection well operators have no incentive to prevent leaks. They are paid by the amount of water they take from the drillers, not the amount that is injected.

"As a result, the City of Fort Worth has a moratorium on the drilling of these wells, a moratorium that is proposed to be extended another six months until the City can develop adequate regulations. The City has what is called a grant of privilege for commercial trash collection which allows the City to license commercial trash haulers within the City and to levy a fee on the trucks to cover road wear. Such a fee could potentially be levied on salt water haulers within the City.

"Gas drillers have the power of eminent domain to lay gas pipes. However, they do not have such power to lay water pipes.

"The City can control the placement of gas and water wells through its land use powers. However, the portion of the gas or water well below the surface is controlled by the Railroad Commission. A recent audit of this agency found limited capacity to inspect the large number of oil and gas wells in the state. Numerous problems were discovered. According to the Railroad Commission’s web site, the Fort Worth basin alone has 7,499 operating gas wells with more being permitted each day, but as far as we know, the Railroad Commission was not given additional staffing authorization in the last Legislative session.

"Gas drilling has never been done in an urban setting on the magnitude planned for the Fort Worth area putting pressure on a system devised for rural areas where safety and environmental protection is not as critical as it is in an area with a population of almost 1.5 million.

"We talked briefly about the potential for recycling the production water from the gas wells. We were familiar with the evaporative and reverse osmosis processes, but not the flocculation method which Mr. Boerner says can recover a higher amount of water than the other two methods. The major impediment is that water injection wells are much cheaper for drillers even factoring in increased water and hauling costs. They may not, however, be cheaper for the community which has to deal with the externalities of the injection process. [Editor's Note: As I suspected: injection wells aren't the best way, just the cheapest way, to dispose of this toxic water. Chesapeake Energy contends they are doing Fort Worth a world of good. How does pumping toxic water into the earth good for Fort Worth? Really. I'm asking.]

Of particular concern to Mr. Boerner are the small areas within the confines of Fort Worth that for some reason have never been annexed into the City. These areas are under the jurisdiction of Tarrant County, which has no land use powers. As a result, this land could be used for water injection wells and do environmental harm to City residents with no City recourse.

"The League’s next step will be to prepare a letter for the Mayor and City Council supporting a six-month extension to the water injection well moratorium within the City. We also plan to begin to try to inform our respective City Council members about the environmental and safety issues surrounding gas drilling."

Absolutely shocking. I recommend you write the Mayor and your City Council representative and recommend that they do everything they can to keep injection wells out of Fort Worth.

Burnham Requests Public Meeting

District 90 State Rep. Lon Burnham sent the following letter yesterday to Richard Varela, Executive Director of the Railroad Commission of Texas, to request a public meeting over the drilling permit for the Trinity Trees site. Lon wrote:

"It is my understanding that the City of Fort Worth has granted a permit to Chesapeake Energy Corporation to drill for natural gas in an area in my district known as “the Trinity Trees” (just west of University Drive). It is also my understanding that Chesapeake has filed for a permit with the Railroad Commission to drill at this location. I strongly object to the Commission granting a permit that would allow drilling at this site.

"A large number of residents of Fort Worth, and many of my constituents, have expressed their opposition to this particular permit application. The proposed drill site is very close to a public park, including a trail heavily used for recreational activities. Drilling in this location presents threats to the safety of park users, as well as the environment.

"I am writing to request a public meeting in Fort Worth on this permit application so that residents have a chance to express their opposition and concerns. I would also like to meet with you as soon as possible. I will be in Austin on Friday of this week. Please call my Austin office to set up a time that is convenient for you."

Wondering About the Trinity Trees

It is said the Lord moves in mysterious ways. So too does Fort Worth City government.

Case in point: the Trinity Trees.

As you have probably heard, the City of Fort Worth approved the drilling permit for the Trinity Trees site yesterday. What I think everyone is wondering is this: is it a done deal? Is the drilling going to happen?
That I don't know. Fort Worth State Rep. Lon Burnham says it's not over. I'm sure someone, somewhere -- for better or worse -- will file a lawsuit. But at the end of the day, whether or not someone pulls some strings in Austin or revs up their lawyers, Chesapeake Energy has their drilling permit.

But I am curious about a few things:

First, because the well is considered a high-impact gas well, Chesapeake had to secure permission to drill the well from all property owners within 600 feet of the site. Or shall we say all property owner -- The Tarrant Regional Water District. But why didn't that waiver have to go before the Water District board? Why wasn't there a hearing? And why wasn't there an environmental impact study? It's curious. Let me just say this, if NASA worked this efficiently, I would be writing this from Mars.

Second, Chesapeake reached an agreement with Union Pacific Corporation to move
a portion of the drillsite operations support equipment to Union Pacific’s Davidson Rail Yard during drilling operations. By doing so, Chesapeake will be able to reduce the amount of the drillsite that will be located on its Trinity Trails property from 2.5 acres to 1.4 acres. Chesapeake is also announcing a $500,000 commitment over five years to fund the purchase and planting of new trees in the City of Fort Worth. I'm wondering how that happened. Does it have anything to do with Wendy Davis' long-awaited meeting with Chesapeake CEO Aubrey McClendon last Friday?

Third, I wonder if this deal has to do more about Trinity Trees or the City revisiting the gas drilling ordinance? Is this some kind of quid pro quo, as in "Here are some trees and a couple of hundred grand, but don't jack with us on the gas drilling ordinance?" We, the average citizens of Fort Worth, may never know. But I'm going to keep an eye on how the city revisits the gas drilling ordinance. I'm just wondering.

City Approves Trinity Trees Permit

Gentlemen, start your bulldozers?

The Startlegram reports that the city of Fort Worth has granted a permit to Chesapeake Energy to locate a gas well pad site on the "Trinity Trees" site just west of University Drive near the Trinity River.

