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| A Gas Drilling Pad |
CITIZEN ACTION ALERT
Help us defend the protections for schools and parks in
Dallas from gas drilling we've already won against an industry assault this
pastTuesday.
Please send one e-mail to the 11 member Dallas Gas Drilling
Task Force TODAY that simply says:
"Don't roll back buffer zones for parks or
schools."
(Dallas )
- If gas industry representatives get their way during the final Gas Drilling
Task Force meeting next Tuesday, fracking will be allowed much closer to homes
and schools, and even inside Dallas parks, a reversal of previous positions.
What's
ironic is that the President of the Dallas Parks and Recreation, Joan Walne,
may facilitate these efforts.
Walne has
been voting with industry throughout the course of the Task Force meetings,
participating in votes this week that removed protections already agreed to for
flood plain drilling. In the past, she's had no problem with the idea of
sacrificing city parks to drilling rigs. She's expected to be a key vote next
Tuesday.
"As
it turns out, putting Joan Walne in charge of protecting Dallas public parks
from the gas industry on this Task Force was like putting John Dillinger in
charge of protecting the city's bank account," said Downwinders at Risk Director Jim Schermbeck.
Besides
allowing rigs and giant compressors in parks, the Task Force is also
expected to be asked by industry representatives to " revisit" the
current recommendation requiring a 1000 foot setback from all homes, schools
and churches and hospitals. They want it rolled back to between 500 and 700
feet, similar to restrictions in Fort Worth.
"After
already agreeing to inadequate 1000-foot buffer zones weeks ago for these
"protected uses," industry now wants to go back and have another try
at significantly cutting those distances," warned Zac Trahan of the Texas
Campaign for the Environment. "They want to put a well pad as
close as 500 feet from a school or hospital or home. A well pad could mean as
many as 24 wells, a battery of storage tanks, and a large compressor that
generates thousands of tons of air pollution a year. That's unacceptable to us,
and we think, most Dallas residents."
Walne, as
well as Texas Business for Clean Air Director Margaret Keliher, and Dallas
attorney John McCall are expected to be key votes on the setbacks issue.
Keliher had led the effort to disregard the current ordinance and allow
drilling in Dallas floodplains, while McCall is supporting rigs as
close as 300 feet to commercial pieces of property like office building,
restaurant or other place of business.
Both
Schermbeck and Trahan urged Dallas residents to e-mail the Task Force member
and express their concern at the upcoming votes. "With only 11 members, and previous protections hanging on
lots of 6-5 votes, an absence or change of heart has large ramifications,"
said Schermbeck. "We need Dallas residents to wake up and realize
their fate is hanging on only a couple of votes from people they didn't
elect."
E-mail
Addresses of Dallas Gas Drilling Task Force Members:
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