State committee holding Fort Worth hearing on oil, gas development

Are you happy with local ordinances governing oil and natural gas development? Or would you like to see some changes?

Either way, you can put in your two cents worth at a public hearing that the Energy Resources Committee of the Texas House of Representatives will hold from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Fort Worth City Hall at 1000 Throckmorton St. downtown. The meeting will be in City Council chambers on the second floor. State  Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, the committee chairman, will preside.

"The committee is there to listen and learn...it's taking the people's opinion, more than anything," said Ky Ash, Keffer's chief of staff. The committee has the following charge from House Speaker Joe Straus: "Survey current local ordinances governing surface use of property in oil and gas development. Recommend changes, if any, to the authority of the (Texas) Railroad Commission to regulate the operation of oil and gas industries in urban areas of the state, particularly the Barnett Shale."

Ash said the meeting is expected to attract speakers including Texas Railroad Commission officials, oil and gas industry representatives, environmental groups and individual citizens. A time limit, perhaps three minutes, probably will be imposed on speakers, he said.

--Jack Z. Smith

Read the full story in Wednesday's Star-Telegram. 

 

Comments

[Linda Haggard]

I don't like drilling in urban areas. My problem is with air and water quality issues. We are creating unneeded health problems due to emissions.

[Earl b]

They sure are pumping alot of fluids into all those wells im sure its not all water ! I worked in the oilfield in the 70s & early 80s the oil companies dont tell all about what goes on a drilling location [ ussually called a tight hole ] when something is amiss ! If anyone is heard talking of a tight hole they would be run off with a false reason

[Kimfeil]

Tonight's Arlington City Council meeting was a waste of most citizens time relating to gas drilling agenda items-everything was unanimously approved. Our current and proposed gas drilling ordinance doesn't have protective mandates to our airshed. We did not have limits on blowdown events or requirements of vapor recovery units, and we have no restrictions on vaporization units of produced water at compression station sites. Without a strong ordinance, tonights vote allowed 4-5 tons of VOC's per year just for this site. We are in a county that is in severe nonattainment status. So unless your city has a good ordinance, you minus well give it(local control)up to state rule which is as good as "drill baby drill". Arlington has lost their way in mounds of money over public health.