How to get involved:
1. Begin to follow this site and others listed.
2. Join the Argyle - Bartonville Communties Alliance at argyle.bartonville@gmail.com
3. Advocate for protecting clean air and water.

Argyle - Bartonville Communites Alliance
Argyle, TX 76226

Friday, May 28, 2010

ABCA has a new ADDRESS

ABCA has a new address: http://abcalliance.org/

Thank you for following this blog. ABCA greatly appreciates your willingness to be informed and take action. We are excited to direct you to our new site that will offer you even greater flexiblity. Please use abcalliance.org as the web address to view the latest gas related information for Argyle and Bartonville.

The new site offers:
  • Search catagories with greater ease
  • Subscribe to receive email updates on the catagories you choose.
  • Join the alliance
  • Get facebook and twitter updates
Thank you again and we will see you on our new site: http://abcalliance.org/

Article from examiner.com



In an article published yesterday, Argyle was mentioned. Here is what was said....

As for Williams, they aren’t acting very neighborly in Argyle, where they just bulldozed a seven-acre, heavily wooded site to make way for a condensate tank farm, wastewater pipelines and a natural gas compressor complex in an unincorporated residential neighborhood along Jeter Road. This soon-to-be-industrial operation is within 100 feet of three high-dollar homes. That’s not a typo – it’s within 100 fracking feet! It’s also in a FEMA flood plain and within a few feet of a creek that empties into Lake Grapevine. How patriotic!



And get this: The site will house between 12 and 30 tank batteries to accept tens of millions of gallons of permanently contaminated wastewater from wells being drilled on properties owned by Argyle council member Wayne Holt and former member Lemoine Wright. Enraged locals don’t understand how Holt and Wright could use their public office to negotiate an agreement that allows drilling on their land, while their toxic waste is trucked to their neighbors, along with the accompanying threats to health, safety and property values.


Link to full article,written by Ladd Biro for examiner.com

http://www.examiner.com/x-44976-Denton-County-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2010m5d27-Flower-Mounds-landslide-election-victory-only-the-first-step?cid=email-this-article


Bringing in the Tanks - May 27th, 2010

Video with pictures of the Jeter Rd. site.

The kids get it. My daughter gave me this song and I think it is perfect."Protect our home" she says.


Thursday, May 27, 2010

Letter to Denton County Commissioners Court


The Hon. Mary Horn, County Judge 
Hugh Coleman, Commissioner, Precinct 1
Ron Marchant, Commissioner, Precinct 2
Bobbie Mitchell, Commissioner, Precinct 3
Andy Eads, Commissioner, Precinct 4

To the Members of Denton County Commissioners Court:
Thank you very much for allowing us to bring our concerns about the development of the natural gas industry in our county directly to you. We are encouraged by your willingness to appoint a task force to bring about the best practices throughout the county.

We are most encouraged that the court considers Drill Right Texas an appropriate framework for the start of the committee’s work. The Texas Oil and Gas Accountability Project has tapped the wisdom and best practices from around the country in an effort to bring relief to North Texans who believe both their quality of life and property value has been sacrificed to the shale. We strongly recommend at least one person on the committee be from Texas OGAP, so that we have a  direct line to that immense body of expertise.

We recognize that the industry must be mindful of their contractual obligations to their leaseholders and shareholders as they develop the immense resources of the Barnett Shale. To that end, any committee must be charged with a mission that includes recommendations for regulatory reform. This reform must occur not only in relevant state and federal agencies, but also in the next Texas legislature. Without much stronger enforcement of measures that protect property, and human health and safety, our county will continue to suffer a host of losses, from immediate, recurring damages -- such as those inflicted on roads, bridges and floodplain -- to a growing crisis of confidence that will stifle investment and economic growth.

We encourage this body to appoint a membership of strong, action-oriented, business-savvy representatives of our community who have already shown the courage, and made some pragmatic progress, in this march toward best practices. These people can be found   troughout the county, and not only in Precinct 4.

