Fort Worth Coalition for a Reformed Drilling Ordinance (CREDO)

Moratorium Logo

A call for The City of Fort Worth to declare
 an immediate moratorium on issuing
Natural Gas Drilling permits and
Raw Gas Gathering Pipeline easements

Background
From Chapter 2, Section 1 of the Fort Worth City Charter: The inhabitants of the City of Fort Worth ... shall be a body politic and corporate by name the City of Fort Worth, and as such… may license and regulate persons, corporations and associations engaged in any business, occupation, profession or trade; may define, prohibit, abate, suppress and prevent all things detrimental to the health, morals, comfort, safety, convenience and welfare of the inhabitants of the city, and all nuisances and causes thereof;

Drilling and pipeline activities are expanding at a rapid rate across Fort Worth. Infrastructure is growing without a plan and with limited graspof public safety and public health issues. Further, proposed gas gathering pipelines and compressor stations are adding to an already unsafe situation creating new concerns and legal issues for many Fort Worth citizens. 
  • The existing gas ordinance was enacted by City Council in 2006 after recommendations by a panel stacked with gas industry promoters. Neighborhood interestes were routinely voted down by the industry-friendly majority,
  • The new Gas Drilling Task Force is charged with improving the deeply flawed gas drilling ordinance currently in effect
  • The new Task Force is also loaded with industry representatives and neighborhood interests are routinely voted down
  • Gas well permitting continues to escalate ahead of critical regulatory changes needed to protect lives and quality of life
  • Wet Gas pipelines are being forced through neighborhoods with no planning or oversight by the city
Corruption? The Gas Drilling Task Force Does Not Record Its Activities
The Gas Drilling Task Force voted to not take minutes of its meetings.
The City has NO OFFICIAL RECORD of Task Force Deliberations and Votes.

The City has NO OFFICIAL RECORD of citizen testimony at the Gas Task Force Public Hearing of June 9, 2008. Minutes were not taken and the City did not operate the video taping equipment available.

Only 6% of the Barnett Shale field is within the City of Fort Worth. The gas will be available far into the future and improvements in technology are likely to allow enhanced recovery with much less surface impact.

Issues

As described by the City Charter, the primary purpose for the existence of the city is to promote the welfare of its inhabitants. Therefore dangerous and high impact activities should not occur without careful consideration and control. Yet, as a result of rapid encroachment by outside forces, Fort Worth’s limited approach to regulating gas production is not even coordinated with Zoning, the Comprehensive Plan, or Emergency Management Plans.

At the Gas Drilling Task Force Public Hearing in June, Fort Worth residents from a wide range of neighborhoods and backgrounds expressed discontent with the current state of affairs and demanded substantial revisions to the ordinance. Some of the specific issues raised, but not resolved, include:

  1. Infrastructure and quality of life impacts of drilling and fracking operations over the life of a well
  2. Pipeline routing and the questionable use of Eminent Domain
  3. Public safety, from drilling through production and long term degradation of the gas production infrastructure
  4. Water use, waste transport and disposal
  5. Effects of gas production on property values, insurance rates, future development, etc.
  6. Economic parity for those who signed leases early without organized efforts
  7. Air quality including release of hazardous compounds
  8. Impacts on public parks and loss of other important green space

It is clear that more time is needed to craft a Gas Drilling Ordinance coordinated with the city’s other plans and adequately addressing issues known and yet to be discovered. During the time needed to properly research, debate, and craft a new ordinance, it is reasonable that no further activity regulated by those ordinances be allowed to proceed.

 
Conclusions
CREDO requests the City of Fort Worth immediately declare a moratorium and cease and desist from issuing permits that would allow any new gas production activity.

During the moratorium, the city’s responsible departments should conduct research, hold public hearings, and draft ordinances providing an integrated approach to regulating gas production in the City of Fort Worth. Further, the city should seek the advice of third party independent experts not affiliated with the local industry.

Permits for gas production activities should be granted in the future based on the new ordinances.
  

The Coalition
The Fort Worth Coalition for a Reformed Drilling Ordinance (CREDO) is made up of individuals and groups who are concerned that gas production in Fort Worth is proceeding without adequate consideration of long-term impact. CREDO believes, in line with the Fort Worth Charter, that the City is obligated to assure the safety and well being of its citizens above all other considerations.

If you would like more information or would like to offer support, please send an email to