Josh Fox arrested...for pancakes??

Academy award nominee Josh Fox was arrested again.  This time for protesting what sounds like the Texas Railroad Commission, on steroids.  It's called FERC. WHY was he arrested?  We're not really sure.  All the pictures show the protestors either making pancakes or sitting.

This story will sound all too familiar to you Fort Worth locals.  From eminent domain to no approval or oversight.

Today’s protest draws specific attention to FERC’s role in using eminent domain to condemn and clearcut a wide swathe of maple trees across the Holleran family maple syrup farm in New Milford, Pennsylvania. The clearcut was ordered to make way for the fracked gas Constitution Pipeline, even though the pipeline has yet to be approved by New York state.

http://www.alternet.org/environment/gasland-director-josh-fox-arrested-pancakes-not-pipelines-protest

Not if she can help it...

We've told you about Eleanor Fairchild.  She is the one who was arrested with Daryl Hannah, ON HER OWN PROPERTY.

Read the latest in the FW Weekly.  Don't think it can't happen to YOU or your great grandmother.  This is Texas, sadly, it happens every day.  Though this time it's a Canadian company taking her land.

“I called the soil conservation people at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but they said they had no jurisdiction. I called TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality), and they said they couldn’t do anything about erosion. I called the Railroad Commission, and they said they only gave out pipeline permits but have no jurisdiction over them. I called everybody — the Department of Transportation pipeline safety people, the Army Corps of Engineers — who gave the permit to TransCanada to cross my creek and got no response. Even the EPA said they couldn’t do anything until there is a spill.”

“I’ve learned that our government is not there to help us — not when you’re fighting the big guys,” she said. “I think I’ll be an activist for the rest of my life so that others don’t have to go through the same thing.”

"BS responses"

Coming from Fort Worth.  How fitting. 

The subject today?  Injection wells.  Seems we aren't the only ones who noticed the "citizen input" meetings are similiar to those supposed "citizen input" meetings for other Fort Worth projects.  You remember, the ones where when the citizens started giving their input, the city shut the meeting down? 

Read the latest in the Fort Worth Weekly.  YOU can't afford to miss it.  Take note of the players, YOU need to know WHO they are.  

It sounds if the city is most concerned about "truck traffic".  Really?  That's your biggest concern?  And WHY would earthquakes need to be discussed on a national level when they are being felt in Fort Worth?

“You can tell the Planning Department has instructions to make this [lifting of the current disposal well moratorium] happen,” the longtime statehouse Democrat said. He’s clearly angry over how the disposal well issue has been presented. City staffers, he said, are giving “bullshit responses” to what he believes are very real concerns.

The league is not opposed to “safe drilling that respects the environment,” Wood said. “We are, however, opposed to the destruction of our most valuable and increasingly threatened natural resource — water — by its contamination and injection into disposal wells.”

Hogan said the weakness of the setback requirement is evident in the frequency with which the council has waived similar requirements for gas wells. In a substantial percentage of cases, he said, the council has allowed the standard 600-foot setback for gas wells to be  reduced even when drillers produced waivers from less than half the affected property owners.

The city staff presentation notes that having disposal wells in the city, served by pipelines, would cut down on the traffic of heavy trucks that damages city roadways and results in surface spills, including accidents involving tanker trucks.

Trice acknowledged that allowing injection wells within the city won’t stop operators from drilling other wells in the surrounding county. And it’s correct, he said, that having disposal wells in the city would reduce truck traffic only if the wells are served by pipelines.

Asked about the city staff’s views on seismic dangers, Trice said, “I’m not sure we have a take [on that issue].” The staff is concerned, he said, but “that dialogue is more appropriate at a state or national level.”

“We would hope if there is a dire safety question,” the Texas Railroad Commission or Environmental Protection Agency would address it, he said.

Dear Fort Worth,

WHO's in charge?

Read a letter to the City of Fort Worth from a concerned taxpayer.  All taxpayers should be so concerned. 

