Subject: Total Gaswell neat ATT Stadium loud sound 20 minutes with gas odor story not matching up
Susan Dubreuil, a renter who lives at 300 feet of Truman and told me this morning her asthmatic son cannot go outside these days and has had to make medical changes to control his asthma. She said last month she was feeling really sleepy ….this was during fracking and all those diesel odors.
This morning Tom Edwards said the two minute screeching sound was related to a mechanical issue from a hard rubber bushing getting “caught up” on a well head while they were pulling out the plugs.
Ten years ago when the ammonia type odor came into my closed home they were “drilling out the plugs” too. Yet two different stories there as well. Through discovery an internal Chesapeake email showed one field hand saying the same odor occurred in Ft Worth when the paint/pipe treatment was coming off of the drill pipes cause of the high heat, yet the PR people told the City and TCEQ it was normal operations which did not match up to source and location as once thought. I tried to get the TCEQ field notes, but the guy was transferred to Houston and the records died with him on a road accident I was told.
So what they told Tom Edwards today did not mesh with my hearing a jet engine air hissing sound I started recording right away at 9:47 am 6/21/23. At 10:07 I notified Tom Edwards the sound just now stopped, so that was a 20 minute sound event that does not match up.
TCEQ’s John Mallick (817 588 5830 direct line) said what I was describing could have been a compressor related blow down event. Compressors are used to compress gas, they are used in flowback, they are used to remove water from the wells, and (I added they are also used in lift compression in sluggish wells). Mr Mallick will investigate the sound/odor cause I told him I smelled gas or something before I ran inside and started closing the porch windows. The sound was so loud it woke up my husband inside!! He is working nights.
I have alerted Tom Edwards, John Mallick and John O’Malley (operator compliance officer) that I am concerned we are not flowing back the Truman wells right away. Mr Edwards told me on June 17th, “They plan to start flowback end of August beginning of September depending on time to get the pad ready for production, no more than two wells at a time and a week per well is planned. They have finished the fracture job and will spend the next month or so on construction and well preparation”.
In the Lynn Smith odor event 11 years ago, a business owner was sickened with “STALE” flowback fluid odors in March 2012 when I covered the story of her fracking floor damage over the holidays in Dec 2011. The EMT’s were dispatched to her ailments of vomiting and soaring blood pressure. I am concerned that my neighborhood as well as our Entertainment District could suffer a stale odor flowback event(s) if we hold back the flowback to let the wells sour.
Data suggests that air pollution from these sites can cause asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and skin issues, Schug said. The data also suggests that children and the elderly are more susceptible to these health issues.
“There’s plenty of room to do this outside of heavily populated areas,” Schug said. “The limited amount of studies investigating exposure risks should be a red flag that if a city wants to embark on this, I think they have an obligation to show that it’s safe to be around or to assess its safety.”
The consensus among the scientific community is that these sites should be at about 1,000 feet from residential homes, he said.
Schug said no research was available to guide lawmaker’s decisions when the laws were first developed. Now that there is data about the effects of these sites, laws should take the research into account, he said.
It’s not necessary to have these operations next to the public, but they need to be monitored if they are, Schug said. It’s irresponsible to have this operation so close to residential homes and a daycare, he said.”
Kim Feil https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/ TEX LG. CODE ANN. A§ 253.005 : Texas Statutes – Section 253.005: LEASE OF OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL LAND “(c) A well may not be drilled in the thickly settled part of the municipality..” Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Part 1, Chapter 101, Subchapter A, Rule 101.4, Environmental Quality, Nuisance No person shall discharge from any source whatsoever one or more air contaminants or combinations thereof, in such concentration and of such duration as are or may tend to be injurious to or to adversely affect human health or welfare, animal life, vegetation, or property, or as to interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of animal life, vegetation, or property.
UPDATE May 25 2023 Here is the link to view existing brownfields in Arlington, I have yet to go see which ones are by fracked up frack sites….
This is one of MANY times I’ve complained about odors when the wind blows my way from the Truman padsite near ATT Stadium.
WHO TO CALL when nobody picks up the phone?
We need continued monitoring in the receptor areas during the phases of urban drilling, fracking, flowback and when putting into production.
We need infrared FLIR camera for our CITY inspectors… we get money off the permits and ROW minerals etc…lets spend some money for a change NOT on annual Tomorrow Foundation giveaways, but on meaningful acts of proving to the citizens that fracking is not harmful to CO EXIST with. Road dust, truck congestion, and diesel fumes already show that high impact industrial activities are NOT in harmony with inner city breathers.
THIS Sublett drillzone vote tonight is perfect to have the operators or the O&G associations to sue us and finally have us LEAD to challenge HB40. This padsite is not by a school or daycare or has homes inside of the 600 ft buffer, BUT is inside of city limits going against TEX LG. CODE ANN. A§ 253.005 : Texas Statutes – Section 253.005: LEASE OF OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL LAND “(c) A well may not be drilled in the thickly settled part of the municipality..”.
Challenge HB40 that is is not economically reasonable to lose tax revenue off of padsites to forever be saddled with highest and best use as gas well status which results in almost a total loss of property taxes.
YOU approve the drilling and YOU hand out the monies…that is a conflict of interest.
Make the move to defend yourself in court to challenge HB40 by making the operators and associations PROVE that drilling is safe to co-exist with, that drilling is appropriate near inner city breathers…they will not be able to make the case. They will just defer to how they follow local and state rules…..let the judge decide if that truck congestion, dust, diesel odors and higher rates of cancer risk being by industrial zones trumps local control which we elected YOU to protect us.
UPDATE May 20 2023 click here to read SECOND request to do health survey for children & staff exposed to the fracking at the UTA YWCA daycare.
May 16th 2023 update on tax valuation lost on padsite locations Truman and Sublett:
From: kim feil
To: Tom Edwards <tom.edwards@arlingtontx.gov>; brian.callahan@arlingtontx.gov <brian.callahan@arlingtontx.gov>; Maria Carbajal <maria.carbajal@arlingtontx.gov>; Cc: Jim Ross <jim.ross@arlingtontx.gov>; Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Raul Gonzalez <raul.gonzalez@arlingtontx.gov>; Andrew Piel <andrew.piel@arlingtontx.gov>; Barbara Odom-Wesley <barbara.odom-wesley@arlingtontx.gov>; Nikkie Hunter <nikkie.hunter@arlingtontx.gov>; Bryan Callahan <bryan.callahan@arlingtontx.gov>; long.pham@arlingtontx.gov <long.pham@arlingtontx.gov>; bowie.hogg@arlingtontx.gov <bowie.hogg@arlingtontx.gov>; rebecca.boxall@arlingtontx.gov <rebecca.boxall@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; don.crowsen@arlingtontx.gov <don.crowsen@arlingtontx.gov>
Cc: Adam Mason <adam.mason@tceq.texas.gov>; Christi.Craddick@rrc.state.tx.us <christi.craddick@rrc.state.tx.us>; Richard Gertson <richard.gertson@arlingtontx.gov>; Ignacio Nunez <ignacio.nunez@arlingtontx.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 11:05:58 AM CDT
Subject: Deny May 23 drill zone vote Sublett $205K 2009 market value down to $4K padsite ANNUAL tax base hit
These are your padsites on frack ….killing our ad valorem tax base….this is at 5720 S WATSON RD, ARLINGTON and is up for vote for MORE gas wells on May 23 before council…pleas DENY a new drill zone that will forever prevent citizen input and administratively approve future wells. How do we get that taxable value back? What are the offsetting royalty taxes being paid?…..
I bet it is a lose lose there….small royalty…small royalty tax…we make up for these frack sites in OUR higher property taxes!
May 12th 2023 update on communications to city officials…..
Kim Feil https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/ TEX LG. CODE ANN. A§ 253.005 : Texas Statutes – Section 253.005: LEASE OF OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL LAND “(c) A well may not be drilled in the thickly settled part of the municipality..” Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Part 1, Chapter 101, Subchapter A, Rule 101.4, Environmental Quality, Nuisance No person shall discharge from any source whatsoever one or more air contaminants or combinations thereof, in such concentration and of such duration as are or may tend to be injurious to or to adversely affect human health or welfare, animal life, vegetation, or property, or as to interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of animal life, vegetation, or property.
From: kim feil
To: Tom Edwards <tom.edwards@arlingtontx.gov>; brian.callahan@arlingtontx.gov <brian.callahan@arlingtontx.gov>; Maria Carbajal <maria.carbajal@arlingtontx.gov>; Cc: Jim Ross <jim.ross@arlingtontx.gov>; Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Raul Gonzalez <raul.gonzalez@arlingtontx.gov>; Andrew Piel <andrew.piel@arlingtontx.gov>; Barbara Odom-Wesley <barbara.odom-wesley@arlingtontx.gov>; Nikkie Hunter <nikkie.hunter@arlingtontx.gov>; Bryan Callahan <bryan.callahan@arlingtontx.gov>; long.pham@arlingtontx.gov <long.pham@arlingtontx.gov>; bowie.hogg@arlingtontx.gov <bowie.hogg@arlingtontx.gov>; rebecca.boxall@arlingtontx.gov <rebecca.boxall@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; don.crowsen@arlingtontx.gov <don.crowsen@arlingtontx.gov>
Cc: Adam Mason <adam.mason@tceq.texas.gov>; Christi.Craddick@rrc.state.tx.us <christi.craddick@rrc.state.tx.us>; Richard Gertson <richard.gertson@arlingtontx.gov>; Ignacio Nunez <ignacio.nunez@arlingtontx.gov>
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2023 at 01:33:30 PM CDT
Subject: New fire chief & drilling site City inspectors need geiger counters for drilling site inspections. LISTEN to report while internet multi-tasking please
The following report came out in Jan 2020 when the news was busy covering the new virus in China…please get caught up.
America’s Radioactive Secret …..one hour listen that will save Arlington residents lives by reducing their cancer risk of unearthing radionuclides. MAKE OPERATORS PROVE in court defending HB40 that THEY DO NO HARM so it is not on the citizen$ to try to prove….
At the very least, make sure they are not landfarming the drilling mud under our noses on adjacent land which the RRC allows with no permit.
I will record this love letter to you on my blog for posterity you were warned. Have our city inspectors get baseline tests before the operators finish drilling out the town so they can compare later if they have health issues too.
To: Craig Cummings <craig.cummings@arlingtontx.gov>
Cc: Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Richard Gertson <richard.gertson@arlingtontx.gov>; Bryan Callahan <bryan.callahan@arlingtontx.gov>; Tom Edwards <tom.edwards@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Ross <jim.ross@arlingtontx.gov>; Nikkie Hunter <nikkie.hunter@arlingtontx.gov>; Barbara Odom-Wesley <barbara.odom-wesley@arlingtontx.gov>; Andrew Piel <andrew.piel@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Raul Gonzalez <raul.gonzalez@arlingtontx.gov>; rebecca.boxall@arlingtontx.gov <rebecca.boxall@arlingtontx.gov>; long.pham@arlingtontx.gov <long.pham@arlingtontx.gov>; bowie.hogg@arlingtontx.gov <bowie.hogg@arlingtontx.gov>; Cynthia Simmons <cynthia.simmons@cityofarlingtontx.gov>
Sent: Friday, May 5, 2023 at 08:35:14 AM CDT
Subject: Questions on 2022 Water Quality Report and now that Total Drilling has ramped up…..local control needed to set higher standards or more frequent testing
Will be watching for total trihalomethanes to go up now that the drillers are back. How to not have to wait a year or two to know if we get back to those high level years?….see attached.