As you evaluate candidates, we implore you to rule out anyone who does not understand the urgent need for an “eyes wide open” look at the impact of current practices and understand the true costs to our community long-term if these are not addressed. Similarly, we hope you will select candidates who understand that they must help information flow between the task force and their peers as well as their constituents.

(For example, a candidate chosen to represent municipalities should not only bring wisdom back to his or her own city, but also help other cities unite in their protection of constituents both in their corporate limits and their extra-territorial jurisdictions.)
Candidates should complete personal financial disclosure statements, similar to those completed by any other elected official, so you can be assured you have not appointed anyone with a significant financial relationship to the outcomes. While, at first blush, that appears to create a problem for representation from the industry, we feel that there are sufficient professional associations in the area -- the Society of Petroleum Engineers, for example -- to meet this requirement.

This body should receive testimony not only from local but also national experts when necessary. Its decisions need to be data-driven. This body will need support as it manages data from laboratories, industry, government and independent sources, including inspections and audits and other findings.

This body must meet in public. During its sessions, this body should document the applicable state regulations and local ordinances that coincide with best practices, and document those places where best practices are not being used in order to achieve the standard.
A minority report should accompany any block of recommendations that does not have unanimous support.
Sincerely,

Argyle Bartonville Communities Alliance

Keep Argyle Beautiful

We have heard from some of our readers that you moved to Argyle from larger cities such as Southlake, Grapevine, Coppell and Colleyville just to name a few because of the rural feel of Argyle.  The large trees, wide open spaces and large country estates are breathtaking and appeal to many.  Our schools are second to none and our town made for the perfect place to raise a family and plant your roots.  We even have an organization in town whose mission is to preserve and enhance that very thing.  The mission statement of the organization “Keep Argyle Beautiful” is:
Keep Argyle Beautiful is organized to preserve and enhance our local natural environment through educational and motivational programs.  To achieve this purpose, Keep Argyle Beautiful will establish and maintain a continuing litter control program; investigate, study, develop and propose plans to bring about community appearance improvements; promote increased public interest and responsibility in the maintenance of a clean, healthy, beautiful environment; and work with the community to reduce and prevent pollution.
So, do you think this is beautiful?
Does this maintain a clean, healthy environment?

Does this reduce and prevent pollution?

The children of Argyle, particularly those near the Intermediate school, are certainly going to receive an education about this industry as they will be able to see, hear, smell and breathe the operations from their playground.  I know that is not the type of educational programs you envisioned.
And perhaps to keep with the “go green” views of this organization would you want to have a community garden on a pasture that has been landfarmed with the drilling mud and waste?
Lastly, do you think one of our local drilling sites can receive the “yard of the month”?  See criteria below:
CURB APPEAL: landscape features such as birdhouses, ironwork, attractive mailbox, etc.

ENERGY CONSERVATION: Use of alternative power sources or reduction of conventional energy sources.

CREATIVITY: Colorful plants, heights, textures, etc.

USE OF RECYCLED PRODUCTS: Mulch, manure, compost, tires, etc.
WATER CONSERVATION: Xeriscaping, Waterwise landscaping
So, you be the judge – are we keeping Argyle beautiful?  We think not!  So, we are asking Keep Argyle Beautiful to partner with the alliance to help maintain your mission.  The drilling operations are an oxymoron to everything your website states you stand for and we are ready to work with you to ensure these goals are not compromised.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

EPA steps in to gain control over one of TCEQ's biggest air pollution permits.


TCEQ and EPA, control over one of its biggest air pollution permits

The permitting process has created problems right here in Argyle. The EPA is catching up and starting to make changes. Dr. Armendariz and his team agree that the gas industry needs significant changes in order to protect citizens. See the below example of some of the work the EPA is doing. (ABCA)

SEE FULL ARTICLE in the Dallas Morning News / 12:28 AM CDT on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 By RANDY LEE LOFTIS / The Dallas Morning News 

The Environmental Protection Agency's takeover of a key permit governing Flint Hills Resources' East Corpus Christi refinery marks a widening gulf between federal regulators and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.


