Even in Texas, Concerns Grow About Gas Drilling
FORT WORTH — Texans pride themselves on being the heart of the nation’s oil and gas business. But even here, public concern about natural gas drilling is growing.
On Wednesday, several dozen protesters marched through downtown Fort Worth, waving signs and chanting anti-drilling slogans that reflected concern over air and water pollution.
The anxiety centers on a recently expanded drilling method called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” which is now used in more than half of new gas wells drilled in Texas. This practice — which involves blasting water, sand and chemicals far underground to break up rock and extract gas — is ...
Comments (35)
EyesOfTX
Ok, so, Texas OGAP spends 2 months planning this demonstration, 20-25 people show up, and this is "news" fit for the NY Times? That's a somewhat amazing editorial decision. After all the baseless hyperventilating about Barnett Shale drilling over the last 4 years - fully aided by the metroplex news media - isn't the real story here what an utter failure this demonstration really turned out to be?
BiffTannen
Can you name a bigger protest in North Texas for the same issue? I can't think of one. Who really cares how big or little it is, as long as it keeps the pressure on the companies drilling and the regulatory bodies.
Norman Allen
We have to find a way to frack oil executives so they stop fracking the land. When oil and gas is pumped out, it destabilizes the ground then we have either sink holes or tremors. They should bear the cost of all disasters caused by their reckless profiteering. Instead of ploughing the profits to yachts, palaces, and perks, they should spend it to find alternative engines and fuel: solar, wind, geothermal. FRACK them!
Johann Geist
...and these are the same people that raise cain about gasoline being so high! Can't have it both ways folks!
BiffTannen
No, we don't. If anything, gasoline and natural gas should be higher. Tax it more, use the proceeds to fund alternative energy.
Kenneth K. Whiteman via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well, Dana Schultes, Just what is it that you are afraid of? Don't you trust the laws and regulations put in place by the very agencies you want to enact more regulation? Do you actually believe that operators are haphazardly recovering hydrocarbons without consideration for the environment as well as meeting the regulations you apparently so love? You need to discard the “Big Bad Oil Company” stigma you cling to and get a life!
Johann Geist
I agree with BiffTannen. Also we need to include all food and commodities subject to the sales tax which can be used to overcome the deficit.
Connor Kilpatrick via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Kenneth, I can't tell if you're delusional or just frighteningly naive. One thing's for sure: right-wing media makes suckers out of people. Pure suckers. Particularly baby-boomers--works super-well on them. Which would be okay if nothing of any importance was at stake. Here's an idea: You and your fellow ideological travelers in Texas should post your addresses. That way, all the Texans who get sick over the next few decades from hydro-fracking side effects can send you their hospital bills.
Ben Martinez via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pure, unadulterated ignorance from Kenneth.
Rudyg43
Until these gas companies disclose all the names of the gases and solutions the force into the ground to frack, I would not trust them. I wouldn't trust anyone defending them either. Texas's regulatory bodies are bought by the industries they regulate and supervised by Perry, the murderer. There is too little over sight of the "Frackers" and they continue to hide behind lawyers and congressmen. This what we get under a one party ruled state like Texas. The Texas Legislature and Governor need to be "Fracked" up side the head to get their attention.
Aldo Merino via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I have absolutely no idea why you're attributing and projecting such nonsense to a single woman cited in the article who was merely expressing, in the most general manner possible, potential health concerns about the process. She literally said none of those things you suggested.
Erika Holzinger via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thought texans don't believe in global warming haha.
Susan Read via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@Kenneth: The "regulations" that are in place are laughable. Living in the Barnett Shale is very hazardous. Those of us living within a few hundred feet of shale gas operations know that. This is not a joke. Unconventional shale gas drilling is an experiment at best. And we're the guinea pigs. And it IS our health that's at stake, and our safety and our property values and so much more. Telling someone to "Get a Life," because they are concerned about all of this...hummm. Dana Shultes should be commended for having a very important life...telling her to "get a life," is a ridiculous bullying tactic employed by the O&G Industry when people speak up.