Can we lower that Bromide with Sidestream Ozone Injection or has any better technology come forward in the last few years?
Why are the radionuclides not tested for annually? Just because it is not mandated is not a good answer in towns embracing urban drilling.
With Barium, I’m glad that is now tested for annually as there was almost a 10 year unknown since drilling started, I think it was on us to be more protective than state and federal mandates when drilling first started.
Is there access to a spread sheet to compare year to year and correlate any additional disinfection needs to our newest round of drilling in Arlington as Total keeps applying for drilling permits in Arlington?
The dirtier the water coming to us, the more cleaning agents we need, the more bladder cancer we risk.
Kim Feil
May 3 2023 UPDATE
Comment I sent just now on a FB, I TOLD YOU SO, memory to our current mayor, Jim Ross…. “Three years ago an Arlington resident, Michael Ledford, argued the merits of my post in favor of FOX news lies on liberal “control”….he died of Covid last year unvaxxed. I do not think the city is doing enough to prevent reinfections that can cause long term harm to our work force. Below I commented how this disregard for public health is akin to fracking in our back yards.
This morning I had to call 911 because the City gas well contact, and the TCEQ contact was not available and the strong reoccurring diesel odors are in my airshed again…(third complaint since fracking started) when I walk outside of my home. I have had the windows closed for months now during drilling and fracking goes to the end of June and then I fear the most flowback especially with the open hatch tanks volatizing plumes that blow where the wind takes it. TCEQ told me the flowback tank hatches have to be open cause it is highly pressurized. BTEX is know to be in flowback amongst other hazards. I don’t wanna be in my grave to an early death for me or my husband and cannot be typing another I TOLD YOU SO like this one here. Please deny all future drilling! Challenge HB40 and make the drillers prove they are not long term harming us and at least get them on nuisance.
Breathing diesel fumes is not healthy. This is not compatible to neighborhoods or businesses. It is criminal to be allowed in residential neighborhoods. I told the fireman this morning that my neighbor in the white home on the fence line to the Truman drill site has been extra sleepy lately. She also told me previously of headaches. So the fire dept went out to that location to check the CO levels. TCEQ schedules their air test two weeks out and so that in itself is not good. We need continual monitoring in the receptor areas and screening for BTEX not just explosive conditions”. END UPDATE
12/9/2022 this is the message I sent to our neighborhood group…..Winds are out of the East today blowing to the West so you may hear or smell the drill site a block away at Truman St. Never hesitate to call 911 if you feel overwhelmed with any odors.
Back on 1/31/ 2013 an ammonia like odor permeated inside my house with the windows closed… It burnt my eyes and I moved my bird into the back bedroom and shut the doors. Next day I was coming home from Walmart and smelled that same smell coming from the Truman drill site at Collins and Division.
My nuisance case was thrown out of small claims court, but at least I did my best to try to make them accountable. In May, 2022 citizen complaints of a mist in east Ft Worth coming from the drill site and the neighborhood was dusted with a bunch brine residue on their cars. One medical professional suggested they get a chest x-ray and follow up later.
They’re to drill six wells at Truman. The seven wells they drilled by the Arlington Airport took 17 months.
If it’s not an emergency and you’re not having difficulty breathing you can just call TCEQ with any odor complaints at 817-588-5000.
I started my odor log yesterday I smelled a really strong sweet smell at around 4:00 p.m. and I checked and the winds were very calm on 12/8/22 in that timeframe so it might have come from the drill site.
I interviewed a bunch of people back in 2013 about the odors you can see the video here, https://youtu.be/IbINPU2zSKo
“For instance, Air Products claims that its proposed $4.5 billion “clean energy complex” that will produce ammonia and blue hydrogen in Ascension Parish just south of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will have technology meant to “capture and sequester 95 percent” of the facility’s emissions. But if built, even with the best available carbon capture mechanisms in place, the project will still contribute to the climate crisis by locking in demand for natural gas that can only be met by fracking more wells.
The announcement of the proposed project in October 2021 initially faced no backlash from communities on the banks of Lake Maurepas, home to a freshwater estuary that supports the local fishing industry. But that changed when those communities learned that Air Products’ proposed CCS project connected to the complex would be in their backyard — and when word spread this year that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries already had granted the company a lease to store the carbon sequestered from the facility under the lake in injection wells it proposes to build, if permitted to do so.
Now, community members in parishes along the lake — which are traditionally oil and gas industry friendly — are taking a harder look at assumptions they readily accepted related to CCS, and do not like what they are learning.”
End Update
UPDATE: Dec 8, 2022 Air Products doing it’s GREEN work in Texas….as opposed to it’s dangerous Blue work in Louisiana in having to pipe out liquified carbon dioxide byproducts to be sequestered.
Creating hydrogen from water using renewable energy inputs to power the electrolysis process is GREEN hydrogen.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-shot: “Currently, hydrogen from renewable energy costs about $5 per kilogram. Achieving the Hydrogen Shot’s 80% cost reduction goal can unlock new markets for hydrogen, including steel manufacturing, clean ammonia, energy storage, and heavy-duty trucks”.
Regardless of hydrogen COLOR manufactured, transporting hydrogen in pipelines have NOT been proven SAFE.
But such problems could be overcome by “installing a membrane inside (the pipeline), a kind of plastic that prevents the hydrogen from escaping,” he said”.
Per EESI.org: “The United States has over 1,600 miles of hydrogen pipelines, three storage caverns, including the world’s largest geological cavern in Texas, and a growing infrastructure for hydrogen”. This pales in comparison to the 180,000-mile natural gas transmission pipeline infrastructure.
The unprecedented Mississippi CO2 leak could be MADE INTO A MOVIE it is so shocking how not only the people, but the vehicles were choking for oxygen. People were trying to evacuate and some were foaming at the mouth being like zombies. This link also has the real life 911 audios. More concerning is how the effort to build or use existing pipelines to transport CO2 has not had the rigorous research and testing. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gassing-satartia-mississippi-co2-pipeline_n_60ddea9fe4b0ddef8b0ddc8f
But BOTH Blue & Green flavored hydrogen production does have WATER costs…and if you are inclined to dine in investing water stocks…maybe now is the time to invest…
UPDATE blue hydrogen will be all the rage if they can help it. They want to even repurpose existing pipelines to carry it or the carbon dioxide byproduct (if you’re using methane to make blue hydrogen)! Thanks Biden for the carbon sequestration incentive$$$ which is only increasing demand for fracking methane. I should know …we just got word that they’re going to frack six more Wells by AT&T stadium in Arlington after a decade of no new well development.
UPDATE go to the 18 minute 30 second mark for the latest AN17 9/23/22 mineral review board meeting/interview, https://youtu.be/HGgrXeb2bPg
UPDATE at the bottom of this post are responses from emails……
Mechanochemistry advances stores & transports CO2 SAFELY in powders… why build more or repurpose pipelines?
Dear Louisiana elected representatives, please do not give permission to use/build old school pipelines to transport dangerous CO2 under Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain.
CF Industries Announces $198.5 Million Carbon Capture Project At Donaldsonville Complex
August 05, 2022
DONALDSONVILLE, La. – CF Industries plans to invest $198.5 million to construct a CO2 compression and dehydration unit at its Ascension Parish plant in an effort to reduce carbon emissions at what it says is the largest ammonia production facility in the world.
Instead of pipelines, please consider, “The technique they (University of Waterloo) developed uses heat and salt to extract a black carbon powder from plant matter. Carbon spheres that make up the powder have many, many pores and the vast majority of them are less than one-millionth of a metre in diameter.
“The porosity of this material is extremely high,” said Chen, who holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in advanced materials for clean energy. “And because of their size, these pores can capture CO2 very efficiently. The performance is almost doubled.”
Once saturated with carbon dioxide at large point sources such as fossil fuel power plants, the powder would be transported to storage sites and buried in underground geological formations to prevent CO2 release into the atmosphere.”
We should be getting off of fossil fuels period…the field of Mechanochemistry is entering an era of storing and transporting hydrogen safely in POWDERS in three ways…
1) University of California, Santa Cruz under direction of Scott Oliver in the organic chemistry department: In a ratio of 1 to 3 of aluminum to (reusable) gallium, 1 gram of the mixture can yield 130 ml of hydrogen that the POWDERS can be stored in cyclohexane gas for at least 3 months!
2) In Hong Kong, EPRO Advance Technology (EAT) uses silicone to easily ship and store Green Energy POWDERS!
3) In Australia, Deakin University institute uses steel ball grinders (at 32 cents for 20 hours energy use) for frontier materials that uses boron nitride and two gases to make it’s POWDERS. They add heat to get the energy on demand.
Please give our new technologies a chance and do not rush projects using old school pipelines.
POWDERS not pipelines please!
Here is the link to pictures of articles cited and Louisiana representative contacts….
Response from Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality….
Ms Feil,
We spoke this morning regarding this matter. I have been asking around and it appears that the LDEQ Water Permits Division has not received any permit requests for this proposed project. We also don’t have any information on an EPA Environmental Impact Report. I was told that the project may not need a water discharge permit or an air permit, but would likely need a 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Once that process gets started, LDEQ would be requested to issue a water quality certification to the Corps permit. Our staff who issues the certifications have not received anything at this time. You may want to contact the Corps of Engineers for more information. You can request information from them via a freedom of information act request. Check the Corps website on how to do this… https://www.usace.army.mil/FOIA.aspx
HERE are some combined email responses from WILMA SUBRA….
Air Products applied for a minor air permit for the facility in Ascension Parish.
They requested expedited application from LA DEQ.
They are not required to get a Title V Air Permit.
They applied for a Minor Source Air Permit.
It was judged to be administrative complete on April 4, 2022.
There is no requirement for a public hearing.
If you do not request a public hearing LA DEQ will issued the air permit with no input from the community.
EPA delegated authority to DEQ. DEQ is the permitting authority. (meaning no EPA public hearing)
On the DEQ website the AI number of the applications is listed under 233211.
In addition to the alert for the Air Products facility,
the proposed air emissions will be 66.94 tons per year for VOC.
94.88 tons per year for Carbon Monoxide
95.25 tons per year for Nitrogen Oxide
44.11 tons per year for PM10
33.02 tons per year for PM2.5
1.77 tons per year for Sulfur Dioxides
There was a Corps of Engineer hearing a month or so ago on the seismic portion of the activity under all but a sliver of Lake Maurepas.