The well is considered a high-impact gas well, and Chesapeake secured permission to drill the well from all property owners within 600 feet of the site, said Cecilia Jacobs, chief communications officer for the city.

The city's full statement read as follows:

"On August 30, 2007, Chesapeake Energy applied for a pad site permit on the Pearson Lease site. The site is located north of the Trinity Trail and west of University Drive. Because of concerns about the site's proximity to the Trinity Trail, the operator has complied with additional requirements for a high-impact gas well classification.

"The corresponding gas drilling permits were issued Monday afternoon because Chesapeake met the requirements under the City of Fort Worth's gas drilling ordinance."

If you are able, come out tonight to the League of Women voters forum and make your voices heard. The District 9 City Council race is a referendum on gas drilling. This is a chance to let the candidates know how you feel.

Funny Take on Chesapeake

If you've ever wondered how to decode the hidden messages in a Chesapeake ad? Check out Bret's blog because he makes it easy -- and funny.

Barnett Shale: A Point of Clarification

If you don't already know about it, I suggest anyone interested in finding out more about the Barnett Shale and Fort Worth to look at the Powell Barnett Shale Newsletter produced by Gene Powell, Jr.

Mr. Powell is very pro-drilling, but I think his newsletter is very thorough and quite well done. I believe that point is about the only thing he and I would agree about.

While I think Mr. Powell -- aw, hell, I'm just going to call him Gene -- while I think Gene's newsletter is pretty good, his editorial slant minimizes anything that would stand in the way of more Barnett Shale drilling, including NIMBYs and activists (his words, not mine). I don't have problem with this -- he is a gas driller writing for gas drillers. He knows his audience.

However, in the October 1 issue of his newsletter, there was something that jumped out at me. See page 19 in the article titled "New Water Disposal Well Operational In Fort Worth." And I quote:

"Reports by Mike Lee of the Fort Worth Star Telegram that the used frac water states it 'sometimes including cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene' just is not true. [emphasis his] It is the type of erroneous information found on blogs (web logs) [emphasis mine] but If it were present, what better place to put it than 1.5 miles deep in the earth rather than trucking it though our neighborhoods?

Just not true? Erroneous information on Web logs (which Gene finds on The Google)? Really?

I believe the "erroneous" Web log which Gene refers to is this one here. I believe the post in question is this one -- "Why I Don't Believe You, Chesapeake" -- where I write: "Barnett Shale wells require fracturing of the limestone formation to release the oil and gas trapped within. Water, sand, and hazardous chemicals are injected under high pressure down the drilling hole to fracture the limestone. What are those chemicals? Some are known and include potentially toxic substances such as diesel fuel, which contains benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene and other chemicals; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; methanol; formaldehyde; ethylene glycol; glycol ethers; hydrochloric acid; and sodium hydroxide.”

Evidently, Gene thinks I just pull words like this out of my ass. Gene, I'm lucky to spell those words on a good day. But, like any good blogger, I can cut and paste. And this section came from www.earthworksaction.org. And where did they get it? From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. August, 2002. DRAFT Evaluation of Impacts to Underground Sources of Drinking Water by Hydraulic Fracturing of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs. EPA 816-D-02-006. Chapter 4.

That's right. The EP-freaking-A! The Feds. Uncle Sam. And that's the 2002, there's-no-global-warming, George W. Bush EPA -- so who knows how much freaking worse it really is.

Gene, I am not making shit up to frighten people. I think the facts are scary enough. Fort Worth does not want or need an injection well. This does not do Fort Worth a world of good. And obviously the city is concerned enough to look into it or they never would have declared their moratorium on new injection wells.

If you ever think I am "erroneous," shoot me an e-mail, state your case, and if I am incorrect about a fact, I will correct it. However, in this instance, I believe the error is yours. I look forward to the correction.

Chesapeake Energy: Doing Fort Worth

If this is Chesapeake's idea of being good to the environment, I'd hate to see what they do if they ever got in touch with their dark side.

Tuesday's Startlegram reported that Chesapeake Energy got a permit from the state Railroad Commission to operate an injection well near East First Street and Oakland Boulevard.

What's an injection well?

Natural gas drilling in the Barnett Shale results in millions of gallons of production water, which contains salt, crude oil and other waste, sometimes including cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene. The gas industry prefers to dispose of production water by pumping it into the injection wells, also known as saltwater wells. The wells are more economical than recycling the water; they also avoid the problem of trucking the waste for disposal.

So rather than trucking this waste out of the city, they are just going to shoot it into the earth underneath our city. So just days after telling us about how much they love Fort Worth and love the environment, Fort Worth finds out about this injection well, which could potentially contaminate groundwater.

City officials have imposed a moratorium on new injection wells. The Fort Worth City Council is tentatively scheduled to discuss the moratorium in mid-October.

Gas Drilling Downtown?

It looks like downtown gas drilling might actually be happening. A public notices in the August 22 Star-Telegram announced a drilling permit applied for Chesapeake Operating, Inc. / T&P 1H at the end of Lamar on East Lancaster Avenue. Kevin at Fort Worthology has a lot more on the site.

Ah, yes. Chesapeake Energy. Doing Fort Worth a world of good. When I read about this well, this is the first thing I thought about:


This is a picture from the explosion at a gas-related facility in Dallas in July. Even though this facility wasn't a drilling facility, it shows how devastating a flammable-materials explosion can be in an urban area. If there was an accident like the explosion at the gas drilling site in Hood County, imagine the devastation. It's within a 100 yards of I30, and few hundred yards of the Post Office and the T&P Building -- two of Cowtown's architectural treasures. I'm sure that just what those loft dwellers want -- explosion debris floating in their lattes.