John Brewster
Give me a break! A "few dozen" protesters - all of whom appear to be under 30 and, I'll bet, none of whom has even the remotest knowledge of well completion or the "evils" of which they protest. Sadly, Texas Tribune and the NYT run this story as if it is important news. I can round up a few dozen friends to protest anything. Please practice some responsible journalism, starting with determining who the protesters are, whether they are well informed, how they are funded/organized and by whom, etc.
BiffTannen
I was there. I'm 34, and live in Wise County. Right in the middle of the Barnett Shale. I'm self-funded, and heard about the protest from some blogs I follow.
Now what?
Who sent you, and where is your birth certificate?
Sharon Wilson
EyesOfTX,
Texas OGAP was not involved in this protest and did not attend the protest. It was organized by the University of North Texas chapter of Rising Tide.
Actually, for a weekday protest in Texas, I thought it was a great turnout. I watched a video and there were certainly more people than your low-ball estimation. I have seen 40 to 50 attendees reported in other reports.
Sharon Wilson, Texas organizer
EARTHWORKS' Oil and Gas Accountability Project.
Terri Bednar Wegner via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Interesting that this protest was not reported at all in the Star Telegram. Maybe I missed it, but I doubt it. Still waiting for the outcome of the air quality study and wonder why it is taking so long and if we can trust the results.
Richard Garza
We need to secure our northern border! Too many non native Texans are moving in and ruining the place.
John Brewster
I seem to be outnumbered by commentators who have no knowledge about this issue, but are determined that evil corporations must be doing terrible things to the environment, and must be stopped. As a matter of fact, the oil industry has fraced many thousands of wells all across the country. With a very few exceptions when the subsurface geology was not suitable so that the injected volumes remained in formation, or the few blowouts (like the one Chesapeake is dealing with now in Pennsylvania), there is no proof of damage to drinking water, underground cavities, sinkholes, tremors, etc. Those are just the wild imaginations of people who have an agenda. Sadly, this truth will not be accepted by most of you based upon reading your comments. If the problems are so pervasive, why not respond with let's say ten or more, verifiable stories of sickness, death, destruction, and environmental devastation (a reasonable sample so that we know how common the problems are). Being a reasonable person, I might then consider the credibilty of your claims.
Susan Read
@John Brewster: Insofar as "verifiable" stories of illness...I have to ask you, "Where have you been, John"? You really should keep up! The recent series in the Denton Record Chronicle shows what's going on in places that have been overwhelmed by the drilling in recent years. You must know that "unconventional" slick water, shale gas drilling has only been conducted in the Barnett Shale since 2002 and really kicked in to a bigger extent in 2005. Here's the link to the Denton Record Chronicle series. I expect you to read it and report back.
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_dish_0327.2237e19e0.html
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/specialprojects/drilling/stories/DRC_shaleanalysis_0331.2383c6561.html
John Brewster
Susan Read: Thank you for referring me to articles published in the Denton newspaper. While that does not come close to what I suggested no one could supply (which was perhaps 20 or more verifiable instances of environmental harm from fracing), I am pleased to comment on the article that you asked me to read. Sadly, it is a "warm and fuzzy" piece - that was apparent in the first sentence. Gosh, I feel bad for people who feel their families are disrupted, their children sick, on and on. If those things are true, for heaven's sake, move! I don't care what you can or can't get for you home, do what is best for your family. This article doesn't even come close to making a case that fracing is harmful. Apparently Dish is full of transfer stations, compression stations, tanks, etc. The couple who "built their dream house in a nearby community" complain that they are getting sick because of fumes from 18 wheelers driving by. The article includes a wide assortment of illnesses and problems attributable to various causes. I am an attorney - let's start suing . . . Oh, there is the problem of proof. That is a problem. These folks apparently want sympathy. I do sympathize, but their stories clearly cannot be verified or they would have recourse.
BiffTannen
What an absolutely astounding display of straw manning and moving the goal posts. Come to Wise and Montague County and I'll show you any amount of areas affected by drilling and fracing that you require.
Two to get you started, Jack Grace Hill Road in Bowie and Wizard Wells. One community cannot drink their water due to contamination from gas wells, the other has had the Antlers aquifer dry up from the water extracted for fracing operations.