There a number of agencies with authority.
DEQ on air, wastewater and waste.
Corps of Engineers on wetlands and coring.
Office of conservation on pipelines and the wells to inject.
Any one thing could stop it
Wilma
———————————————TO DO ITEMS——————————
Request LDEQ Public Hearing on AI#233211
Note to Feil blogger to call Dr Brad Guarisco (504 862 2274) with the Army Corps of Engineers to see if the 404 permit has been initiated. Under the Clean Water Act Section 404….”The basic premise of the program is that no discharge of dredged or fill material may be permitted if: (1) a practicable alternative exists that is less damaging to the aquatic environment or (2) the nation’s waters would be significantly degraded. In other words, when you apply for a permit, you must first show that steps have been taken to avoid impacts to wetlands, streams and other aquatic resources; that potential impacts have been minimized; and that compensation will be provided for all remaining unavoidable impacts.”
NOTE 404 permit COULD BE DENIED based if the practicable? alternative would be to NOT PIPE CO2 when powder technology now exists for safer transport/storage.
So lets see if Air Products will respond to this email….
—– Forwarded Message —–
From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>
To: lahydrog@airproducts.com <lahydrog@airproducts.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 09:14:40 PM CDT
Subject: POWDER Transport of CO2 to CCS injection (test) wells on Lake Maurepas
Mechanochemistry technologies have a paradigm shift making pipelines eventually obsolete, so why invest in dangerous pipelines?
The Inflation Reduction Act funding provides for such expenditures to switch to newer technologies, will you lead?
Hydrogen can be converted to POWDERS for safe transport and storage too since you are in the hydrogen business.
Fox 4 covered the senate hearings yesterday, 2/26/2021. In an exchange (video link below), Senator Charles Schwertner is asking an Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) representative if he knew to communicate to ERCOT how critical it is for the (upstream) natural gas production/compressor sites to maintain power. The TXOGA shakes his head that “NO” he was not aware that ERCOT had such a list of essential service providers.
Yet I have 2013 email EVIDENCE informing the industry (including many TXOGA representatives in addition to numerous other stakeholders) of the interdependency flaws of NG to electricity. I also provided them a link to more details on my blog, BarnettShaleHell.wordpress.com.
BUT even if the natural gas padsite operators were put on a list as essential providers (like hospitals) to not ever cut off the electricity to the padsites, STILL there are processes that are in opposition to keeping the well heads flowing when needed most…February 12, 2021 the RRC declared an emergency, ……”B. Deliveries of gas to electric generation facilities which serve human needs customers.”
In the below response email from Gincy Thoppil, AICP Director at the City of Arlington, I boldfaced where she mentions two reasons/measures the operators take to SHUT IN the wellheads from production…so these activities in itself was counterproductive to the RRC declaration and may have caused outages that cost lives.
—– Forwarded Message —–From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>To: Christi.Craddick@rrc.state.tx.us <christi.craddick@rrc.state.tx.us>; chris.turner@house.state.tx.us <chris.turner@house.state.tx.us>Cc: Gincy Thoppil <gincy.thoppil@arlingtontx.gov>; Tom Edwards <tom.edwards@arlingtontx.gov>; Bryan Callahan <bryan.callahan@arlingtontx.gov>; Richard Gertson <richard.gertson@arlingtontx.gov>; Bud Weinstein <bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu>; Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov <jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Jeff Mosier <jmosier@dallasnews.com>; Sebastian Robertson <srobertson@wfaa.com>; Channel 5 NBC Kxas-Tv <newstips@nbcdfw.com>; Don Crowson <don.crowson@arlingtontx.gov>; Ignacio Nunez <ignacio.nunez@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <jim.parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Victoria myers <victoria.farrar-myers@arlingtontx.gov>; Andrew Piel <andrew.piel@arlingtontx.gov>; Barbara Odom-Wesley <barbara.odom-wesley@arlingtontx.gov>; Marvin Sutton <marvin.sutton@arlingtontx.gov>; Raul Gonzalez <raul.gonzalez@arlingtontx.gov>; rubyfaye.woolridge@arlingtontx.gov <rubyfaye.woolridge@arlingtontx.gov>; tips@wfaa.com <tips@wfaa.com>Sent: Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 01:17:47 PM CSTSubject: Well shut in measures during freeze was counterproductive to RRC declaration/cost lives Based on the RRC declaration of the emergency during the freeze, http://www.ercot.com/services/comm/mkt_notices/archives/attachment/1575, “B. Deliveries of gas to electric generation facilities which serve human needs customers”. per the City of Arlington response to some of my concerns of urban drilling below, measures to protect the padsites and gaswells by SHUTTING IN WELLS was counterproductive to your order to keep the gas flowing to keep the power plants going…this also contributed to costing lives! Going forward what changes can be made at the legislative level to keep the gas flowing AND keep our padsites safe in our neighborhoods? Kim
On Wed, Feb 24, 2021 at 10:09 AM, Gincy Thoppil<Gincy.Thoppil@arlingtontx.gov> wrote:
Ms. Feil,
Thank you for your inquiry. When we anticipate a challenging weather event, we work proactively with the operators to discuss safety aspects and monitoring of the wells. In this case, staff was in regular communications with the various operators during the recent situation. The event you mentioned related to a pipeline is in Fort Worth. You may want to contact them with your questions related to your questions on that subject. Staff did discuss the event with Fort Worth staff for your information.
Here are just a few things that were done during the recent cold weather event and that operators do every day to monitor well sites and ensure the safety of the communities, their employees, and their equipment. The operators utilize SCADA/Automation systems to monitor everything remotely. The SCADA system allows operators to remotely monitor tank levels and line pressures. Also, operator’s field staff visited each site daily to visually check for any compromised equipment. If a loss of communication occurs with RTU’s (remote transmitting units/communication devices), the wells automatically shut in. When the water haulers were reporting that they could not get to the wells to load and haul off the water, the operators shut in production of those wells until the water haulers were able to get to the wells.
One of the biggest issues in the Barnett Shale during a cold weather event are hydrate problems in production wells. Natural gas hydrates are ice buildups that form when water and natural gas are combined at high pressure during times of low temperature. There are many forms and methods of inhibitors that can be applied to lessen the impact to the field operations during an extreme cold weather event, but in this instance the simplest method to reduce the risk of any event was to shut the wells in and turn off compressors and other auxiliary equipment.
City’s gas well inspectors were on standby for any incidents. We had no reportable issues. City staff checked with the gas well operators last week and earlier this week to make sure everything was in good condition for operation/production.
Sincerely,
—
Gincy Thoppil, AICP(she/her) Director | 817-459-6662
Working together to make Arlington a premier City by engaging in visionary planning, building vibrant neighborhoods, and serving our residents, businesses, and visitors.
From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2021 7:26 PM To: Gincy Thoppil <Gincy.Thoppil@arlingtontx.gov>; tom.edwards@fortworthtexas.gov; brian.callahan@arlingtontx.gov; Tom Edwards <Tom.Edwards@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <Jim.Parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Don Crowson <Don.Crowson@arlingtontx.gov> Cc: Jeff Williams <Jeff.Williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Trey Yelverton <Trey.Yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <Helen.Moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Victoria Farrar-Myers <Victoria.Farrar-Myers@arlingtontx.gov>; Marvin Sutton <Marvin.Sutton@arlingtontx.gov>; Andrew Piel <Andrew.Piel@arlingtontx.gov>; Barbara Odom-Wesley <Barbara.Odom-Wesley@arlingtontx.gov>; Ignacio Nunez <Ignacio.Nunez@arlingtontx.gov>; Raul Gonzalez <Raul.Gonzalez@arlingtontx.gov>; Police Reports <policereports@arlingtontx.gov>; RubyFaye Woolridge <RubyFaye.Woolridge@arlingtontx.gov> Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] Video audio of the Handley upset/blowdown? event
External Email: Stop, Look, Think before clicking attachment or link. Report Phishing.
Liveable Arlington no Facebook WatchThis is the sound of pressure being released from the 9001 Line O_Maypearl-Handley Old Ocean Pipeline Segment at Handley Generating Station in East FW on…
Across *a couple of pages on social media, many people have been stressed out over the noise last Friday at the Hanley Plant. Were they bringing up a retired generator to make more capacity during the outages? Was that a cold start up or and existing generator doing an emergency blowdown? Additionally I question it there was anything going on at LABC?
ORC…
Attention Tom Edwards and Brian Callahan gas well specialists or coordinators:
Please provide any dispatch information related to the freeze event and any problems/upsets at any gas well sites or compressor stations including the UTA pad site in the City of Arlington.
Did the city have any preparation expectations for our operators to handle events such as shutting in or *choking any gas wells?
Were there any malfunctions of level control device (as mandated in gas will ordinance per section 7.01 A 28 e of the gas well ordinance) that automatically activates a valve to close the well in the event of excess liquid accumulation in the storage tanks? Such automatic control valve malfunctions do not mix well in urban areas with the risk of iced roads for the trucks to daily evacuate the produce water from the storage tanks.
Did the city send any inspectors to see if there were any spills or overflowed tanks? Will there be inspections other than the quarterly ones?
Were there any upsets, uncontrolled well events, midstream low pressure, or malfunctioning compressor events such as the noise being reported near the Lake Arlington Compressor Station or drill site as being reported on Facebook two days ago?
here is a video of the sound and very nervous dogs….
Per section 7.01 A 17 of gaswell ordinance, are the line heaters mentioned required? Are these line heaters the same thing as inline heaters that are located between the wellhead and before the separators?
Do we have solar powered installations to run the methanol injection pumps?
Does our production separators have exposed equipment / sensors? Can we add to our inspections list they be housed or insulated?
*Did we ask our operators to employ a downhole choke (The Julesls-Thomason Affect) to decrease the risk of surface well-head freezing?
Did any of the lift compressors lose electricity or are our pad sites and compressor stations considered essential services and therefore on a dedicated grid to not lose power?
Did the city require any diesel generator backup to keep the lift compressors running?
Thank you for your responses in the interest of transparency as I will share this on social media on the interest of the noise coming from the Lake Arlington area a couple days ago.
On Fox 4 this morning there was coverage on what the Texas Oil & Gas Association knew about needing to be on ERCOT’s no power cutoff list,https://youtu.be/Wf7HEvso2LM. This January 11th 2013 email shows I try to warn many of the industry associations about the (dirty secret) interdependency flaws of electricity to natural gas. In my blog link I specifically mentioned the urban compressor stations and lift compressors being powered with electricity.
The industry associations cannot say that they did not know they needed to be on a dedicated grid. This is but a fraction of some of the contacts I tried to warn including local city leaders as well as other environmental groups, and the FBI. I tried my best.
TEX LG. CODE ANN. A§ 253.005 : Texas Statutes – Section 253.005: LEASE OF OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL LAND “(c) A well may not be drilled in the thickly settled part of the municipality..”
