Texas residents want gas drilling permits stopped
Friday August 8, 11:34 am ET
By Angela K. Brown, Associated Press Writer
Texas residents upset over booming gas drilling want permits stopped, safety issues studied

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Holding "Just say, Whoa!" signs, about 300 people rallied Thursday to urge Fort Worth leaders to stop natural gas drilling permits and pipeline easements in the city.

They said drilling in the Barnett Shale -- one of the nation's largest natural gas fields that sits under more than a dozen Texas counties -- has taken off too quickly in urban Fort Worth.


Opponents said city officials have already issued nearly 1,200 gas well permits, only considering the economic benefits instead of potential long-term harm to the environment and residents' health and safety. Nearly 800 of those wells are currently operating -- some close to schools, homes and parks.

"We expect the city to put a moratorium for as long as it takes to address these issues," said Cathy Hirt, a former City Council member who helped form the Coalition for a Reformed Drilling Ordinance. "With such a large, diverse group of people here from all walks of life, it speaks to the fact that this is not a small group of naysayers -- it's a cross-section of the community who have a lot of concerns."

They are also concerned about companies using eminent domain to acquire property for pipeline easements.

Last week Chesapeake Energy's subsidiary, Texas Midstream Gas Services, started condemnation proceedings against a 72-year-old woman who refused the company's offer of nearly $13,000 for a 20-foot strip across the front of her 100-foot-wide lot.

The pipeline, which would be 10 to 20 feet underground and connect two well sites along an interstate, requires easements under the front yards of nearly 50 homes and vacant lots.

Edward Sakerka, who lives about 2 miles from the woman, said he does not believe gas companies should be able to use eminent domain.

"Chesapeake just don't care. They're walking all over us," he said, holding a sign that read "Chesapeake: end of life as we know it!"

But eminent domain is used as a last resort, said Chesapeake spokeswoman Jerri Robbins. She said the Texas Department of Transportation rejected the company's plans for alternative pipeline routes, and since the new route was chosen 80 percent of homeowners on that street have agreed.

"We never look to do this. We never want to do this," Robbins said Thursday, adding that the company tried working with the homeowner the past six months and could not reach an agreement before filing the eminent domain suit.

Not everyone at the rally supported the moratorium. Will Wohler, an electronics equipment manufacturer, said gas production is necessary considering today's energy situation.

"We need to address all of the issues rationally without emotion and figure out how to get it done safely without blocking it and without delaying it," Wohler said.

The City Council and Gas Drilling Task Force discussed some issues at a meeting Thursday afternoon but took no action. Mayor Mike Moncrief asked that the task force, which has been studying gas drilling in the city for several months, make any recommendations by the end of September.