Susan Read
@John Brewster: Not sure, but does the number 10 hold some special meaning for you? How many cases of water contamination and accidental deaths from the shale gas drilling process do you need to believe there's a problem here? You speak of the "wild imaginations of people with an agenda." Nice, John. Spoken like a true shale gas industry apologist.
I think maybe you don't understand that the "process" of shale gas drilling is more than the "fracking." It's the whole process from the arrival of the Landmen who offer "bonus checks" for your signing away your mineral property. It's these same people promising big royalties knowing full well that they have no idea about the particulars of the drilling site. It's the placement of FRAC Ponds in residential neighborhoods. It's the drilling water waste pits left for years out in the country where animals graze and ingest the water.
It's the construction of non-odorized gas gathering pipelines to get the gas to market...right down through neighborhoods and close to where people live and breath. It's the deceptive practices that have been used to get people to sign leases. It's more lies about royalties.
It's the taking of information about the minerals that lie beneath property without permission and without payment. It's forcing the property owners who don't wish to sign a Mineral Lease to travel to Austin and defend their property rights. It's the whole unhealthy process of getting it done.
Here are the at least 18 verifiable cases of death from fracking fluid, John:
http://discuss.epluribusmedia.net/node/4162
I think maybe you need to do some homework on this subject. Like so many people, you seem to be listening to the "hype" that there's nothing wrong. Hype that is being promoted by the very rich O&G industry that just want to get it done. I'm surprised you didn't know about any of this.
Sharon Wilson
It's hard to get a man to understand something when his paycheck depends on him not understanding it.
paraphrased from Upton Sinclair.
John Brewster
Sharon, nice try at a personal attack but I don't get a paychek from the oil industry. Susan Read, I abosolutely challenge the truth of your statement that 18 lives have been lost from drilling and fracing. My knowledge of the legal and business world suggests that claim is bogus. I don't doubt that you believe it, but it is simply not credible. Moreover your comments betray a contempt for all aspects of the oil and gas business beginning with those evil landmen who mislead people and virtually steal their minerals right up to the rich fat cats who obviously have no soul. There is nothing I can say that will change your mind unfortunately. To repeat my position, it is not that some oil and gas installations don't smell bad - some due. I have no doubt that Dish, Texas may be a foul, smelly place. Thank those dimwits who allowed that small city to be taken over by tank batteries, pipelines, etc. However, the State of Texas has been there on numerous occasions and not found conclusive evidence of contamination that would account for all of the local residents who claim to be ill. Equally, the article you asked that I read included stories in which doctors could not attribute health problems to a specific cause. It does happen, I'm not saying it doesn't. But most everyone on this site seems intend on attacking evil oil and gas companies. My opening statement was simply to defend fracing as a procedure that has not yet been proven to be detrimental to the environment (except for certain areas where it should not have been employed, and a few spills/blowouts - which are rare). I asked for ten cases that have been proved and verified. That is not a magic number, but one calculated to demonstrate that you may know of one or two (but I would be surprised) but not many. The problems are not widespread even though the number of fracs being done far exceeds what you are aware of. I do appreciate your civility even if we disagree.
EyesOfTX
Folks, there are more than 4 million people living in the Barnett Shale region. Whether the real number was 20-25 (received from an observer present at the demonstration), "dozens", or 40 (as Texas Sharon, who most assuredly had aboslultey, positively nothing at all to do with organizing this protest, hah-hah), that is a pathetic turnout, and certainly not anything deserving mention in any news organ interested in objective reporting. Period.
Sharon Wilson
Why not contact the UNT Rising Tide group and ask them what my involvement was on this protest? You know, you should do that for accuracy sake and all since you have already voiced your opposition to "baseless hyperventilating" and you claim to value "objective reporting."
The last demonstration I planned was in Arlington where we wore the paper gas masks at the TCEQ public comments opportunity. It was standing room only. I think Texans are more comfortable with that kind of demonstration.
A clue about the point of the article is in the title where it says: "Even in Texas..." So, for Texas, on a weekday, this protest was quite successful. Anytime you make the NY Times it's a good thing.
Susan Read
@John Brewster: 18 cows, John. 18 individual cows died from ingesting fracking fluid.