—– Forwarded Message —- From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> To: Breck Henderson Sent: Thu, January 10, 2013 7:42:01 PM Subject: Re: Fw: TexasVox: The Voice of Public Citizen in Texas
Thanks for the info…..it seems that the added risk of the nature of the interdependency of natural gas and electricity means that (unfortunately nuclear), wind, and solar will be playing an important role in being what keeps rolling blackouts from happening when those natural gas fired power plants have interruptions in receiving natural gas (ie during freezes or storms or during pipeline disrutptions). The outages of Feb. 2011 during the extended freeze was a lesson in how interdependant natural gas and electricity are to each other…(some urban natural gas compressors and compressor stations are powered with “electricity” ). Have a good evening.
BEGIN email string for City of Arlington officials notifications
—– Forwarded Message —–From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>To: “gincy.thoppil@arlingtontx.gov” <gincy.thoppil@arlingtontx.gov>; Gincy Thoppil <gincy.thoppil@arlingtontx.gov>; Don Crowson <don.crowson@arlingtontx.gov>Cc: Tom Edwards <tom.edwards@arlingtontx.gov>; Bryan Callahan <bryan.callahan@arlingtontx.gov>; Richard Gertson <richard.gertson@arlingtontx.gov>; Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov <jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Marvin Sutton <marvin.sutton@arlingtontx.gov>; Victoria myers <victoria.farrar-myers@arlingtontx.gov>; mcavazos@aisd.net <mcavazos@aisd.net>; Andrew Piel <andrew.piel@arlingtontx.gov>; Ignacio Nunez <ignacio.nunez@arlingtontx.gov>; Barbara Odom-Wesley <barbara.odom-wesley@arlingtontx.gov>; Raul Gonzalez <raul.gonzalez@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <jim.parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; rubyfaye.woolridge@arlingtontx.gov <rubyfaye.woolridge@arlingtontx.gov>; Sebastian Robertson <srobertson@wfaa.com>; Channel 5 NBC Kxas-Tv <newstips@nbcdfw.com>; The New York Times <nytimes@e.newyorktimes.com>; news8@wfaa.com <news8@wfaa.com>Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2021, 04:38:00 PM CSTSubject: 2013 Forewarning Email Urban Drilling Planning Fail Grid Unreliability Gincy, your response did not address , “….are our pad sites and compressor stations considered essential services and therefore on a dedicated grid to not lose power?” I emailed our local officials, fire chief, the operators and the oil and gas associations and even the FBI back in 2013 in this matter of concern. Click here to see the extensive list of email addresses….https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/2021/02/27/txoga-local-officials-fbi-forewarned-of-interdependency-flaws-of-ng-production-sites-on-ercot-grid/
Approving drilling permits without ensuring adequate energy sources is a planning disaster that has been happening unabated. I need our City to take part ownership in failing to mandate the operators ensure adequate power to run their essential operations. Back in April 2011, two months after the Super Bowl frigid blackout, we had AFD dispatch to TWO natural gas release events at the same time after a storm knocked out the electricity and pressure built up and backed into the two different pad sites. https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/?s=Two+spewing+2011&submit=SearchThose 911 calls still haunt me. My attempts have been ignored to make this city safer if we are to coexist with gas well drilling. I will not stop reminding our leaders to do the right thing and to not ignore me any longer.
Sincerely. Kim Feil
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android On Wed, Feb 24, 2021 at 5:26 PM, kim feil<kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> wrote:Thank you, I will add this to our social media response.
Thank you for your inquiry. When we anticipate a challenging weather event, we work proactively with the operators to discuss safety aspects and monitoring of the wells. In this case, staff was in regular communications with the various operators during the recent situation. The event you mentioned related to a pipeline is in Fort Worth. You may want to contact them with your questions related to your questions on that subject. Staff did discuss the event with Fort Worth staff for your information.
Here are just a few things that were done during the recent cold weather event and that operators do every day to monitor well sites and ensure the safety of the communities, their employees, and their equipment. The operators utilize SCADA/Automation systems to monitor everything remotely. The SCADA system allows operators to remotely monitor tank levels and line pressures. Also, operator’s field staff visited each site daily to visually check for any compromised equipment. If a loss of communication occurs with RTU’s (remote transmitting units/communication devices), the wells automatically shut in. When the water haulers were reporting that they could not get to the wells to load and haul off the water, the operators shut in production of those wells until the water haulers were able to get to the wells.
One of the biggest issues in the Barnett Shale during a cold weather event are hydrate problems in production wells. Natural gas hydrates are ice buildups that form when water and natural gas are combined at high pressure during times of low temperature. There are many forms and methods of inhibitors that can be applied to lessen the impact to the field operations during an extreme cold weather event, but in this instance the simplest method to reduce the risk of any event was to shut the wells in and turn off compressors and other auxiliary equipment.
City’s gas well inspectors were on standby for any incidents. We had no reportable issues. City staff checked with the gas well operators last week and earlier this week to make sure everything was in good condition for operation/production.
Sincerely,
—
Gincy Thoppil, AICP(she/her) Director | 817-459-6662
Working together to make Arlington a premier City by engaging in visionary planning, building vibrant neighborhoods, and serving our residents, businesses, and visitors.
From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2021 7:26 PM To: Gincy Thoppil <Gincy.Thoppil@arlingtontx.gov>; tom.edwards@fortworthtexas.gov; brian.callahan@arlingtontx.gov; Tom Edwards <Tom.Edwards@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <Jim.Parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Don Crowson <Don.Crowson@arlingtontx.gov> Cc: Jeff Williams <Jeff.Williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Trey Yelverton <Trey.Yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <Helen.Moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Victoria Farrar-Myers <Victoria.Farrar-Myers@arlingtontx.gov>; Marvin Sutton <Marvin.Sutton@arlingtontx.gov>; Andrew Piel <Andrew.Piel@arlingtontx.gov>; Barbara Odom-Wesley <Barbara.Odom-Wesley@arlingtontx.gov>; Ignacio Nunez <Ignacio.Nunez@arlingtontx.gov>; Raul Gonzalez <Raul.Gonzalez@arlingtontx.gov>; Police Reports <policereports@arlingtontx.gov>; RubyFaye Woolridge <RubyFaye.Woolridge@arlingtontx.gov> Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] Video audio of the Handley upset/blowdown? event
External Email: Stop, Look, Think before clicking attachment or link. Report Phishing.
Liveable Arlington no Facebook WatchThis is the sound of pressure being released from the 9001 Line O_Maypearl-Handley Old Ocean Pipeline Segment at Handley Generating Station in East FW on…
Across *a couple of pages on social media, many people have been stressed out over the noise last Friday at the Hanley Plant. Were they bringing up a retired generator to make more capacity during the outages? Was that a cold start up or and existing generator doing an emergency blowdown? Additionally I question it there was anything going on at LABC?
ORC…
Attention Tom Edwards and Brian Callahan gas well specialists or coordinators:
Please provide any dispatch information related to the freeze event and any problems/upsets at any gas well sites or compressor stations including the UTA pad site in the City of Arlington.
Did the city have any preparation expectations for our operators to handle events such as shutting in or *choking any gas wells?
Were there any malfunctions of level control device (as mandated in gas will ordinance per section 7.01 A 28 e of the gas well ordinance) that automatically activates a valve to close the well in the event of excess liquid accumulation in the storage tanks? Such automatic control valve malfunctions do not mix well in urban areas with the risk of iced roads for the trucks to daily evacuate the produce water from the storage tanks.
Did the city send any inspectors to see if there were any spills or overflowed tanks? Will there be inspections other than the quarterly ones?
Were there any upsets, uncontrolled well events, midstream low pressure, or malfunctioning compressor events such as the noise being reported near the Lake Arlington Compressor Station or drill site as being reported on Facebook two days ago?
here is a video of the sound and very nervous dogs….
Per section 7.01 A 17 of gaswell ordinance, are the line heaters mentioned required? Are these line heaters the same thing as inline heaters that are located between the wellhead and before the separators?
Do we have solar powered installations to run the methanol injection pumps?
Does our production separators have exposed equipment / sensors? Can we add to our inspections list they be housed or insulated?
*Did we ask our operators to employ a downhole choke (The Julesls-Thomason Affect) to decrease the risk of surface well-head freezing?
Did any of the lift compressors lose electricity or are our pad sites and compressor stations considered essential services and therefore on a dedicated grid to not lose power?
Did the city require any diesel generator backup to keep the lift compressors running?
Thank you for your responses in the interest of transparency as I will share this on social media on the interest of the noise coming from the Lake Arlington area a couple days ago.
BEGIN new email string local officials contacted back in 2012!
—– Forwarded Message —–From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>To: collin.gregory@arlingtontx.gov <collin.gregory@arlingtontx.gov>; jessica.minley@arlingtontx.gov <jessica.minley@arlingtontx.gov>; robert.cluck@arlingtontx.gov <robert.cluck@arlingtontx.gov>; Robert Rivera <robert.rivera@arlingtontx.gov>; robert.shepard@arlingtontx.gov <robert.shepard@arlingtontx.gov>; jimmy.bennett@arlingtontx.gov <jimmy.bennett@arlingtontx.gov>; lana.wolff@arlingtontx.gov <lana.wolff@arlingtontx.gov>; kathryn.wilemon@arlingtontx.gov <kathryn.wilemon@arlingtontx.gov>; sheri.capehart@arlingtontx.gov <sheri.capehart@arlingtontx.gov>; michael.glaspie@arlingtontx.gov <michael.glaspie@arlingtontx.gov>; charlie.parker@arlingtontx.gov <charlie.parker@arlingtontx.gov>; trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Stuart.Young@arlingtontx.gov <stuart.young@arlingtontx.gov>; Jay Doegey <jay.doegey@arlingtontx.gov>; roger.venables@arlingtontx.gov <roger.venables@arlingtontx.gov>; Brett Shipp <bshipp@wfaa.com>; peterg9@yahoo.com <peterg9@yahoo.com>; Susan Schrock <sschrock@star-telegram.com>; tips@wfaa.com <tips@wfaa.com>Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2021, 05:04:46 PM CSTSubject: City of Arlington 2012 email communication on Grid Stability Concerns at NG Padsites/Compressor Stations Below is a string of emails, one from December of 2012 asking you to address my concerns. Some of you in the planning department did not do your jobs obviously to have our gas well ordinance tweeked to ensure the events of 2011 with the Superbowl black out and then the April 2011 events when two drill sites were spewing at the same time following a storm where the power was knocked out and pressure built up and back into the padsites causing the shut ins…..had we kept power, this would not have happened. I have asked in the past for back up power to our padsites and compressor stations.
