Fort Worth League of Neighborhood's Changes Proposed for Gas Drilling Ordinance

Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods

Newsletter - October 17, 2011

IMPORTANT CHANGES PROPOSED FOR GAS DRILLING ORDINANCE

The League has submitted comments to the City Council on the proposed revisions to the gas drilling ordinance.  The Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed revisions at its meeting on Tuesday evening, October 18, at 7 p.m.

This hearing is very important and the Council needs to know what you think.  If you cannot attend the Council meeting, send your council member an e-mail (for example, District2@fortworthtexas.com). The Council is scheduled to VOTE on the proposed revisions on Tuesday, October 25.

The League is particularly concerned about the proposal to lift the moratorium on wastewater disposal wells and is opposing this recommendation. You can see the League's letter to Council here.

You can see complete comments of the League at our website, www.fwlna.org.

The Fort Worth League of Neighborhoods has commented on all the proposed revisions to the City's Gas Drilling Ordinance (www.fwlna.org). These comments include the following recommendations:

Protected Uses -- Add Trinity Trails as a protected use with a 600 foot protection area to be measured from the center line of the Trails. The Trinity Trails should not be used for drilling thoroughfares.

Multiple Well Pad Sites -- Residential or commercial property renters should have the ability to consent to a drill site affecting them. No payment for waivers should be allowed.

Gas Pipelines -- The city proposes a Notification Zone ordinance that requires more residents be notified when a company plans to drill on a site or place a new gas pipeline. Instead of the 30 days notification proposed by the city, the league recommends notification of 120 days prior to drilling.

Ensure that adequate public discussion of pipeline route selection is included before siting approval is granted. This would include review by Gas Drilling Review Committee, the Zoning Commission, the Plan Commission, the Parks and Community Services Advisory Board, etc.

Make all pipeline permit information publicly available online and ensure that the maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP), pipeline diameter size, and potential radius graphs of all pipelines are provided in such information before approval is sought from various committees or the City Council.

Make all permitted pipeline routes available online before approval is provided.

Require pipeline operators to provide certification of pipeline maintenance records to the city of Fort Worth on an annual basis and make those records available to the public online.

Air Quality -- Ensure that the three sets of best practices proposed include the following OR require the following in addition to the "Best Practices" lists:

Use of electric drill rigs, electric compressor engines and electric motors for driving any other stationary as field infrastructure should be used on new well sites and on any wells that are to be refracked.

For all new wells and wells that are to be refracked:
Condensate/produced water tanks must be independently monitored for control of VOC emissions.

Vapor recovery units must be used when appropriate.

No-bleed pneumatic valves and fittings must be used on pipeline networks near protected uses and/or high population facilities such as schools, hospitals, facilities for the elderly, etc.

Green completions must be used.

Substitutions for toxic materials must be used when non-polluting options are available.

Testing and monitoring should be carried out for the life of the wells by an independent entity. Operators should not be allowed to provide testing results. All testing should be done without operators' prior knowledge.

The city of Fort Worth should use infrared cameras to inspect well sites regularly.

Per ERG recommendation, air quality monitoring and testing should be established on a regular basis in Fort Worth neighborhoods.

No flaring of wells should be allowed.

A public hearing on proposed revisions to the Gas Drilling Ordinance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Fort Worth City Hall. A vote on the proposals is scheduled Oct. 25. Residents may comment online at www.fortworthtexas.gov on the Planning Department Page, Gas Drilling.