Attend the Fort Worth City Council meeting February 14th, to find out what exactly what YOU are paying for. And remember that next election.

I would like to bring to the attention all in Fort Worth another atrocity by the Fort worth City Council and perhaps our State leaders.  It appears that a pipeline and a distribution facility by Devon Energy was allowed to be placed in the way of a runway at Alliance Airport.  In order to correct this blunder, Devon will be paid up to $3.66 million tax dollars.  Fort worth's portion will be 5% or $180,000.  Since Alliance is a Fort Worth project, why would the City allow this to happen?  Did they not know there were plans or might be plans for a runway?  If not, why didn't they.  Even though Fort Worth's portion is $180,000, the remaining 3.5 million is taxpayer dollars, of which we individually will end up paying part of that too.

This is similar to another blunder recently, when Fort Worth allowed a gas drilling facility to be placed in a location along I-35 in the Northern part of Fort Worth.  For a number of years the Highway Department and the City of Fort Worth worked on a plan to widen a highly congested portion of highway, I-35.  While this project was in the works, neighborhoods along the route had been assured the highway would not be relocated closer to their neighborhoods.  Someplace along the way in the City's need and greed or lack of concern, a gas drilling facility was permitted and allowed to be drilled in the location needed for the highway.  Despite the previous assurances to local residences, the highway now must be rerouted closer to the neighborhoods resulting in more traffic noise, pollution and hazards as a result of the high volume traffic being nearer to their homes.  How many tax dollars will be lost  as a result over the years, because residential property located closer to busy highways always loses value.  The well site will never produce enough to off-set the neighborhoods lost value.   The drilling facility could be moved, but the the price to do so is staggering. 

In a matter somewhat related, the City wants to place an injection well and place pipelines onto the Alliance Airport now, how stupid is that?  What happens when another expansion or runway for the Alliance Airport is needed, will the Injection Well or the pipelines be a hinderance or danger?  How much does it cost to move pipelines or an injection well?  Guess who will bear that entire amount?  

  Some of these things could be prevented if the City had a Comprehensive Zoning Plan.  Wait, they do, but the City Attorney's Office claims the Gas Drilling Ordinance regulates gas drilling and not the Comprehensive Zoning Plan, in essence the gas drilling is exempt from the the Comprehensive Zoning Plan.  My question is, since when does a City Ordinance overrule State Law?  It doesn't.  The State of Texas mandates all Home Rule Cities have a Comprehensive Zoning Plan that must be followed, with very few exceptions.  The City has no authority to disregard State Law and exempt the gas drilling industry from the Comprehensive Zoning Plan, but Fort Worth for some reason is placing itself above State Law.

The reason for a Comprehensive Zoning Plan is to protect the citizens from stupid or intentional blunders by individuals that seem to have an agenda or a City that doesn't seem to be able to plan or think past its nose.

Texas Eminent Domain Superheroes Unite

For the benefit of THE PEOPLE.  Monday, across the state of Texas, many will come together to save Texans property rights.

There are 80 properties in the way in Texas with the Canadian pipeline, up 90 in Tarrant County with the Trinity River Vision, how many due to the freeway projects taking place across the state, what about local pipelines?  WHO's next?

WHO's standing up for YOU?  Your "leaders"?  Of course not.  THE PEOPLE. 

MEDIA ADVISORY

In Texas Private Property a Growing Issue for Keystone Pipeline

A new statewide coalition of groups and advocates for private property rights is announcing its support for landowners along the path of the Keystone XL pipeline in Texas. The group charges that TransCanada, the company proposing to build the pipeline, has used eminent domain to bully landowners and condemn private property.

“Texas politicians talk tough on eminent domain, but with Keystone we have a pipeline acting as a ‘common carrier’ and bludgeoning private property owners with eminent domain when there’s a real question whether it meets the legal requirements to do so,” said Debra Medina, former Republican gubernatorial candidate and director of We Texans.

