Eighth Avenue Drilling Site Back On?
by Steve SmithRyan Place, Berkeley and Mistletoe Heights, Chesapeake Energy has a message for you: Suck it, we’re drilling anyway.
Chesapeake’s Eighth Avenue drilling site, which was a dealbreaker for the Oklahoma City-based energy titan in its negotiations with these neighborhoods last year, is not off the table after all.
Many residents in these neighborhoods assumed that no drilling would take place at this site as they made deals with other energy companies that offered less obtrusive drilling locations. But assuming Chesapeake wouldn’t try to use that site was naive. Some people with knowledge of the site’s status have called drilling there “a done deal.” However, the direction of the drilling has changed. It’s no longer going to the east, it is going to the north.
Chesapeake Energy has apparently secured the drilling rights the land under Baylor/All Saints Medical Center to the north, as well as many of the tracts between the Medical Center and the drilling location. It is alleged that Chesapeake went to Dallas to secured these rights without the input of local administrators.
But Chesapeake apparently doesn’t have the signed waivers from all of the property owners inside the 600-foot high-impact waiver area. If Chesapeake doesn’t get waivers from the protected use property owners, drilling can still go forward if a variance is approved by the City Council after a public hearing. At the hearing, the City Council may consider whether the natural gas drilling would conflict with the orderly growth of the city, whether there are other alternative sites, access for fire personnel and equipment and the recommendations of the gas inspector. The City Council may accept, reject or modify the application.
An interesting little subplot to all this is whether newly-minted District 9 representative Joel Burns can stop gas drilling wells from going up — almost literally — in his backyard. Would Mike Moncrief — who willingly injected himself into the Wendy Davis / Joel Burns / Kim Brimer / Bryan Eppstein drama — do Burns any favors if these waivers go in front of the Council? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Stay tuned. This could get really interesting, really fast.
Tags: Chesapeake Energy, Joel Burns, Mike Moncrief, Ryan Place
5 Comments, Comments or Pings
Pete Wann
I think this is going to happen over the dead bodies of some pretty wealthy people. If that’s the site I’m thinking about, it’s right at the end of Elizabeth Ave., where the most expensive houses in Ryan Place are lined up like dominoes should something bad happen at that site.
That also puts into question the commuter rail line that is supposedly going to run down that railroad track; what’s going to happen with that?
Feb 10th, 2008
Adam S.
The commuter rail line is at best 5 years away from being operational. At a public meeting a few months ago one said to me, “if you think commuter rail is going to stop gas/oil drilling in Texas, you got another thing coming to you.” The other point they all made is that the drilling activity should be complete before the rail becomes operational.
One other thing to worry about is Chesapeake purchasing the homes within 600ft of the drill site. Pete, you are correct about the site. It’s just north of the Post Office and the LDS church.
Feb 11th, 2008
Don Young
Complete? So many people have been misled or misinformed into thinking that gas drilling is done after a relatively brief period. Not true. Modern gas drilling in the Barnett Shale requires continuous activity for the life of the well. Some industry experts say that might be 100 years.
You can find a primer on gas drilling from many sources. Briefly, you get the initial 30 odd day of the big rig, then comes a smaller rig. Then the well has to be fracked and re-fracked every few months to keep the gas flowing. Saltwater mixed with various pollutants and other toxics have to be removed from the well site on a regular basis. Don’t be fooled by industry rhetoric.
It is very unlikely that Chesapeake will buy the homes on Stanley. If they succeed in getting their high impact permit, they can drill away. So far, city council has not voted down any high impact permits but this case is so egregious we have a solid chance.
I urge you all to send Joel Burns a clear message that we expect him to act independently of Mike Moncrief’s gas drilling coalition and defend the quality of life in his district. I can’t think of a better issue for him to show leadership that could propel him to greater things.
DY
Feb 11th, 2008
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