Barnett Shale

Fort Worth City Council denies East Fort Worth rezoning that would have allowed gas compressor station

The Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday denied the rezoning of a 41-acre site off of Randol Mill Road in east Fort Worth to an agricultural designation that would allow a gas compressor station.

The council voted 8-0, with Councilman Sal Espino out of town, to uphold the recommendation of the city’s Zoning Commission and deny rezoning with predjudice.

Several residents spoke against the rezoning. Councilman Danny Scarth, whose district includes the site, opened the hearing by saying he planned to seek denial.

“We will examine options on compressor stations in ag zoning,” Scarth said after the vote.

Suggesting there may be situations where compressor stations could work on certain agrilcultural sites, Scarth said, “maybe we need to look setbacks and special exceptions.”

Dallas-based Two Ponds Inc., owner of the property, asked the council to overrule the Zoning Commission's 9-0 denial last month of an agricultural zoning designation.

Chesapeake Energy says it is no longer interested in putting a compressor station on the property. But representatives of hundreds of residents around the site say they're concerned that such a facility would still be allowed.

- Scott Nishimura, Star-Telegram Fort Worth City Hall reporter

Fort Worth bans injection wells in city

Fort Worth City Council Tuesday converted its six-year moratorium on new saltwater disposal wells in the city to an outright ban. Residential groups supported the ban, while one producer said it means wastewater will continue to be trucked to one of the 24 injection wells in Tarrant and surrounding counties. Read the full Star-Telegram report here.

-- Jim Fuquay

Fort Worth Council still divided on injection wells

Even after numerous public hearings, the Fort Worth City Council appears no closer to reaching a decision on whether to lift its years-long moratorium on drilling wastewater injection wells. For more, see the Star-Telegram's report here.

-- Jim Fuquay

Tally for FW Mayor's China trip? $1,726.13

If you’re scratching your head wondering how the mayor can go all the way to China with a security officer and spend less than $2,000, here’s how. Someone else was picking up most of the tab. Airfare from DFW Airport to Taiwan for Price and her security officer were paid by the airport so she could take part in a signing ceremony to promote direct air links between DFW Airport and Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport. Airfare between Taiwan and Beijing was picked up by the U.S. Department of Energy, which was sponsoring the energy conference in China she attended. Here’s a breakdown of the costs that will be paid by the city: $915 for the security officer’s hotel costs, plus $611.13 in expenses by both the officer and mayor (taxis, meals, etc.) and $100 each to enroll in an online global registration system to handle international travel paperwork. Price has said the conference helped promote ties between Fort Worth-based oil and gas companies and China. She told the Star-Telegram last week that officials associated with PetroChina, the largest oil and natural gas producer in China, recently visited with Fort Worth-based XTO Energy. But there’s been some private grumbling about the trip from some residents about the mayor leaving the city for 10 days to hob-knob with energy officials.

--Bill Hanna

Fort Worth needs more study of benzene concentrations, Rep. Burnam says

State Rep. Lon Burnam said Thursday the Fort Worth City Council should look at the more stringent, federal standards for benzene rather than base its findings on the more lenient, Texas Commission on Environemental Quality one-hour sampling standards. Burnam said the city should ask ERG, the consultant who conducted the long-delayed $1 million air quality study, to "reanalyze its dispersion modeling data." In a Dec. 21 letter addressed to Mayor Betsy Price, Burnam said that ERG should also  "reevaluate the city set-back requirements." If the city doesn't consider more stringent monitoring of Barnett Shale emissions, Burnam said he will consider legislation requiring TCEQ to do so. The City Council voted down a series of changes in October to its gas drilling ordinance that were based on the findings of the air quality study. TCEQ chief toxicologist Michael Honeycutt said Thursday the state currently has seven monitoring stations in the Barnett Shale and will add nine more in the next 12-18 months. TCEQ has not seen any high benzene levels since two were recorded in Wise County two  years ago, Honeycutt said. In a statement, Price said she appreciated "Rep. Burnam sharing his concerns with us; and one thing we can agree on is that health and safety of our citizens will always take top priority." Councilman Jungus Jordan, who read Burnam's letter, said there is no reason to evaulate the air quality study further. Instead, Jordan said the city should continue to push for the latest vapor recovery technology to control Barnett Shale emissions. 

 Read the letter here

- Bill Hanna

Interest in Barnett Shale has FW Mayor headed to China

Mayor Betsy Price will be taking her first international trip since being elected when she travels to Beijing, China on Saturday. The trip is a collaboration between the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development for the People's Republic of China. Sisters Cities International is also involved in putting together the trip. Price will be joined by several other U.S mayors and a representative from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.

Price said today that one reason she was invited was due to the Barnett Shale natural gas drilling activity in Fort Worth and surrounding areas.

A group of 40 U.S. energy companies with interests in China are also involved in the meeting.

Price will be gone until Dec. 11 and miss next week's council meeting. The U.S. Department of Energy is covering the cost of the trip.

--Bill Hanna

FW Council votes down changes to gas drilling ordinance

After talking for months about revising its gas drilling ordinance, the Fort Worth City Council today voted against revisions to it.

While council members said they want more pubic input and need to continue exploring the issue, it is not clear where the city will go from here.

Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks said she would have preferred to see the revisions delayed rather than voted down.

The council did vote for a six-month extension on the city's moratorium on saltwater injection wells, which was scheduled to expire at the end of the month.

--Bill Hanna

Fort Worth considers changes to gas drilling ordinance

Fort Worth is considering changes to its natural gas drilling ordinance.

The proposed modifications would require natural gas operators to obtain 100 percent of waivers within 525 feet of the pad site boundary. Under the proposed changes, companies must have 75 percent of the waivers from property owners before coming to get a  City Council waiver. The council also showed support for having notifications of renters out to 1,000 feet from the well site boundary. The hope is it will make  renters aware of sites. But city officials said it will be difficult to notify apartment dwellers because they can't contain individual addresses of apartment units. They do believe they will be able to reach renters of homes. There will be a public comment period between Sept. 27 and Oct. 18 that will be followed by a public hearing on Oct. 18. The council is expected to vote on the proposed changes on Oct. 25.

--Bill Hanna

FW gas drilling ordinance needs more work

The Fort Worth City Council discussed making changes to its gas drilling ordinance that include recommendations for "best practices" for the industry. City staff said they "may be pushing the envelope" with some of its recommendations that could be subject to legal challenges from the industry. Most of the council members appeared to support the recommendations but Councilman Danny Scarth said the city's air quality study showed the city rules were safe and could discourage the industry to go to other Shale formations across the country. Interim City Manager Tom Higgins said "there were still some holes" in the plan that need to be resolved before it is taken out to the public for comment. He said they will return "soon" for further discussion.

Bill Hanna

Zimmerman doesn't see surprises in air quality report but says it needs more study

In his first look at the air quality study, District 3 Councilman Zim Zimmerman said he is reserving judgment until he receives a more detailed analysis from city staff. 

"My feeling is just because it doesn't say there aren't problems doesn't mean there aren't problems," said Zimmerman who reviewed the executive summary but had yet to review the entire 300-plus page report.

Like fellow council member Jungus Jordan, Zimmerman is in favor of the city compelling the natural gas industry to install vapor recovery systems and other items that reduce emissions.

"Let's quit gambling," Zimmerman said. "It doesn't cost that much."

The report is scheduled to be released this afternoon, but Zimmerman expressed frustration at the months-long delays to get it released.

"We keep telling folks it's coming but it's like, whoops, here comes another delay," Zimmerman said.

- Bill Hanna