WHAT: Press conference on private property and eminent domain issues facing Keystone XL

WHEN: Monday, February 13th (various times, see below)

WHERE: Dallas – Turley Law Center, 6440 N. Central Expressway, 10:30am
       Houston – Location & Time TBA
       Austin – Texas Railroad Commission, 1701 Congress Ave., 3:30pm
       San Antonio – Location TBA, 3:45pm

WHY: Landowners and prominent private property advocates uniting on Keystone XL

The coalition boasts a diverse group of advocates who are hosting press conferences around the state on February 13th. Press conferences will feature private property owners from East Texas who’ve had property condemned or been bullied into negotiated settlements and who say their story has not been told. The press conferences will be as follows:

• Dallas – Calvin Tillman, former mayor of DISH, TX will present landowners Julia Trigg Crawford and Eleanor Fairchild
• Houston – Debra Medina,executive director of We Texans and  former Republican candidate for governor, will present landowner Mike Hathorn
• Austin – Linda Curtis, director of Independent Texans, and Jessica Ellison of Texans for Accountable Government will present landowner Julia Trigg Crawford
• San Antonio – Terri Hall, director of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, will present landowner Eleanor Fairchild

The coalition of advocates points to more than 80 cases in Texas where TransCanada, a foreign pipeline company, condemned private property belonging to Texans. The group also points out that the company misled landowners, telling them the pipeline had all necessary permits and repeatedly telling individual landowners that they were the last holdouts, making the pipeline seem inevitable and securing more favorable terms for the company.

The groups advocates draw parallels between the Keystone XL pipeline and the Trans-Texas Corridor, a proposed highway that many of them were active in defeating.

Debra Medina –  979.253.0220
Calvin Tillman – 940.453.3640
Linda Curtis – 512.535.7208
Terri Hall – 210.2750640
Jessica Ellison – 512.653.9179

WHO owns YOUR town?

WHAT would you say if a foreign government did?

If they owned the water and the roads and the right to eminent domain.

What was Betsy Price doing in China?

Catch up on TURF.  YOU need to protect yours.  No one else will.

Seeking to defuse fears that it might use its massive USD 3.2 trillion in foreign reserves as a "political weapon", China today said it is willing to turn some of its holdings of US debt into investment in America to improve its infrastructure. 
 
It seems like foreign governments and corporations are craving U.S. public assets like toll roads, electrical grids and railways. In the case of our largest creditor, the Chinese government, they don’t want any more U.S. Treasuries, but they do want to own the hard assets that comprise our nation’s infrastructure.

It’s a good stance for our President to encourage foreign investment. But is it such a great idea for foreign firms to own our most vital infrastructure? In 2006 an enormous controversy rocked Washington when a private firm from Dubai was negotiating a deal simply to operate 22 U.S. ports. A bipartisan opposition centering on national security eventually emerged and killed the arrangement.

If the Chinese government wants to invest in U.S. infrastructure, the best place for them to do so is the municipal or corporate bond market where they can buy bonds in water and sewer systems, among other infrastructure assets. Direct ownership, even through public/private partnerships, shouldn’t be allowed. Again, national security concerns must be paramount when it comes to our infrastructure.

Same song and dance

Any of this starting to sound familiar, yet?

Texas in the New York Times...again.  

Eminent Domain Fight Has a Canadian Twist

Randy Thompson, a Nebraska landowner, is challenging the assumption by TransCanada that it can seize land for an oil pipeline. 

 
 By LESLIE KAUFMAN and DAN FROSCH
    Published: October 17, 2011 

 A Canadian company has been threatening to confiscate private land from South Dakota to the Gulf of Mexico, and is already suing many who have refused to allow the Keystone XL pipeline on their property even though the controversial project has yet to receive federal approval. 
 
Randy Thompson, a cattle buyer in Nebraska, was informed that if he did not grant pipeline access to 80 of the 400 acres left to him by his mother along the Platte River, "Keystone will use eminent domain to acquire the easement." 