The EPA, for now, has stopped short of seizing control of the state's entire air-pollution permitting system. But the agency's top regional official said he is preparing to take over more Texas permits and is insisting the state make basic changes.


"The EPA is serious about requiring that air-quality permits held by companies in Texas are federally sufficient," EPA regional administrator Al Armendariz said in a telephone interview. "If the state agency is unwilling or unable to issue those permits, the EPA must and will do so."


The TCEQ has insisted that its permit system is legal and effective. In a letter to the EPA dated Monday, TCEQ Executive Director Mark Vickery said the state understood that legal deadlines might force the EPA to take over some Texas permits while the agencies try to resolve "significant differences in opinion."



Armendariz said the EPA's choice of Flint Hills Resources to begin its permit takeover did not reflect a particular problem with that facility. Rather, he said, the agency believed objections to its state permit were on especially strong legal grounds.


The TCEQ issued a draft operating permit for the Flint Hills Resources refinery last October. The EPA formally objected to the state permit in December, saying it omitted required information about emissions and environmental requirements.
Without that information, the agency said, neither the public nor regulators could adequately monitor the refinery's pollution.


That process also will occur at other facilities with disputed permits, Armendariz said. In the past six months, the EPA has filed formal objections to major Texas permits at 40 facilities, an apparently unprecedented number in any state.



Armendariz said Texas permits have taken improper shortcuts, omitted key information and made it difficult to tell if facilities have skirted mandatory reviews.


The TCEQ says its system cuts red tape without violating the law or sacrificing public health. In his letter Monday, commission chief Vickery recounted what he said were ongoing efforts to find common ground.



KEY POINTS: EPA'S CASE
The EPA said Flint Hills Resources' draft operating permit, written by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, violates the Clean Air Act because it:
• Improperly relies on the refinery's separate "flexible" permit, which itself does not comply with the Clean Air Act.
• Obscures key requirements by directing the reader to other documents instead of stating the requirements plainly. The Clean Air Act mandates a "clear and meaningful" statement of permit provisions so the public can monitor a facility's operations.
• Requires just three years of environmental record-keeping. The Clean Air Act requires five years.
• Fails to identify the specific equipment covered by some requirements.
• Omits information needed to determine if the refinery should have been subject to enhanced scrutiny.

SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency


Monday's May24th, Protest

http://www.texasobserver.org/forrestforthetrees/ah-texas-radioactive-politics-gas-protests-and-coal-wars

Published on: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Protesters in ArgyleSusan KnollProtesters in Argyle



Monday, May 24, 2010

Protest - What can you do?

Today was successful. Many drove by the Jeter Rd. site and received information as to Williams Gulf Coast Production's possible plans for the Jeter Rd site.  The main question today was "What can I do?" You can begin by:

  • Signing the online petition
  • Learn about what is going on through the this blog and others.
  • Send ABCA your contact information to get Alerts.
  • Begin attending town, school and other area meetings when gas is on the agenda.
  • Write your local and state representatives and voice your concerns. 
If you are on a lease or own your minerals this does not mean you can not advocate for clean air, water and safe drilling practices. It is the hope that all gas operators who do business in this area would adhere to all laws, permitting processes and green completion methods. However, when citizens continue to find disparaging information in the mentioned areas it raises concerns. These concerns become serious when we realize the affects of a missed step with the gas industry could result in dangerous results for our families.


Denton Record Chronicle reports on Jeter Rd. issues.

ARGYLE — Protesters opposing a natural gas company’s plans to build wastewater tanks and compressors in a rural neighborhood temporarily blocked workers’ access to the site Monday morning, in a move designed to draw attention to their plight.


Today on Jeter Rd.

Today on Jeter Rd. Williams has torn down 150 year old trees.