—– Forwarded Message —–From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>To: Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Don Crowson <don.crowson@arlingtontx.gov>Cc: Marvin Sutton <marvin.sutton@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Victoria myers <victoria.farrar-myers@arlingtontx.gov>; Ignacio Nunez <ignacio.nunez@arlingtontx.gov>; Andrew Piel <andrew.piel@arlingtontx.gov>; jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov <jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Barbara Odom-Wesley <barbara.odom-wesley@arlingtontx.gov>; Gincy Thoppil <gincy.thoppil@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <jim.parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Raul Gonzalez <raul.gonzalez@arlingtontx.gov>; rubyfaye.woolridge@arlingtontx.gov <rubyfaye.woolridge@arlingtontx.gov>; Arlington Citizen Media (via Google Drive) <arlingtoncitizenmedia@gmail.com>Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2021, 09:27:02 AM CSTSubject: #7 was ignored! This 2012 email below is proof that the citizens such as myself have actively tried to coexist peacefully with these gas wells and concerns I had obviously we’re ignored and could have been addressed with the proper agencies once I brought it to your attention.
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android —– Forwarded Message —–From: “kim feil” <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>To: “don.crowson@arlingtontx.gov” <don.crowson@arlingtontx.gov>Cc: “collin.gregory@arlingtontx.gov” <collin.gregory@arlingtontx.gov>, “jessica.minley@arlingtontx.gov” <jessica.minley@arlingtontx.gov>, “robert.cluck@arlingtontx.gov” <robert.cluck@arlingtontx.gov>, “Robert Rivera” <robert.rivera@arlingtontx.gov>, “robert.shepard@arlingtontx.gov” <robert.shepard@arlingtontx.gov>, “jimmy.bennett@arlingtontx.gov” <jimmy.bennett@arlingtontx.gov>, “lana.wolff@arlingtontx.gov” <lana.wolff@arlingtontx.gov>, “kathryn.wilemon@arlingtontx.gov” <kathryn.wilemon@arlingtontx.gov>, “sheri.capehart@arlingtontx.gov” <sheri.capehart@arlingtontx.gov>, “jimmy.bennett@arlingtontx.gov” <jimmy.bennett@arlingtontx.gov>, “michael.glaspie@arlingtontx.gov” <michael.glaspie@arlingtontx.gov>, “charlie.parker@arlingtontx.gov” <charlie.parker@arlingtontx.gov>, “trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov” <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>, “Stuart.Young@arlingtontx.gov” <Stuart.Young@arlingtontx.gov>, “Jay Doegey” <Jay.Doegey@arlingtontx.gov>, “roger.venables@arlingtontx.gov” <roger.venables@arlingtontx.gov>, “Brett Shipp” <bshipp@wfaa.com>, “peterg9@yahoo.com” <peterg9@yahoo.com>, “Susan Schrock” <sschrock@star-telegram.com>, “tips@wfaa.com” <tips@wfaa.com>Sent: Fri, Dec 28, 2012 at 3:00 PMSubject: Don you may want to work with Collin and Jessica or Chk on these Q’s for frig temp wellhttps://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/freezing-arlington-gas-wells-here-is-housewifes-check-list/
The freeze of Feb of 2011 and subsequent rolling ERCOT blackouts http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/08-16-11-report.pdf proved how vulnerable our natural gas infrastructure is. Complicating that is the interdependency on electricity when our urban gas well lift compressors and compressor stations are electric.
Curious me, metroplex wifey, has questions as to how prepared we at the actual drill sites for freezing temperatures… 1). Have we insulated all exposed piping/flow lines? 2). Do we have in-line heaters between the wellhead and before the separators? If not, then 3). Do we have installations of (solar powered) methanol injection pumps? These cost about $6,800 annually to run/man with a one time upfront investment of about $2,800 at each well. 4). Does our fluid storage tanks have failsafe shut-in devices so that when roads are impassible, and prevent produced water evacuation trucks from getting to the sites that these tanks do not overflow?
5). Does our production separators have exposed equipment/sensors?….if so, can they be housed or insulated?
7). Does electric lift compressors or the electric compressor stations have dedicated grids so they are unaffected by power outages?
These are questions I never intended to learn, but feel the need to babysit the industry since Feb 2011 was so “eventful”.Now for the biggest question…who can answer my questions?
————————————————————————————————————————
There is one more email string to share with you on one climate denying retired economist, Bud Weinstein, who I also circled back to in an “I told you so moment” …….
—– Forwarded Message —–From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>To: “bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu” <bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu>Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2021, 08:40:36 AM CSTSubject: Re: How could you have helped in retrospect to power outages? I’m sorry you had to endure losing power, having to sleep in your car one night, and had burst piping. We were lucky my husband can do his own plumbing. Having three turn of the century rent houses is really stressful. I assumed that it paid off living by the drill site in Arlington by the stadium because we did not lose power, but come to find out they were not on ERCOT’s essential services list like hospitals are.https://youtu.be/Wf7HEvso2LM
Almost a decade ago I contacted you, local leaders, oil & gas associations and operators of my concern about the urban drill sites losing power. I realized how production sites are affected when they lose electricity. This had already happened in Arlington after a storm. The compressor stations are not powered with with electricity being in the city limits. After the storm knocked out the electricity in April 2011, our loss at the DWG compressor station caused pressure to back up into two different pad sites and caused the wellheads to release in two neighborhoods. In listening to the 911 calls, dispatch didn’t realize they were two events happening and only dispatched to one pad site initially I was asking for the operators to be on a dedicated grid (like hospitals are prioritized). Was it just that simple to just be on a list? I really wanted my emails to make a difference…our local planning department and people that read my emails just didn’t care to ensure the power stayed on at all production sites to keep the gas flowing to keep the power plants going. That was the low hanging fruit compared to how Methane hydrates in piping can interfere. Other issues with this Texas 2021 polar vortex was the choices not to winterize equipment in “all” other energy sources that also failed are part of the blame game…. with our climate change deniers in control. I first contacted you years ago because you were to be a witness in the Lipsky/Range Resources hearing, Here is a video of the flammable water, https://youtu.be/0rfNMVheMsE. I hope you’re enjoying your retirement and stay safe from the virus. Any expertise you could lend to Kelly Hancock in the Senate hearings would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely.Kim Feil
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android On Sat, Feb 27, 2021 at 11:28 AM, Weinstein, Bernard<bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu> wrote:Three days without heat or power; had to sleep in our car one night; and cracked pipes to top it off!
From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2021 11:25:42 AM To: bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu <bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu> Subject: Re: How could you have helped in retrospect to power outages?
[EXTERNAL SENDER]Your leadership failed us. I guess you stayed nice and warm during the freeze?
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android On Sat, Feb 27, 2021 at 10:49 AM, Weinstein, Bernard<bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu> wrote:Don’t know what this is about, and I’m now retired from SMU.
From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2021 10:10:53 AM To: Bud Weinstein <bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu> Cc: Sebastian Robertson <srobertson@wfaa.com>; Channel 5 NBC Kxas-Tv <newstips@nbcdfw.com> Subject: How could you have helped in retrospect to power outages?
[EXTERNAL SENDER]I turned to you for help in 2014. The interdependency of natural gas and electricity is a flaw I warned as many people as I could about.
Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail on Android —– Forwarded Message —–From: “kim feil” <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>To: “T Xsharon” <sharson@gmail.com>Sent: Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 11:41 PMSubject: Bud Weinsteins quick responseHe was one of the witnesses recently! —– Forwarded Message —– From: “Weinstein, Bud” <bweinstein@mail.cox.smu.edu> To: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> Sent: Friday, February 7, 2014 8:58 PM Subject: RE: regarding your piece in the Star Telegram
What’s the Lipsky case? ________________________________ From: kim feil [kimfeil@sbcglobal.net] Sent: Friday, February 07, 2014 1:20 PM To: Weinstein, Bud Subject: Re: regarding your piece in the Star Telegram
Turns out TexWells is doing more testing (without SMU’s $ help as earlier requested in below email) and I am still interested in what you make of their work and findings so far even though I’m just finding out your Phd is not in science, but rather like Ed Ireland U R an economist.
I was concerned that my husband (just finished chemo/radiation) spent too much time downwind listening to Mr lipsky’s testamony …you see Chesapeake drilled a couple of blocks from our home and when they were pulling the plugs an finishing the wells they had an odor event with firetrucks running around by the Cowboys stadium even a medic call…this was Jan 2013, the odor came into my home and my mother-in-law immediately came down with the flu like symptoms and respiratory issues…I interviewed a man working downwind near the stadium who also came down with the flu feeling too during that odor event. Here is the video …. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbINPU2zSKo.
I just can’t shake off the coincidences from the exposure event when Chesapeake was finishing those wells. That was when my husband’s lymph nodes were swelling in his neck and my teen was having these weird rashes…my teen also suffers from depression and has elevated VMA levels indicative of risk for adrenal tumor…I wanted to give you my short story because I believe you can be reasonable in seeing why I’m so concerned (about in particular urban gas drilling)….but in the big scheme, I fear for our water supplies as aquifer contamination is said to spread one mile per year on average.
I’m not a scientist either, I graduated cum laude in business at UTA, so I’m with you on this shortcoming when trying to address issues from fossil fuels…obviously your worldly experience carries more weight than a nervous mother who doesn’t like how statistically I’m seeing harm to people in the fall out zone downwind or in close proximity of drilling….I spot check the coroners reports and would love to see more statisticians delve into professionally extracted database info. We need more analysis to compare Barnett Shale and “off shale” similar urban areas for pre and post drilling stats to compare illnesses or “natural” early deaths to see if we have spikes in post, Barnett Shale areas compared to predrilling. How can you help here?
I don’t want to take up a lot of your time please just let me know… 1) what you think of Tex Wells finds thus far, 2) why you had no comments on the Lipsky case when you were one of many assumed climate change denialists that stacked the panel, and 3) if you can influence student/staff stastical analysis at SMU to compare health/death stats in pre & post urban drilling here in the Barnett Shale, and also compare those figures to non shale producing urban areas in those same time frames.
Thank You
Sincerely, Kim Feil 817 274-7257
Ask for the moon and Mr Weinstein might give you the sky?
On a different topic ….Have you read about the UTA Tex Well peer reviewed study that shows the closer the water well is to drilling, the more contamination?
I’m in the Middle East until June 7 and have limited access to email. Will reply upon my return. Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T ________________________________ From: Kim Feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> Date: Sat, 26 May 2012 23:13:02 -0500 To: <bweinstein@cox.smu.edu> Subject: regarding your piece in the Star Telegram
TCEQ doesn’t even test for methane so how could they say that “…two cases out of 94 monitoring sites where VOC and methane levels exceeded state guidelines”? I guess the recent Colleyville air tests (from the city and the citzens group) that found Benzene above the ATSDR MRL from 6-9 times the standard doesn’t account for anything? What about all the formaldehyde found with the BSEEC Titan industry study at the Lake Arlington compression station? The Green Completions is a joke too cause we have videos where Chesapeake doesn’t bother to connect the separator/pipeline until they have vented out all the frack chemicals and BTEX volatilizing in the open hatch frack tanks…”steam” shouldn’t be making people have health effects ya’ll. They all so need to stop letting the fracking sand (silica dust) fly around…water that stuff down..we don’t wanna breathe that nor the BTEX the industry is spewing. Health effects are being reported far and wide and we are just beginning to uncover the extent..hell the drill site across form Hutchinson Jr Hi spewed twice in the last two months..a white cloud spread over a two to three block area in Arlington per open record incident #12-0010244….lovely.