Sue Kelso and her large extended family in Oklahoma were sued in the local district court by TransCanada, the pipeline company, after she and her siblings refused to allow the pipeline to cross their pasture. "Their land agent told us the very first day she met with us, you either take the money or they're going to condemn the land," Mrs. Kelso said. 

By its own count, the company currently has 34 eminent domain actions against landowners in Texas and an additional 22 in South Dakota. 

“It was a hard decision whether I wanted to fight and spend all this money even though I could lose the thing,” Ms. Fairchild said in a weary drawl. “But somebody needs to fight them. I decided it would be me.” 

Be there Tuesday!!

Tuesday's Tarrant Regional Water District meeting looks to be fun.  A couple of water items and tons of eminent domain Trinity River Vision style.  And of course, gas drilling items.  Oh, and don't forget, expenditures and investments, what else?  That's what a water board is for, right? 

This Agenda is posted pursuant to Chapter 551, Texas Government Code

MATTERS TO COME BEFORE A MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OF TARRANT REGIONAL WATER DISTRICT

TO BE HELD THE 21ST DAY OF JUNE 2011 AT 9:30 A.M.

TRWD BOARD ROOM

800 EAST NORTHSIDE DRIVE

FORT WORTH, TEXAS 76102

1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

2. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE MEETING HELD ON MAY
17, 2011

3. PUBLIC COMMENT

4. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
EXPENDITURES—Thomas

5. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES—Thomas

6. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION REGARDING THE INVESTMENT
POLICY AND STRATEGIES FOR THE TARRANT REGIONAL WATER
DISTRICT—Newby

7. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT FOR THE ZEBRA MUSSEL
PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN—Andrews

8. CONSIDER RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS
COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (TCEQ) FOR A PERMIT TO
CONVEY WATER IN THE BED AND BANKS OF VILLAGE CREEK—Owen

9. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO
JOIN ONCOR‘S “TAKE A LOAD OFF TEXAS” GOVERNMENT FACILITIES
PROGRAM—Marshall

10. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF ITB NO. 11-035 BUTTERFLY VALVES FOR
CEDAR CREEK WAXAHACHIE BOOSTER PUMP STATION AND
BENBROOK PUMP STATION—Marshall

11. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT WITH LEMLEY CONSULTING,
INC. FOR ACQUIRING RIGHTS OF ENTRY RELATED TO THE INTEGRATED
PIPELINE PROJECT—Christian

12. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MODIFICATION OF SURVEY CONTRACT WITH
TRANSYSTEMS FOR THE TRINITY RIVER VISION CENTRAL CITY
PROJECT—Christian

13. EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER V.T.C.A., GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION
551.071 TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL ON A MATTER IN WHICH
THE DUTY OF COUNSEL UNDER THE TEXAS DISCIPLINARY RULES OF
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT CLEARLY CONFLICTS WITH CHAPTER 551,
TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, AND TO CONDUCT A PRIVATE
CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEYS REGARDING PENDING OR
CONTEMPLATED LITIGATION; AND UNDER SECTION 551.072 TO
DELIBERATE THE PURCHASE, EXCHANGE, LEASE OR VALUE OF REAL
PROPERTY

14. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT WITH MARTINDALE
CONSULTANTS FOR ROYALTY AUDIT OF CHESAPEAKE ENERGY—
Brummett

15. CONSIDER AUTHORIZATION OF STAFF AND LEGAL COUNSEL TO
ENFORCE DISTRICT'S RIGHTS UNDER SECTION 49.221, TEXAS WATER
CODE, TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO REAL PROPERTY FOR THE INTEGRATED
PIPELINE PROJECT—Christian

16. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF PURCHASE OF PIPELINE EASEMENTS FOR
THE GEORGE W. SHANNON WETLANDS WATER REUSE PROJECT,
RICHLAND-CHAMBERS RESERVOIR—Christian

17. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AUTHORIZATION TO ACQUIRE REAL
PROPERTY FOR THE TRINITY RIVER VISION – CENTRAL CITY PROJECT—
Fee simple title to the surface estate only, including improvements located
thereon, located at 900 North Main Street, Fort Worth, Tarrant County,
Texas—Christian

18. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AUTHORIZATION TO ACQUIRE REAL
PROPERTY FOR THE TRINITY RIVER VISION – CENTRAL CITY PROJECT
FROM THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Tract 1 (Parcel 20) Fee simple
title to the surface estate only of approximately 9.93 acres of land,
including improvements, being a tract of land situated at Block A, Lot 1,
Valley View Addition, in the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas; and
Tract 2 (Parcel 22) Fee simple title to the surface estate only of
approximately 6.903 acres of land, including improvements, being a tract of
land situated at Block 3, Lot 1, Valley View Addition, in the City of Fort
Worth, Tarrant County, Texas—Christian

19. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AUTHORIZATION TO ACQUIRE REAL
PROPERTY BY PURCHASE OR BY EXERCISE OF EMINENT DOMAIN FOR
THE TRINITY RIVER VISION PROJECT—Fee simple title to the surface
estate only, including improvements located thereon, of 6.875 acres of land
located in the J. Baugh Survey, Abstract No. 115, the R. Crowley Survey,
Abstract No. 313, the A. Gouhenant Survey, Abstract No. 582, and the F.G.
Mulliken Survey, Abstract No. 1045, Tarrant County, Texas, and being all of
the tract of land designated as Second Parcel in the deed to MMM Group,
LLC, recorded in Volume 14389, Page 63 of the Deed Records of Tarrant
County, Texas, and a portion of the tract of land designated as First Parcel
in such deed —Christian

20. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AUTHORIZATION TO ACQUIRE REAL
PROPERTY BY PURCHASE OR BY EXERCISE OF EMINENT DOMAIN FOR
THE TRINITY RIVER VISION PROJECT— Fee simple title to the surface
estate only, including improvements located thereon, of the following
tracts: Lots 10 and 11, Block 40, North Fort Worth Addition, an addition to
the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas; Lots 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 36, and 37, Block 37, North Fort Worth Townsite Companys
Subdivision, an addition to the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas;
and 5.005 acres of land comprised of all Lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, and the
North 30 feet of the tract of land adjoining the Southeast boundary line of
said Lot 7, Block 251, and all of Lots 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34, Block 37,
North Fort Worth Townsite Companys Subdivision, an addition to the City
of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas; and the portion of North
Throckmorton Street, closed by City Ordinance No. 2036 of the City of Fort
Worth, lying between said Blocks 37 and said Block 251, and said 5.005
acres of land—Christian

21. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AUTHORIZATION TO ACQUIRE REAL
PROPERTY BY PURCHASE OR BY EXERCISE OF EMINENT DOMAIN FOR
THE TRINITY RIVER VISION PROJECT— Fee simple title to the surface
estate only, including improvements located thereon, at 921 North Main
Street, Tarrant County, Texas—Christian

22. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF AUTHORIZATION TO ACQUIRE REAL
PROPERTY BY PURCHASE OR BY EXERCISE OF EMINENT DOMAIN FOR
THE TRINITY RIVER VISION PROJECT— The surface estate only of
approximately 0.688 acres of land, including improvements located
thereon, located at 1000 North Main Street, Fort Worth, Tarrant County,
Texas—Christian

23. SCHEDULE NEXT BOARD MEETING

24. ADJOURN

Fort Worth Example

When people across the United States use YOUR city as an example of what NOT to do, you got problems.

Check out the Fort Worth Way gas drilling example @ the Fort Worth Weekly.

And then get your butt off the couch and go vote.

Southlake and Haltom City

What's the difference?  Too many to list, however this week we noticed a glaring one.

