I just got a knock on my door from a representative of Chesapeake who’s going around the neighborhood talking to people about the proposed well site on 8th Ave.

Unfortunately I couldn’t keep my big mouth shut and I told him that I was against the site, so I didn’t get to hear his talking points. (He was very polite and professional; certainly a good ambassador for the company in the brief interaction I had with him.)

After telling him that I was opposed to the site, he asked me why, and I replied that I thought the neighborhoods had made their opinion pretty clear when they banded together to oppose that location.

He then asked “Aren’t you concerned that they’re not going to be able to get to all of it?” Of course I replied as Greg Hughes has before: it’s been there for millions of years, I don’t see any hurry. Plus, I’m not convinced that Boone Pickens and Aubrey McClendon have the country’s best interests at heart. Then I pointed to my truck and said “If that ran on natural gas, I might have a different opinion, but it doesn’t.”

Have you been visited by a Chesapeake representative? Did he/she tell you anything new, or change your mind about the 8th Ave. site?

…only this time its your kids they’re after.

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The City Council voted unanimously this morning to extend its moratorium on new wastewater disposal wells for another six months, Don Young of FWCanDo told me in a phone call a few minutes ago.

I know folks are busy, but I’d like to ask you to take a couple of minutes and write a letter to the Mayor and your City Council representative and ask them to vote to extend the moratorium on saltwater disposal wells in the City of Fort Worth.

If this extension is not passed, additional injection wells could be drilled within the city.

Jim Bradbury, the Fort Worth Gas Drilling Task Force representative from District 9, is asking all concerned Fort Worth citizens to “send a message to their City Council representatives calling for the extension of the moratorium.” Bradbury goes on to say he has “deep concerns about even letting one more injection well in the city and moreover that this is being conducted without adequate public participation and input.” He takes this position because the issue of injection wells was removed from topics allowed for consideration by the Gas Drilling Task Force where citizen input should occur.

Hell, I’ll even write the letter for you. Just cut, paste and make any needed edits:

Dear Mayor and Members of the Council:

Sincerely,
A citizen of Fort Worth

You may find the e-mail addresses you need right here.

Oh, and in case you are wondering how effective the Texas Railroad Commission oversight of oil and gas drilling is in this state, check this out. The answer is “not very effective.”

That’s funny, Bernie. I saw a completely different sign at the proposed Eighth Avenue drilling site. I’m glad that Chesapeake finally decided to come clean about the harm they are doing to the surrounding neighborhoods. The first step toward recovery is admitting you have a problem. Thanks for taking such a bold step! You know, together we can ALL win.

If your kid goes to Lily B. Clayton Elementary, would you want a pipeline with, er, wastewater, within a softball throw of the school playground?

Like white smoke billowing from the chimney of Sistine Chapel signaling a new pope, word finally came from the second floor at City Hall last Tuesday — the city gas ordinance task force will be reconstituted.

Based on the Star-Telegram story, it looks like all of the key issues are on the table: pipelines, restrictions on drilling in central city neighborhoods, moving gas drilling away from the Trinity River, the location of pipeline compressor stations and — the big one — injection wells.

When Mayor Moncrief called saltwater disposal “the elephant in the room,” he might have made the understatement of the year.

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