TEX LG. CODE ANN. A§ 253.005 : Texas Statutes – Section 253.005: LEASE OF OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL LAND “(c) A well may not be drilled in the thickly settled part of the municipality..”
Texans deserve to know if they HAVE to coexist with gaswells in their backyards that during a freeze or electrical outage that the gas keeps flowing so the power plants keep going.
The interdependency of electricity to keep padsites going is an issue and the resolution is to have back up diesel generators where compressors or generators are electric. Originally having electric as opposed to polluting fuels was the solution if drilling in urban areas, but there needs to be a backup plan as in the blog I explain how years ago TWO different padsites were spewing from wellheads where pressure backed up into the padsites after an electrical storm when the compressor station lost power.
Please confirm receipt of this information so it goes with the investigation for the TEXAS BLACKOUT. Note I have been providing every attorney on social media advertising for class action law suits this information so …you welcome.
Best not to call 911 on request to investigate an air quality requests for an investigation, but if the City of Ft Worth Environmental Dept. doesn’t pick up the phone or allow you to leave a message, and TCEQ doesn’t claim responsibility on inner city air quality concerns, then what?
Subject: City of Ft Worth no one picked up the phone on air quality complaint, should I have called 911?
If you are getting funds from TCEQ to investigate air quality issues, your website is vague on that and your phone operator doesn’t communicate what department or who my call is going to and NO ONE EVER PICKED UP, I could not even leave a message.
I called TCEQ at 8:40 AM on Nov 1 on a business in the Bonnie Brae area upon seeing a huge black plume. I followed to an address where there was a obviously some scrubber issue, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkXEKUwp-f4&t=4s. The video ends showing the signage is 3600 Mapleleaf and 2400 NE 36th St as the location. TCEQ deferred me to the City of Ft Worth on local emission issues. At 8:43, the City operator transferred me without telling me which department I was going to and the phone rang endlessly without any prompt to leave a message. The call was almost 8 minutes long!
At 9 am we started training at the Tarrant County Voter Admin Building which is fenceline to Motiva and other industrial businesses. At 10:54 am I text my husband to tell him “Storage tanks where we’re training equal nosebleed”. The lady sitting next to me had chronic sniffing/snorting and said her nose was fine before she came to training. Her name was Karen. She saw me holding a kleenex to my nose after coming from the bathroom to wash my bloody hands when I grabbed my nose from a sudden nosebleed. She asked if my nose was running too, I said I had a sudden nosebleed.
At 12:30 PM when exiting the building warehouse from the double doors, I started filming while standing on the back steps an unabated release of (either methane, butane, propane etc?). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvuHyJfr1YE&feature=youtu.be
One of the employees out there smoking told me that is a daily thing and gave me their company name. A Googgle map search shows address of 3016 N Sylvania Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76111 is dba Rooker Transport. Their USDOT #22939 says their name is SOUTHERN ASPHALT & PETROLEUM COMPANY INC.
One of the voter trainer, Nada, said her daughter works in the area and has chronic respiratory issues.
Obviously that TCEQ has deferred you to investigate local emission events (non Barnett Shale), and that no one is answering the phone during business hours in a failure. Should i have called 911 in both instances?
Here is a copy of my ORR to TCEQ….
On Saturday, November 2, 2019, 08:17:34 AM CDT, kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
ORR
ORR please for last three inspections, allowed annual emissions and also FYI on complaint I left with Archer at TCEQ on Gravel road in person on Nov 1. 2019 which was the same day I saw a huge black plume in the Bonnie Brae area around 8:30 am.
Thomas Steel Drums, 2517 NE 35th St, Fort Worth, TX 76111, is the address of the business. This video, https://youtu.be/KkXEKUwp-f4, was shot from the back of the property on 36th street.. I drove to this location after seeing a huge black plume and following it, lead me to the back of the business. The smoke stack was not in use but rather a device in the covered top area.
TCEQ deferred me to the City of Ft Worth on local emission issues. The City operator transferred me without telling me which department I was going to and the phone rang endlessly without any prompt to leave a message!
Kim Feil https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/ TEX LG. CODE ANN. A§ 253.005 : Texas Statutes – Section 253.005: LEASE OF OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL LAND “(c) A well may not be drilled in the thickly settled part of the municipality..” Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Part 1, Chapter 101, Subchapter A, Rule 101.4, Environmental Quality, Nuisance No person shall discharge from any source whatsoever one or more air contaminants or combinations thereof, in such concentration and of such duration as are or may tend to be injurious to or to adversely affect human health or welfare, animal life, vegetation, or property, or as to interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of animal life, vegetation, or property.
I did an open records request with Arlington P&Z for dispatch records, incident report and field notes related Dalworthington Gardens Compressor Station fire on 10/20/2019 around 9 pm. This was on the fenceline to Campo Verde restaurant and across from kids Camp Thurman where they are downwind to invisible VOC’s 24/7! There is also a senior daycare. facility nearby
I asked for a ballpark figure of associated costs for dispatch and if DWG or the industry will be reimbursing the City of Arlington.
Also asked for IF Arlington officials contacted TCEQ and or RRC as I was told that RRC had no knowledge of the incident, and when I called TCEQ, the air division clerk for gas wells said no one called in any air complaints and the only reason she knew about this was it was on the news.
I drilled her to know WHY there were no urban setback distance requirements for compressor station and this was a gaping hole in regulations. She said the rules come from the legislature (who are lobbied well by the oil & gas industry). I asked as experts, don’t they advise the folks in Austin so they could create a setback distance for urban compressor stations, and she said she did not know if any TCEQ experts has asked our legislators to address this.
Since 1984 the state responsible for regulating the oil & gas industry has plugged 40,000 wells. Of recent, we are averaging about 1400-1500 well plugging a year on abandoned wells.
“Rainy Day Fund. Nye said for the FY 2018-19 biennium, the Legislature gave the commission $38.2 million to supplement $28.8 million for the cleanup fund”.
From: City of Arlington – Open Records <ArlingtonTX@mycusthelp.net>
To: kimfeil@sbcglobal.net <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2019, 4:30:28 PM CDT
Subject: Open Records Request :: W080826-052819
— Please respond above this line —
Do not reply to this email. Your reply will not be received. You may click here to update your request or provide the city with additional information.
05/29/2019
Kim Feil
409 N. Elm St
Arlington, TX 76011
RE: Public Records Request
Dear Kim Feil,
Here is an explanation of the reports provided in my previous communication:
The reports provided were completed for the property formerly addressed 1201 E. Division Street (now re-platted into addresses 900 E Sanford Street and 1201 E. Division Street) with the 2013 Brownfields Assessment Grant from the EPA, under previous ownership. Any further assessment of the site was not completed with these grant funds.
To: Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Cindy Powell <cpowell@aisd.net>; Gincy Thoppil <gincy.thoppil@arlingtontx.gov>
Cc: Victoria Myers <victoria.farrar-myers@arlingtontx.gov>; Jeff Williams <jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <ji.parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Robert Shepard <robert.shepard@arlingtontx.gov>; Lana Wolff <lana.wolff@arlingtontx.gov>; Marvin Sutton <mabranic@sbcglobal.net>; Sheri Capehart <sheri.capehart@arlingtontx.gov>; Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <jim.parajon@arlingtontx.gov>
Sent: Monday, June 3, 2019, 1:49:10 PM CDT
Subject: Re: Excerpts from Terracon Enviro pollution assessment Eastern Star Enviro -AISD should clean up first not build!
Regarding Phase 2 2014 site assessment for 1201 E Division…
Now that the Eastern Star is gone and the planned AISD Performing Arts Center is well underway, this email is of public record that you were forewarned. Gincy, please forward this to P&Z as ZA19-1 goes before P&Z 6/5/19 5:30 pm and then before council 6/25/19 6:30 pm.
Note the attached screen shot from phase 1 study identifies 30 LEAKING buried storage tanks of which 7 are less than 1/8 mile away.
Note on another attachment (Phase 2 study) the ON SITE spike reading on BARIUM at 225 mg/kg…
This is troubling in that the ATSDR says, “….a 2-year exposure to 200 mg barium/kg/day resulted in moderate to marked nephropathy”.
Since there was two hospitals, improper disposal of medical waste related to x-rays, Barium Sulfate is plausible….
“Main Eastern Star Home structure with the east and west wings, a kitchen and dining room addition to the north, a hospital building to the southeast connected by a road, and one wash house, one stage coach house, two poultry houses, one dairy barn, one implements shed, stables and a structure housing a water well pump and an underground gasoline tank to the north of the main structure are depicted (1949); Main Eastern Star Home with two additions to the east wing, a hospital addition to the northeast, an addition to the west wing, a Grand Chapter Building (office) to the west of the main structure, and a dwelling, a power plant and 25,000-gallon capacity water tower to the north of the main structure are depicted (1968)”.
Any Barium present in the soil blows around in this Texas wind and is a source exposure by inhalation.
A phase 2 excerpt reads of a concern for on site Arsenic and Lead:
“Both the original and duplicate soil samples exhibited concentrations of arsenic and lead above the applicable TRRP Tier 1 Critical PCLs for arsenic (5.9 mg/Kg) and lead (15 mg/kg); however the concentrations detected were within the 20% RPD. Based on the heterogeneous nature of metals concentrations in soils and laboratory interference associated with laboratory soil analysis, it is not uncommon to see 20% or greater RPDs for metals in soils. Furthermore, based on the soil analytical results with accompanying SPLP data, it does not appear the identified arsenic and lead soil concentrations are subject to TRRP“.
Here is the exoneration mechanism that is essentially a loophole denying actionable levels for clean up of that Arsenic & Lead
Texas Environment recently released a post Hurricane Harvey study about these laxed benchmarks lowering the bar and endangering public health. This is an easy to read resource that prefaces… “On average, for all chemicals targeted by both Texas and the EPA the strictest, Texas benchmarks allow soil pollution at a rate 13.94 times greater than the benchmarks used to score potential Superfund sites. Texas tolerates groundwater pollution at a rate 34.78 times higher.”
Home Rule allows you to adopt the precautionary principle for starters. Phase 1 study says, “The 1963 Sanborn map indicated that the standalone carport was converted to a power plant and the underground gasoline tank was no longer depicted on-site”. It is alarming that a power plant may have sat over an abandoned and probably leaking gasoline storage tank (which would explain high lead count as we had unleaded gasoline historically). Phase 1 notes the inability to interview one of two witnesses part of the Eastern Star excavation process, it is my opinion that AISD and the City leaders fail to protect the health of students and faculty in not knowing the disposition of the buried storage tank.
If you take no action after digesting the reports and my cautions via this email, you are hiding behind lax thresholds of actionable clean up needs! The purpose of Home Rule is to be more protective of public health and adopt safer actionable levels of necessary clean up.