Both Southlake and Haltom City's Planning and Zoning boards voted down drilling sites, forcing a council super majority vote to pass.

Will give you one guess which council did so without any hesitation.

Read about one the other one in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Barnett Shale Fail

It's gas drilling day in Tarrant County....the FW Weekly knocks it out of the park again!  Hats off to the Weekly and all the HEROs listed in the article.  WHY do they do it?  For THE PEOPLE!

It would have raised eyebrows if they had told us our property values would be devalued, or that we’d have 14,000 gas wells in the Barnett Shale and only 12 [Texas] Railroad Commission inspectors.”

Ten years and 1,800 rigs (just in Fort Worth) later, many of the worries are no longer theoretical, even if industry officials still deny the connection. The health problems are real, inadequate monitoring of air pollution has finally gotten the attention of state legislators, and groundwater problems have prompted some drillers to buy out farmers and ranchers whose only source of water was wells drilled into now-tainted aquifers. The EPA has stepped in.

TCEQ tests in the Barnett Shale area had shown “some of the highest benzene concentrations we have monitored in the state,” she said.

All three families had to haul water onto their properties for more than two and a half years before Williams finally settled with them this fall — by buying all three of the properties.

That kind of potential for long-term threat to critical water supplies is what makes the gas-well-and-water-well collision so scary in North Texas.

In early 2010, Brian Boerner, then Fort Worth’s environmental management director, talked to Fort Worth Weekly about his concerns with Fort Worth’s single gas-industry waste disposal well.

Boerner — who went on to take a job with Chesapeake — said then that the city had “significant concerns” about groundwater contamination from such wells, which the EPA has repeatedly expressed concern over. He’d previously said that such wells should be the last option considered by the city for disposing of gas industry wastes

And hey Southlake, go visit with Flower Mound...

When it comes to standing up to the gas industry, few cities top Flower Mound. The city was among the first to establish 1000-foot setbacks in the Barnett Shale, in 2003. Last year, the city put a moratorium on new gas well applications and created an advisory board to look at beefing up the ordinance even more. In December, the city’s Oil and Gas Board of Appeals squelched an attempt to drill for gas near Lake Grapevine, citing concerns about the impact on a major source of drinking water. Residents have loudly expressed concerns about drilling’s impact on air, soil, water, and public safety.

“Flower Mound doesn’t see [drilling] as a revenue source for the city — the health and safety of residents is our first priority,” city spokesman Michael Ryan said. “Flower Mound has never shied away from a controversy when it’s been of the opinion that it’s for the protection of the residents.”

Gas companies have filed lawsuits against the city a few times over the years, but the city hasn’t lost a case or paid a dime in settlement, he said.

Mark Southlake off the list...

XTO will be drilling there next.

It was a good thing while it lasted.  Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Some of you property owners might want to check the pipeline route, "outside deisignated utility corridors" sometimes means your front yard.  Someone email us when your water rates increase again. 

"I would like us to consider continuous monitoring for at least a year," Muller said. "I want to be assured that it's tested on a continuous basis."

Dueease said safeguards at the drill site mean the 24-hour testing would "literally serve no purpose."

But that didn’t persuade the council.

"This would prove to all the residents that what you’re saying is true," Zito said.

Bringing thousands of gallons of water to the drill site posed another problem, as city leaders don't want hundreds of tanker trucks traveling to the drill site but they are reluctant to sell city water when there's peak demand in the summer.

Instead, a compromise was reached where XTO Energy will be allowed to purchase city water from Oct. 15 to May 1 and then use trucks for the rest of the year.

The permit also included a proposed pipeline route that will carry the natural gas from the drill site to market. The route runs parallel to Texas 114.

Two variances to the city’s pipeline ordinance were approved 6-1 with Zito voting no. The variances allow the pipeline company, Energy Transfer, to work on the pipeline 24 hours a day and place the pipeline in areas outside designated utility corridors.

Another day, another explosion

This one in Ohio.