In one comment you said:
[...]
"If the problems are so pervasive, why not respond with let's say ten or more, verifiable stories of sickness, death, destruction, and environmental devastation (a reasonable sample so that we know how common the problems are). Being a reasonable person, I might then consider the credibilty of your claims."
[...]
And then in another comment after it you said:
[...]
"...While that does not come close to what I suggested no one could supply (which was perhaps 20 or more verifiable instances of environmental harm from fracing)..."
[...]
A cow is a living, breathing creature, John. How many "instances" of environmental harm do you need to know that fracking is harmful and that shale gas drilling is dangerous to life?
Did you watch the video within that earlier comment ~ TXSharon's video of the cows drinking from shale gas sludge pits in Wise County, TX? Do you like steak? I wonder if any of these cows ended up on your lunch or dinner plate, John?
http://youtu.be/xq9-ATmG8Ao
Since your comments are long could you please add paragraph breaks? It makes it easier to keep up with all the great points you are making. Thanks a bunch.
John Brewster
Susan, try to stay on point. The primary criticism of fracing is that it allegedly contaminates the water table. My response was, that is only the case where it should not have been allowed based upon the subsurface interval not being suitable for injection, or where some other event caused a unique problem. Obviously, cows who drink out of pits will get sick and may die. That is why surface owners must always insist that well sites be fenced.
An animal drinking chemicals out of a pit does not prove that a fundamental problem exists with fracing shale for unconventional resource production. The oil industry has been injecting fluids of all types into subsurface stata for decades. When that is done in the proper geologic environment, the fluid stays in formation and does not contaminate anything that would harm man or animal.
Susan Read
@John Brewster: How close do you live to a drilling site, John?
John Brewster
I have been on many drillsites, have friends will wells in their yard (farms/ranches), and have even represented landowners whose animals died as a result of negligent operators. I know that some operations smell at different times (mostly during completion operations), some operators cause surface damage (for which the landowner is compensated, and which is usually remediated), and many operators do not properly fence their work areas. However, most companies do conduct their operations with respect for the landowner and his or her property.
What I find objectionable, and our friendly dialogue illustrates this, is the fact that you and many of the bloggers here hate the oil companies and have a variety of reasons for that (killing cows, smells, 18 wheeler traffic, dishonest landmen, people claiming they must move due to illness that state officials who are not employees of the oil companies by any means cannot confirm - and some of these "victims" are children and old people!!). Let's not confuse legitimate emotional concern with facts and truth.
The only reason I commented originally was to observe that the New York Times article is most misleading and uninformed. The incidence of serious environment damage resulting from fracing wells is rare. The Times uses colorful terms to portray an image that all of Texas is anxious over the terrible damage caused by hydraulic fracing. That is silly and untrue on both points: (1) the suggestion that most Texans are concerned, and (2) that we have any real, documented reason to be concerned.
BiffTannen
So the only people that can confirm contamination of a well is an oil company employee? That is absurd. They won't even tell their own employees what is in the chemicals they work around so they can wear proper PPE. How would said employees know what chemicals to look for in the water?
Would you consider a drilling company supplying water to a landowner admission of contamination?
Susan Read
@John Brewster: So, you don't live within a few hundred feet of a drilling site? Just trying to make sure about that and "stay on point," as you recommended.. It's important to my next point. Your help is most appreciated, John. Thank you.
John Brewster
Biff, I have no clue what you are talking about. I can assure you that companies like Halliburton and others who perform fracs not only know exactly what chemicals are being used, they inform the operator and the state of Texas of that information with great precision. It is a matter of record at the RRC. I also can't imagine why a company would fail to equip its personnel with adequate protective clothing. I have experienced many instances, however, where workers were careless and did not take appropriate safety precautions to protect themselves and others. Finally, what is this thing about drilling companies supplying water to landowners as proof of contamination. Often a lease gives the lessee a right to drill water wells - usually the landowner will own that well when the drilling is complete, and often the landowner has a right to use his own water from the well immediately. That is the way things work. How you can twist that into some sort of admission of wrongdoing is beyond me.
Johann Geist
When you get a horse, let me know how easy everything is!!