Phase 1 (see attached) identifies sensitive groups to pollution exposures (receptors)…..which includes schools …..
and yet AISD Performing Art Center is going in this polluted area.
Of interest in the Phase 1 study was the list of all known pollution locations in the Orphan Summary (gasoline stations, GM, Barnett Shale, etc.) and note that 507 E Abram is on the Brownfield list.
Because of GM, the history of so many gasoline stations, paint & body shops along Division and now all the fracking sites, I consider Arlington to be setting the lowest bar of environmental stewardship and public health in the DFW area. Please redirect your course of inaction to environmental degradations under YOUR WATCH. Instruct your fire department that refused to participate in the 2013 study to respond and make it public information, and that clean ups take place at:
the future home of our AISD Performing Arts Center,
every identified Brownfield, MSDs, and that
you take my earlier suggested preventive measures at our drill sites and compression station that would exceed the low benchmark at our state and federal levels in protecting Arlington citizens living near our urban drilling experiment.
Sincerely,
Kim Feil
On Friday, May 31, 2019, 6:52:12 PM CDT, kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> selected excerpts from Phase 1 and BOLDFACED for emphasis…
“Based on the above information, it is Terracon’s opinion that the former on-site gasoline underground storage tank and former power plant located constitute recognized environmental conditions (RECs). …….
Records Review Selected federal and state environmental regulatory databases were reviewed. Six Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) petroleum storage tank (PST) facilities, 30 TCEQ leaking petroleum storage tank (LPST) facilities, 12 industrial hazardous waste (IHW) facilities, one IHW corrective action facility, one TIER 2 facility, nine financial assurance facilities, two groundwater contamination case (GCC) facilities, three voluntary cleanup program (VCP) facilities, three municipal designation settings (MSD) facilities, one solid waste landfill (SWF/LF) facility, two closed landfill inventory (CLI) facilities, one Historical cleaners (HIST Cleaners) facility, 28 Historical auto stations (HIST Auto Stat) facilities, one RCRA conditionally exempt small quantity generator (RCRA-CESQG) facility, five RCRA non-generator/ no longer regulated (NLR) facilities, one Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation-no further action planned (CERLA-NFRAP) facility, eight US Brownfields facilities and four federal information system (FINDS) facilities were identified within the specified search radii. The site was not identified during the regulatory database review. Vandergriff Body Shop, located at 901 East Division Street, is a west adjacent property and is listed on the Historical Auto Stat, Financial Assurance, FINDS, IHW, LPST, RCRA NonGen / NLR, PST databases. The RCRA Non-Gen/NLR database indicates the facility was a small quantity generator until 2006. The IHW database indicates the facility regularly uses and handles ignitable hazardous waste, cadmium, chromium, lead, benzene, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, dichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene and ketones. No violations have been reported for the facility. Waste generated was reported as immersion cleaner, paint waste, spent solvent and aqueous waste cleaner. Based on the reviewed database information, it is Terracon’s opinion that the length of time Vandergriff Body Shop has been in operation (since 1966), proximity and the use of chlorinated solvents constitutes a REC to the site at this time. ……
Terracon attempted to contact Mr. Frank Stegient, a former worker on-site who also performed demolition of on-site structures and have not received a response to date. The absence of information from Mr. Stegient constitutes a data gap.
….
Vandergriff Body Shop has been located to the west of the site since at least the mid-1960s and is listed in the regulatory database a former small quantity generator, a petroleum storage tank (PST) and leaking PST (LPST) facility. The site is situated on a topographic hill and slopes to the east, towards Johnson Creek. The Vandergriff Body Shop and Quik Trip constitute RECs to the site, which are further discussed in Section 4.1.
…
The on-site total BTEX concentrations ranged from 3.11 to 17.52 mg/kg for soil
..
Based on the reviewed database information and the length of time Vandergriff Body Shop has been in operation (since 1966), the use of chlorinated solvents constitute a REC to the site at this time.
….
One 10,000-gallon gasoline UST and one 500-gallon used oil UST were removed from the ground in 1990. No releases have been reported for the Quik Trip facility. Based on the length of operation, this facility constitutes a REC to the site.
…
The City of Arlington Fire Department was contacted by via the online Open Records Center on November 15, 2013 regarding environmental records or information indicating environmental concerns for the site. Terracon has not received a response from the Fire Department to date”.
…
—– Forwarded Message —–
From: City of Arlington – Open Records <ArlingtonTX@mycusthelp.net>
I live at ground zero for urban drilling.
We have about 60 pad sites in our 99 sq mile town here in Arlington TX.
Our state and local government will not enforce these two laws….
1) TEX LG. CODE ANN. A§ 253.005 : Texas Statutes – Section 253.005: LEASE OF OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL LAND
“(c) A well may not be drilled in the thickly settled part of the municipality..”
2. Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Part 1, Chapter 101, Subchapter A,
Rule 101.4, Environmental Quality, Nuisance
No person shall discharge from any source whatsoever one or more
air contaminants or combinations thereof, in such concentration and
of such duration as are or may tend to be injurious to or to adversely affect human health or welfare, animal life, vegetation, or property, or as to interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of animal life, vegetation, or property.
———————————
We had a drill spill in Lake Arlington, our drinking source, back in 2010. We also have about 100 drilling laterals under our lake that are at migration risk for seismic events and or cement failures.
We have had over a dozen gas release emission events that the general public knows about. On September 10th 2018, Arlington Fire Department’s Sergeant Crowsen said at a Frown Hall meeting (due to a fracking accident) that they respond to about 10-15 gas well complaints a year. Per our 2019 budget on page 120, it will cost us almost $500,000 in 2019 for gas well emergency response readiness.
The following are the items lacking in our URBAN oil and gas drilling ordinance………………..
Wireline Electric Logs tell an important geological story…to file or not…
Update….Joe Stasulli at the RRC said in an email dated 10/29/2015 that…”Many operators opted not to spend money …
3. All drilling mud farming and brine “road spraying” should have application sites’ soil & groundwater tested for toxins and NORM. Transition Lancaster Visits PA Gasland
Transition Lancaster Visits PA Gasland
Concerned citizens from Lancaster, Pa trek up to Northern PA to witness natural gas rigs, well pads, storage fac…
4. During fracking where the radioactive silica dust is flying around, we need the industry to contain the dust to OSHA 2016 standards at 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged during an 8-hour shift. Currently, the oil & gas industry is getting preferential treatment to not have to be in compliance until June 23 2021. There is no entity looking out for the residential silica exposures, only worker exposures. Here is a video of what the silica exposures during fracking look like at our Bruder drill site, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWw8U40Q4Sk
5. Mandate flowback tanks that have vent lines that can be connected to vapor recovery/capture systems or combustion devices (gas-busters) Frac Tanks & More from DHI Energy Servicetanks. Here is a video of what happens in our backyards in Arlington….. Flow Back in North Texas.
Flow Back in North Texas
Flow back in north Texas cranking out close to 200bbls of water per hour
Frac Tanks & More from DHI Energy Service
DHI Energy Service offers a wide variety of frac tanks and other energy related equipment. Visit our site today …
8. The setback away from people should be substantial. Rural method drilling is not acceptable in urban areas. An environmental tester who has a Phd said that the health effects are being seen downwind from about 1,800 – 2,500 feet.
12) Have aerial water spray mist for flying frack sand. But don’t let the toxic water go into environment.
13) No diesel truck idling
14) Need 24 hour hotline to TCEQ and City Gas Well Inspectors. Our city website’s online status report is too vague. (ex. currently it can say “workover” and no real information of what that entails. Breathers do not need to be downwind to pre-production and maintenance activities. They need to know that they are risking their health. It’s time for the truth.
17) Flood waters on pad sites should be lab tested for Drilling Mud, Frack Chemicals, Produced Water and Maintenance Chemicals before being released. https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/?s=flooded
20) Nitro Lifts or any other well maintenance should NOT be allowed to vent via an open well or it’s chemical treatments to the atmosphere…which includes sending to storage tanks with thief hatches that vent. See 1,140 ppm TVA reading near my son’s junior high school, https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/viagra-for-the-eagleford-shale-already/
21) Use blow out preventer between the drill and the frack stage in case flooding occurs.
22) Use tighter truck manifests that make them account for the TENORM waste water amounts leaving Arlington and have those amounts match up to their injection well destination. https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/?s=tenorm
Here are two January 28 2019, work session videos on air quality show a miserable FAIL while our council goes through the motions of trying to make changes to our Gas Well Ordinance as more stringent….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE19iFvg2JE
These changes were prompted by a Youtube video gone viral back in 2018, in Councilwoman Capehart’s district called Fracking Accident.
Following that accident was some very upset citizens at a subsequent FROWN-HALL meeting.
—– Forwarded Message —–
From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>
To: Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <jim.parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Jessica Youngblood <jessica.youngblood@arlingtontx.gov>; Victoria Myers <victoria.farrar-myers@arlingtontx.gov>; Jeff Williams <jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Robert Shepard <robert.shepard@arlingtontx.gov>; Roxanne Thalman <roxanne.thalman@arlingtontx.gov>; Kathryn Wilemon <kathryn.wilemon@arlingtontx.gov>; Lana Wolff <lana.wolff@arlingtontx.gov>; Michael Glaspie <michael.glaspie@arlingtontx.gov>; Sheri Capehart <sheri.capehart@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Don Crowson <don.crowson@arlingtontx.gov>; Gincy Thoppil <gincy.thoppil@arlingtontx.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 9:20:06 AM CST
Subject: 3 reasons to do away w/ 70% waiver support/Changes to our Gas Well ordinance
I am in support of doing away with the extortion-like influence of how the drilling operators can pay for a person’s signature inside of the 600 ft buffer for three reasons that should help you move forward with eliminating waver exception counts to get to 70%.
1) Most live out of town and do not get to breathe the emissions
2) For the Truman site, one owner had three small parcels inside the 600 ft buffer and got three votes AND lived out of town
3) If you are serious about not allowing remaining build out, you will deny ALL new drill-zone permits effectively defacto banning (but still be in HB40 compliance). Otherwise, you can take more time and pursue my suggested air quality related HOME RULE regulations (listed below) that you can impose to be more protective than the state/TCEQ and federal government.
I am also in favor of the work-over notification and hope this video exchange between Jim Parajon will serve as a reminder that i never had the choice to check the winds and check my family into a hotel away from harm……https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6cSg0Fi0jk
There is a home 300ft away at the Truman drillsite in our Entertainment District….I shudder to think Total will care about our City as a tourist destination and any evacuation nightmares should we get another Fannin Farm (business as usual) event during any stadium events.
Thank you in advance for your attempt at protective measures (except for the deferring air quality issues to the TCEQ which is a cop out)….the blood money I admit has been put to a noble use for Texas LIVE…I just hope we won’t need it to plug and abandon any City wells in the future as third and fourth tier operators become the norm.
