SPOILER ALERT!
Life in the Barnett Shale, Part Two
In Part One of this series we talked about some of the positive aspects of the Barnett Shale, what it's done for the economy of North Texas and the reasons it has become profitable to produce oil and gas from the vast deposits stretching across much of North Texas. But not all is well and good in the Shale and some of our more unfortunate neighbors, so-called Citizens of the Shale, have become something more akin to Slaves of the Shale. Take for instance the citizens of DISH, TX, that famous little North Texas town whose citizens changed its name to DISH with the promise that the entire population would receive DISH Network satellite broadcast for free and for life. By the way, the caps aren't mine, that was part of the deal.
DISH, TX, a map dot in Denton County just north of Fort Worth with an estimated population of 181, symbolizes all that has gone wrong in the Barnett Shale as a result of the unbridled greed of the oil companies as well as the landowners alike. Yes, those two parties are both to blame for different reasons, yet the real culprit here is government generally and the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality specifically. Rather than simply upholding the law to further the well-being of the citizens these politicians were elected to protect, our governmental bodies have chosen to turn a blind eye to the travesty being committed in some areas of the Barnett Shale. One need merely to Google DISH, TX to read a plethora of articles regarding the air quality there as a result of benzene and other emissions from gas well drilling in the area, as well as across much of the 6,000 square mile Barnett Shale.
However, gas drilling itself is a minor problem in DISH. The real problem stems from the large number of compressor stations that have been constructed in there. As it turns out, the town has become a crossroads so to speak for a huge number of pipelines constructed for the transmission of natural gas, gas produced not only from wells around DISH, but from wells all over northern Denton and Tarrant counties. And there is not just a couple of compressors at work here, we are talking about 10 or more at last count. Atmos Energy bought land, got a permit for a compressor and then "subdivided" the land. They subsequently sold it to other producers who obtained separate permits. The permits state w=what kind and how much of a particular chemical a compressor will emit with a limit on those emissions set by none other than the EPA. The entire compressor site should have been viewed as one site, with one permit allowing that one set limit. It should be easy to see the cumulative principle in effect here. The sad part is that the TRC and TCEQ, the supposed watchdogs for the citizens, have knowingly allowed this to happen without batting an eye. Livestock and trees are dying as a result. Many of the citizens have fallen victim to neurological disorders linked to chemicals known to be in high concentration in the area. One family in particular were forced to move away due to health problems, problems that are slowly clearing up after the move. Yet the state has turned a blind eye.
In the end, regardless of the booming economy in North Texas, there are still many who have lost jobs. It's easy to understand the motivation behind what is known as "mailbox money", the checks mailed from oil companies as royalties and bonus money. Is your health, the health of your loved ones and neighbors worth it? Think about that when Food treatment centrifuge comes knocking at your door.
DISH, TX, a map dot in Denton County just north of Fort Worth with an estimated population of 181, symbolizes all that has gone wrong in the Barnett Shale as a result of the unbridled greed of the oil companies as well as the landowners alike. Yes, those two parties are both to blame for different reasons, yet the real culprit here is government generally and the Texas Railroad Commission and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality specifically. Rather than simply upholding the law to further the well-being of the citizens these politicians were elected to protect, our governmental bodies have chosen to turn a blind eye to the travesty being committed in some areas of the Barnett Shale. One need merely to Google DISH, TX to read a plethora of articles regarding the air quality there as a result of benzene and other emissions from gas well drilling in the area, as well as across much of the 6,000 square mile Barnett Shale.
However, gas drilling itself is a minor problem in DISH. The real problem stems from the large number of compressor stations that have been constructed in there. As it turns out, the town has become a crossroads so to speak for a huge number of pipelines constructed for the transmission of natural gas, gas produced not only from wells around DISH, but from wells all over northern Denton and Tarrant counties. And there is not just a couple of compressors at work here, we are talking about 10 or more at last count. Atmos Energy bought land, got a permit for a compressor and then "subdivided" the land. They subsequently sold it to other producers who obtained separate permits. The permits state w=what kind and how much of a particular chemical a compressor will emit with a limit on those emissions set by none other than the EPA. The entire compressor site should have been viewed as one site, with one permit allowing that one set limit. It should be easy to see the cumulative principle in effect here. The sad part is that the TRC and TCEQ, the supposed watchdogs for the citizens, have knowingly allowed this to happen without batting an eye. Livestock and trees are dying as a result. Many of the citizens have fallen victim to neurological disorders linked to chemicals known to be in high concentration in the area. One family in particular were forced to move away due to health problems, problems that are slowly clearing up after the move. Yet the state has turned a blind eye.
In the end, regardless of the booming economy in North Texas, there are still many who have lost jobs. It's easy to understand the motivation behind what is known as "mailbox money", the checks mailed from oil companies as royalties and bonus money. Is your health, the health of your loved ones and neighbors worth it? Think about that when Food treatment centrifuge comes knocking at your door.