The flames could be seen for miles and no one returned calls about the age of pipeline.

Read about it on msn.com

Kudos

to Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission for looking out for their residents.  Not just the residents with gas leases.  Maybe you could teach some other P & Z Boards a thing or two.

Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 

Pleas from residents who don't want a 16-inch natural gas pipeline near their Southlake homes paid off early Friday.

Heavy snow was falling just after midnight when the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-1 to deny XTO Energy's request to drill on Texas 26 near Brumlow Avenue.

Southlake resident Molly Bullard said the line would devalue "million-dollar homes" and would kill the trees that define Johnson Road.

John McFadden said he's concerned because his son's bedroom "would literally be within putting distance from this pipeline."

Commissioner Joe Lancor said he was concerned that XTO didn't have waivers from one of the Southlake homes within 1,000 feet of the drill site.

Safety first?

WHO's next?

Read about the California pipeline explosion here.

Federal investigators' findings in the San Bruno pipeline explosion probe suggest that thousands of miles of long-buried and untested natural gas pipelines across the United States are at far greater risk of failure than the industry and government regulators have long maintained, experts say.

"It's a wake-up call," Robert Eiber, a pipeline integrity expert with 50 years of experience in the industry, said of the implications of the National Transportation Safety Board's metallurgical analysis of the line that exploded Sept. 9.

"They need to make sure they don't have a duplicate situation someplace else," Eiber said. "If it has not been tested, you need to test it."

Gas pipeline leak in Fort Worth

Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

A "vapor cloud" called attention to the leak.  We have a question, what is the "cloud" that blows from east to west every night in front of the Fort Worth skyline?

The Observant Observer

Hats off to the Texas Observer!  Best article we've seen on the gas drilling in Fort Worth.  You thought drilling was bad, welcome to Pipeline Hell. Maybe Forrest Wilder will do one on our water next.  

Read it, read it all.  If you live in Tarrant and surrounding counties, YOU can't afford not to. Read about those you have read about on Star Telegraph before, Mary Kelleher and Steve on Carter. Kudos to you both!  We need more like them!  

Read it.  Then share it with THE PEOPLE.  And ask your "leaders" WHAT they are doing to protect YOU and YOUR family.

Fort Worth Flooding Update

After the most recent flood in Fort Worth, we told you about the FW Weekly story concerning Mary Kelleher and the nightmare on her property, that started after Enterprise installed a pipeline.

Staying with the status quo, Enterprise said they didn't do it.

Are they having to change their story?  Read it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

After investigating the matter for weeks, city officials think she might be right. And Enterprise is pledging to cooperate fully with the city.


Clair Davis, the city's flood plain administrator, wrote Enterprise this week and accused the company of never filing for the required flood plain development permit. Obtaining the permit involves having an engineer determine how the plan might affect drainage.

In his letter, Davis wrote that the material Enterprise used to fill the hole it dug for the pipeline "appears to have obstructed the natural drainage pattern in the area, and may have contributed to increased flooding on adjacent properties."

It's the latest in a string of issues with Enterprise's development next to Kelleher's land. The Houston-based company began building a metering station next to the pipeline this summer before getting the proper permit, according to city records. Enterprise applied for the permit only after city officials notified the company about it. Earlier, state officials found that the pipeline had been installed on a former landfill and that Enterprise should have taken proper precautions.

Pipelines Everywhere

This one along Big Fossil Creek. Goodbye trees.

Read about it in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

City officials are essentially powerless to regulate where the pipelines go because gas companies are considered utilities, just like Oncor and Atmos Energy, which means they have the power to condemn private property.

"We've seen in the past that if a pipeline bisects a major property, it can be difficult to redevelop it," Pitstick said.

"We're fairly happy with the alignment, based on our lack of control over the situation."

Carter Avenue in the News

So maybe there IS an alternate route that would work. WHO knew?

The residents, that's WHO.

Keep making noise

Read the article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.