I recall City officials admitting this money coming in would not be long term….the time is now to get off the Texas teet of Urban Drilling…cancer sux and this is not a family friendly industry I am tired of promoting you recklessly bought into…
Kim Feil https://barnettshalehell.wordpress.com/ TEX LG. CODE ANN. A§ 253.005 : Texas Statutes – Section 253.005: LEASE OF OIL, GAS, OR MINERAL LAND “(c) A well may not be drilled in the thickly settled part of the municipality..” Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Part 1, Chapter 101, Subchapter A, Rule 101.4, Environmental Quality, Nuisance No person shall discharge from any source whatsoever one or more air contaminants or combinations thereof, in such concentration and of such duration as are or may tend to be injurious to or to adversely affect human health or welfare, animal life, vegetation, or property, or as to interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of animal life, vegetation, or property.
On Tuesday, November 27, 2018, 9:07:18 AM CST, kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
We do not mandate that the operators flow back into pressurized, closed containers that they haul off to the injection wells later after it’s finished venting into the neighborhoods. Currently we flow back into open hatch containers that the TCEQ admits cannot be closed (without being pressurized) because it could become an explosive environment with the fluids being under pressure which means they have vocs in them.
We do not mandate continuous air testing during the various pre-production or post production stages.
We should require the Operators to do continuous air monitoring using a non-biased contracted third party company during the different phases of getting the wells into production to include radiation detection devices during fracking to see what’s coming up mixing with the flying around silica dust.
Then we should also mandate that they air test after the wells are in production and during the gas lift compressor blowdown maintenance where they release the contents of the piping into the atmosphere that which they cannot blow down past the 200 PSI when they direct the contents of the piping to the storage tanks where the thief hatches continually vent VOCs into the atmosphere 24/7.
We do not have closed loop systems in Urban Drilling, we allow venting in our neighborhoods, near our schools, churches, and businesses.
Now is the time to put real teeth and our gas drilling ordinance as far as air quality concerns are.
I would like to be able to see the results of the air monitoring online in real time.
We should also mandate a stricter truck manifest so that when they truck off the contents of the storage tanks daily to the injection Wells that the amount match up so that there are no spills along the way that we will never know about.
Additionally we should mandate no mud farming in the city limits. We do not want the waste fluid spread on adjacent land with the permission of the property owner which currently the Railroad Commission allows because when that wastewater drys in the hot Texas Sun our windy conditions risk NORM that can blow around in the dirt and dust and get in our air shed.
The City of Arlington’s worksession on Tues, 11/13/18 had talk of becoming more stringent in their gas well drilling ordinance.
In the end they probably still won’t get their inspectors or AFD a FLIR camera to see what’s leaking. They still want to leave the air quality complaints to TCEQ purvue.
The email below doesn’t even address other issues I’ve uncovered over the years such as the risk of radioactive mud farming, flowing back in open top containers, not flowing back immediately and letting the flowback sour, to name a few.
Leaving TCEQ n charge of air quality is the biggest copout and I am so glad term limits are headed their way even though they are already trying to undo the Nov 6 vote!
—– Forwarded Message —– From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net> To: Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <jim.parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Jessica Youngblood <jessica.youngblood@arlingtontx.gov>; Victoria Myers <victoria.farrar-myers@arlingtontx.gov>; Jeff Williams <jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Robert Shepard <robert.shepard@arlingtontx.gov>; Roxanne Thalman <roxanne.thalman@arlingtontx.gov>; Kathryn Wilemon <kathryn.wilemon@arlingtontx.gov>; Lana Wolff <lana.wolff@arlingtontx.gov>; Michael Glaspie <michael.glaspie@arlingtontx.gov>; Sheri Capehart <sheri.capehart@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Don Crowson <don.crowson@arlingtontx.gov> Cc: Cynthia Simmons <cynthia.simmons@arlingtontx.gov> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2018 10:26 AM Subject: Points to make and requsts to let Dr. Cynthia Simmons spearhead the changes to our Gas Well ordinance
During the day session you took each component of what (surface wise) our town as a Home Rule City can regulate on the gas well ordinance to become more stringent. This in the wake of HB40 cracking down on setback defacto bans and citizen lead petitions oj fracking bans.
Setbacks:
I disagree when Mayor Williams called the citizen notification from 600 ft to quarter mile “significant” (now that the STR’s will be too)…how disingenious to compare the two ordinances when the STR issues relate to mere nuisance and the GW ordinance is of both nuisance AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS in living near industrial processes.
Willams does not understand or pretends that this “public notifiacation” will make a difference when our current GW ordinance allows an exception to the 600 ft setback via a 70% (paid off) landowner(s) approval (to be closer than 600 ft down to at the most 300 ft setback). I have seen Councilman Shepard quiz speakers to see if they reside within the City AND the 600 foot setback.
Tuesday after the day worksession, I thanked Councilwoman Capehart for suggesting we do away with the 70% and have ALL setback exception requests undergo a supermajority council vote. I reminded her that within a 70% landowner search (as I found with the Truman site) that one landowner can own many parcels which count as separate votes too which adds to the voting disparity. There is nothing in our ordinance that give renters a vote that live in that buffer. Generally these land owners can also be out of town owners getting to decide to be closer than 600 feet when they won’t share that added risk.
All of this political posturing I witnessed Tuesday has the appearance of public health and nuisance concerns at heart. Now lets see some action.
It’s time for Texas to regulate oil and gas drilling at a safe distance…
Earlier this year, we attended a town council meeting in Arlington where we provided a scientific perspective on…
Air Quality
I have spoken over the years on almost all drilling agenda items because I myself am downwind to additional pollutants stemming from our industrialization of our good town. Here are the rebuttals from the day session I want to post to you and on my blog and the driving force in having you ask Dr Simmons to take on this public health responsibility in the GW ordinance changes.
It is a cop out to continue to allow TCEQ to respond to air quality complaints as they have 24 hours to come out and take an air sample and then we wait 6 weeks for the results…..which by that time the emission event is usually gone, and their suma canister sampling BTEX related of 50 constituent misses some pollutants such as formaldehyde, The air testing needs to be continuous as TexWells just called for in a recent Dallas News editorial calling for what I am asking YOU to add to your ordinance (I boldfaced for emphasis) ….”One prospective policy reform is to adopt the 1,000 feet distance while requiring operators to conduct continual air quality monitoring, with the data available to all concerned parties”.
There is recognition that the TCEQ suma snapshot is a pic in time that is dependant on the meterological conditions and the timing of grabbing the sample DURING the offensive odors as they are occurring. I have asked Sargent Crowsen to at least keep a suma on hand…maybe Jessica’s team can arrange this with TCEQ?
Our state nuisance laws encompass duration as a consideration. Some the active phases of drilling/fracking/drilling out the plugs..etc. are intermittent which makes nuisance offenses hard to pin down (the Truman Downtown Entertainment Odor Event of January 2013 that I sued Chesapeake in small claims court wher in pretrial the only evidence allowed was an email proving they lied to the City and the state about the location and source of the odor. Of note I could not get the 2013 Truman Emission Event TCEQ inspector’s field notes that died with him on a Houston hwy accident.
The (appointed, retired) judge threw out my case because I had no engineer report and had no doctors report confirming odors entering my home and cause eye burn and my mother-in-law to have malaise of which others also had health issues too when I Interviewed them. So we need a better criteria to find nuisance offenses in our GW ordinance.
Noise
As I wrote in the Facebook Arlington Texas Talk UNcensored… “they (you) only bothered to say what decibles above the ambient noise they could decrease by… (currently they (you) try to regulate any exceedances 5 db above ambient in the day and 3 db above ambient at night)……they (you) did not address the harmful low frequency harm that, Jane Lynn reminded me of…please check out this 2014 Ft Worth Weekly fracking related article out…. .Compressing Agony“
Compressing Agony
By Fort Worth Weekly
Charles Morgan chose his home in Buffalo, a little town 70 miles southeast of Fort Worth, for its serene surroun…
So please find with this email our official request to add to our GW ordinance to minimize low-frequency noise.
The most effective way you can become more stringent (without violating HB40) at this point of an almost build out drilling town is to deny ALL 37 remaining drillingzones in Arlington so they cannot finish the buildout.
For starters please take Capeharts suggestion to enact a supermajority to all setback exceptions and have Dr Simmons be more involved, thank you.
Subject: Re: current particulate emergency on airnow.gov how can DFW avert the CA experience?
Wow fantage footage, thanks for turning me onto that link. I attached two AIRNOW.gov snapshots of yesterday’s AQI loop, https://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&mapcenter=0&cityid=660, that Mono Lake area at 12:40 AM at its worst, which your video to me looks like it persisted more than the Airnow.gov reported?
Also I attached a snapshot east of San Diego at 4pm being at its worst… which causes me to question if Lake Mono particulates blew that way to cause an air quality issue there too?
I have an interest in water and air quality issues that started with a interest in fracking harms. As our Dallas Ft Worth TX area waters needs grow…I want to forewarn how droughts and diverting water can cause man made dust bowls….although not rocket science, this was not on my radar until now.
Thanks
Kim Feil
On Thursday, May 16, 2019, 2:19:14 PM CDT, Phill Kiddoo <pkiddoo@gbuapcd.org> wrote:
To: Jeff Williams <jeff.williams@arlingtontx.gov>; Helen Moise <helen.moise@arlingtontx.gov>; Kathryn Wilemon <kathryn.wilemon@arlingtontx.gov>; Marvin Sutton <mabranic@sbcglobal.net>; Robert Shepard <robert.shepard@arlingtontx.gov>; Michael Glaspie <michael.glaspie@arlingtontx.gov>; Sheri Capehart <sheri.capehart@arlingtontx.gov>; Jennifer.Shaver@arlingtontx.gov <Jennifer.Shaver@arlingtontx.gov>; Lana Wolff <lana.wolff@arlingtontx.gov>; Roxanne Thalman <roxanne.thalman@arlingtontx.gov>; Victoria Myers <victoria.farrar-myers@arlingtontx.gov>; Trey Yelverton <trey.yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <jim.parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Cynthia Simmons <cynthia.simmons@arlingtontx.gov>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2019, 10:44:22 AM CDT
Subject: How to prevent this consequential RISK of phasing out plastic bags from recycling?
When I read that we were removing plastic grocery bags from our list of recyclables, while it pushes people to use reusable bags which is great, I recall that we DON’T want to entice a program coming to Midlothian that is disguised as green when it really is bad for the downwinders…..so I asked Jim to remind me of the details of such risk…….
Per Jim Schermbeck of Downwinders at Risk….“Dow and Keep America Beautiful – they have an “Energy Bag” plastics project that takes all the “unrecyclable” plastic in a household, puts it in a special orange bag and then takes that to the cement kiln. Household waste incineration in kilns is coming back in vogue again for some companies and this (Arlington’s decision to disallow bags in recycle bins) is a foot in the door….”
Arlington Among North Texas Cities to Phase Out Plastic Bags From Curbsi…
Arlington TX Barnett Shale Blogger 