Today TCEQ told me their hands are tied when it comes to pollution control in our neighborhoods related to O&G
TO GET THE FULL EFFECT OF TODAY’S BLOG, READ THIS OUT LOUD TO A BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER AND CHANGE YOUR VOICE WHEN YOU READ THE (parenthesis).
http://www.zerowastenetwork.org/workshops/index.cfm
On October 4-5, 2011 at the Automation & Robotics Research Institute, UT-Arlington, managers of oil and gas drill sites, gathering/compression stations, pipeline management, and those managing natural gas processing plants (note how all those inactive sites seem to have no one home?) need not attend a hazardous waste reduction workshop.
Why?… because the oil and gas pollution is regulated by the Railroad Commission, not the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality.
I requested from Dave Greer (TCEQ) that he coordinate with the RRC to add a day to the workshop so as to INCLUDE O&G since this industry’s pollution has proliferated, is in our back yards, and in our airshed (time will tell if it is in our ground watershed). But I was flatly refused on that request.
To see the humor in my request…think about it…regarding the hazardous fluids that flow back (in our Barnett Shale), once we punch a hole in that deep, deep, ancient seabed of water (full of NORM, barium, chlorides, heavy metals, arsenic, brine etc..) we get a hell of alot more produced water flowing back (20-30 years worth) than we put in during fracking.
And regarding the frac water secret recipes…why would the drillers want to reduce the (unknown and unregulated) chemicals since they are so necessary to the process? Is the process broke ya think?
And since there are no regulations to limit the amount of fluids (frack water) being shoved down there (after they blast holes in their precious cement casings- wow that makes a lot of sense for them to brag about their steel and cement casings and then detonate bombs down there – LOL)…..
And since no technology (to my knowledge) exists to frack and NOT use diesel compressors (that frack up our localized airshed), ya think we should wait til the technology improves?
And since we have no regulations on reporting how much of the BTEX laden frack water with chemicals goes down, and since we have no regulations on reporting how much of all the natural (un-natural once disturbed) and man-made toxic water comes back up….
And since man can’t control the sheer strength and quantity of all that fracked up water (or the earthquakes from injection sites), then why bother attending this seminar anyway?
I went on-line to ask the RRC to see if they could find some way to reduce their industry’s pollution, and saw this press release…
Railroad Commissioners Ask Texas Attorney General to Challenge EPA Cross-State Air Pollution Rule http://www.rrc.state.tx.us/pressreleases/2011/082511.php
… and then I thought…(never mind they are only interested in protecting the industry).
Likewise the TCEQ doesn’t protect us on O&G matters (the legislature is responsible for that I was told), so I found my chastity belt item I’m selling on Craigslist and duly note that the
TCEQ IS LIKE A PROSTITUTE WEARING A CHASITY BELT!
so…”you Barnett Shale Breathers Beware” (and have a nice life however short it may become living in the gas patch).
Mark your calendars to protest at UTA, thanks.
Arlington TX Barnett Shale Blogger 