Mayor and City Council
Gas wells are being drilled on regular basis in the City of Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Gas Drilling Ordinance requires the gas drilling companies to provide an emergency response plan with each well permit request. In reviewing the information provided by Chesapeake Energy for the Rutherford 1H Gas Well, their emergency response was a Xerox copy of the area with a line drawn from the fire station to the well site location and nothing else. There was nothing provided about what their plans were or what procedures were in place to inform the nearby apartment residences or businesses in case of an emergency. There was nothing provided that would protect the public or what actions they should take to protect themselves or even if there was anything in place about who should call the fire department.
I find this rather frightening considering many of the apartments nearby (less than 600 feet) house elderly and children as well as the adult human beings that rely on the City offering some sort of protection. I know I do. As we know, or you should know, the City Fire Department is not equipped to respond and take action in the event of any sort of gas well site emergency. There sole responsibility is to cordon off the area and keep spectators at a safe distance. They do not fight the fire or even go on the gas property.
Fires and other tragedies occur as a result of gas drilling, it is a high risk industrial operation. A few days ago there was such a fire at a gas drilling rig in Oklahoma and was expected to burn for several days. I assume they had some sort of plan in place for a gas fire or emergency. What ever plan that was in place did not work and they were apparently not prepared.
In watching this fire burn, several things were apparent, the crews were off to the side doing nothing and there was a great deal of smoke, heat and toxic fumes being sent into the air. The crews were obviously more than 200 or 300 feet from the site and probably more than a 1000 feet. I assume the crews were trained about what to do in the event of an emergency. Local citizens and children, like in Fort worth are not trained and this could lead to disastrous results.
The Gas Well Ordinance requires there to a setback of 300 feet, except in the case of grandfathering which is 200 feet, which the Council seems to still improperly allow. The setback is to the protected use or the house. Most houses in my neighborhood have trees or bushes in their yard and in that event, the distance now becomes much closer, in the event there are no trees, dried grass will do. The fire and the heat from the well fire would catch the trees or grass on fire and eventually lead to the nearby houses being destroyed also. This possibility is more likely than not at some time and will happen in Fort Worth. I think this is irresponsible on the City's part. The citizens have a right to reasonable safety in their own home or where they work. The citizens currently do not have that.
Please note the safety provided by the drilling company, Chesapeake Energy, for the well fire. It consists of ONE rather small stream of water in the lower left hand side of the video. lol That is their safety procedure.
These gas well fires are not unique. There were two in Oklahoma within a matter of a few months. I have included a video link to the well fire on January 6, 2012.
Another gas well caught fire in Oklahoma on September 20, 2011.
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