Chief Crowson accused of withholding info from City Council…Tomorrow Funds buying new Fire Engine

Here is the firechief’s response……

Sent: Tue, September 4, 2012 10:38:30 PM
Kim,

The accusations/comments in your email are inaccurate.

I understand you have concerns about natural gas well sites.

Please understand the City of Arlington has taken significant steps in improving safety and security issues at natural gas well sites.

While our efforts may not be proceeding in a way that you would prefer – there is no doubt, that there has been significant City progress regarding this issue.

The open records request process is available to all citizens.

I ask you to please reconsider the way in which you are communicating your concerns.

Don

Sent from my iPhone

—– Forwarded Message —-

From: kim feil <kimfeil@sbcglobal.net>
To: Don Crowson <Don.Crowson@arlingtontx.gov>; Susan (DSHS) Prosperie <Susan.Prosperie@dshs.state.tx.us>; Robert Cluck <Robert.Cluck@arlingtontx.gov>; Robert Shepard <Robert.Shepard@arlingtontx.gov>; Robert Rivera <Robert.Rivera@arlingtontx.gov>; Lana Wolff <Lana.Wolff@arlingtontx.gov>; Sheri Capehart <Sheri.Capehart@arlingtontx.gov>; Kathryn Wilemon <Kathryn.Wilemon@arlingtontx.gov>; Charlie Parker <Charlie.Parker@arlingtontx.gov>; Cynthia Simmons <Cynthia.Simmons@arlingtontx.gov>; Jimmy Bennett <Jimmy.Bennett@arlingtontx.gov>; Michael Glaspie <Michael.Glaspie@arlingtontx.gov>; Charlie Parker <Charlie.Parker@arlingtontx.gov>; Trey Yelverton <Trey.Yelverton@arlingtontx.gov>; Stuart Young <Stuart.Young@arlingtontx.gov>; Roger Venables <Roger.Venables@arlingtontx.gov>; Jim Parajon <Jim.Parajon@arlingtontx.gov>; Collin Gregory <Collin.Gregory@arlingtontx.gov>; Theron Bowman <Theron.Bowman@arlingtontx.gov>; Joe Morris <Joe.Morris@arlingtontx.gov>
Cc: Susan Schrock <sschrock@star-telegram.com>; “tips@wfaa.com” <tips@wfaa.com>; “ok@arlnnews.com” <ok@arlnnews.com>; “dharper@tceq.state.tx.us” <dharper@tceq.state.tx.us>; Carolyn Mentesana <Carolyn.Mentesana@arlingtontx.gov>;
Sent: Tue, September 4, 2012 9:16:25 PM
Subject: Chief Crowson is being accused of withholding important information from City Council…Tomorrow Funds buying new Fire Engine

Firechief Crowson, at the last budget meeting, it was mentioned how the (gas drilling) Tomorrow Funds will buy a new fire engine, and then it all started to click………I believe you purposely withheld infomation so the industry and your teams did not look bad the night of the Fulson vote after the emission event and so the extra wells being voted on passed.

 

When the Fulson emission occurred, things got off to a real bad start and seemed to get worse with information being withheld or distorted.

K F emailed the Mayor and wrote “….I spoke with the two Representatives.  They indicated air and water were released.  It wasn’t until the evening meeting that they said gas was released.” 

AFD was dispatch at 3:34 am, but Mr Laredo testified that the sound started at 2:30 am, and that it continued for about an hour and a half. Your testamony was that…“they did meet with a resident that referred them to the site-they called Chesapeake, the representative showed up”…..so it wasn’t your 911 dispatch that directed where to send AFD, it was a resident.

After Loredo spoke, the mayor asked you about the response time and your quote was “ah… I don’t have it before me but I’m sure it was within 5 minutes”. Response time includes not just the industry, but also your teams, and you neglected to tell Council of the dispatch delay.

Loredo also said that Mr Mallick/TCEQ told him “….that there was some sort of valve failure as well as some sort of computer failure type thing…” So Mr Rutigliano had an opportunity to rebut these equipment failures before the public hearing was closed, but did not offer this vital information.

Hours before the City Council meeting, your email to Councilman Rivera at 2:53 pm, informed him that….

“This incident was resolved safely last night per standard operating procedure.  The Fire Department investigated the site and ensured the safety of the surrounding area/neighborhood while the Chesapeake representative quickly resolved the site issue.  At no time were local residents in danger.  A venting sound typically represents the activation of built in safety features in the well system.” 

You made a misleading statement in saying “At no time were local residents in danger.”  when there was a delay in AFD response to the Fulson site and so your men were not there to verify the residents were safe before the well tried to auto shut in.

You mentioned in that email that the 911 operator’s call with Mr Laredo….”(This call has been reviewed / no evidence of improper conduct found)” yet there was no mention in the email or in your testamony before council and our mayor of the errors dispatch made in confusing the calls with another gas well emission event happening around the same time at the XTO site across town!  This was information that was needed so they could table it until more was known about the risks during stormy weather.

Also, your email statement “A venting sound typically represents the activation of built in safety features in the well system.”, should have been forthright in that a pumper/representative needed to come out and manally finish closing the well all the way (to quiet the well) since the two safety features did not completely work as designed. You should have gone on to say that the auto shut in failed at closing completely (97% closed), and then the rutpure disk on the separator prematurely ruptured.

Tony’s testimony (50 minutes into the meeting in the archive videos) “…they shut off everything else….. “, was a hint that equipment malfunctioned and his admittance only after being questioned of a similar incident occurring at this same site a month earlier was glossed over.

Wilemon and Shepard had questions and you then said “I have one thing to add, we did in fact contact Chesapeake that night. The phone line, the telephone did work ah responded immediately with out pesonnel on site – resolved the issue, and essentially the system did work. I sent a an investigator to the site the next day, (he) verified the information that Mr Rutigliano just relayed to you. I can confirm that also. So the number did work, the system does work, we do have the information-so thats what occurred”.

And at that time then Councilman Rivera said he was “not having a problem with tabling this until all reports come in…”, but never made the motion to table it.

Had you & Tony been not withholding information, a true process of listening to the people’s testamony and pleas to table it could have prevailed.

Please provide me with the name of your investigator you sent to the site so that I can request that report through open records.

Thanks

Kim Feil

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