Call to action - Mothers protest toxic waste facility!



Greed and Gas Divide Community
Mothers protest toxic waste dump in neighborhood.

For Immediate Release:

At dawn on Monday, May 24th, a group of mothers and children protest Williams Petroleum's exploitation of lax regulation in Texas as they install a massive toxic waste facility in the heart of their neighborhood. Neighbors call the facility on Jeter Road in Argyle, Texas DISH 2.

Concerned mother and founding member of Argyle - Bartonville Communities Alliance, Jayme Sizelove, says, "This dangerous site is too close to homes. It's only 100 feet from my son's bedroom window." 

Leaseholders and Argyle Town Council Members made back-room deals with Williams Petroleum to move the waste from the site where it's produced and shove it off on the unsuspecting neighbors.  Rather than recycle gas waste onsite, Williams is transporting the waste to a residential neighborhood.

This site is in the Denton Creek flood plain where runoff can contaminate drinking water downstream. "As far as we know, proper permits, plats, hydrology studies and emergency plans have not been made," said Jana DeGrand an alliance member.

In other states, Williams uses best practices and recycles drilling waste onsite, but best practices are not mandated in Texas so Williams refuses to use them. "Texans deserve best practices too." said Susan Knoll. "People who profit from the wells should deal with the waste".

Onsite recycling would eliminate:
    •    unregulated toxic waste pipelines
    •    massive truck traffic in a residential area
    •    explosive and toxic waste near children
    •    toxic compounds in air from fugitive emissions

Drillers should Drill-Right Texas or not drill at all.

For more information:

Argyle - Bartonville Communities Alliance http://abcalliance.blogspot.com

Drill-Right Texas: Best Oil & Gas Practices for Texas, http://earthworksaction.org/publications.cfm?pubID=444

Sunday, May 23, 2010

ABCA addresses the Denton County Commisioners Court

ABCA wants a taskforce to address the issues of gas exploration in denton county. See the powerful presentation given to the denton county commissioners court. County Commisssioners agreed to a taskforce and work has begun to put a best practices together for Denton County.

ABCA Addresses Denton Commissioner Court from Runner Susan on Vimeo.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Breaking News! - SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LIED TO

BREAKING NEWS!!!

My heart is breaking as SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LIED TO and I believe it is ABCA. A neighbor out for a Saturday morning stroll just stopped by the Jeter Rd. site and asked a simple question to the individual in charge at the Jeter Rd. site. What are you doing on this property? The answer was, We are preparing the site for 32 storage tanks to be delivered Monday." Yes guys:
32
This is unacceptable!
As this is breaking news there will be more to follow soon. 

How to find new drill permits...






One of the comments on a previous post, the writer ask: 
How do you find out when a new permit is being applied for by these companies? Do we have the right to protest a well site if it is not in an area that is appropriate for drilling?

ABCA is watching the RRC website closely for new permits in Denton County. You can to. Go to:

http://webapps.rrc.state.tx.us/DP/initializePublicQueryAction.do

Type in Denton County or any other information you have. You can then begin to search. However, please remember that by the time a permit is requested at the RRC the town has already approved it. The first place to watch is the P&Z town agenda's. Then it will go to the town council and on to the RRC for a permit. The best time to protest is with P&Z and town council. Once it gets to RRC you need to be a mineral owner within the pool and if you are within 330 feet of the drill line you can request a hearing with the RRC.

Also when looking for permits for new gas exploration in the area, it is interesting to know that you can search the RRC website for new pipelines. However, this area is not updated online but every couple of months and so far for the year the RRC does not show any new permits for pipelines in Denton County. (ABCA will post more on this soon)

Now when it comes to Compressor Stations and Centralized Collection Facilities there is not a permit pulled until they are ready to fire up the engines. I believe this is done with TCEQ. ABCA is learning everyday so if any of this needs to be corrected we will gladly do so.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Pay Attention - Williams is moving into Double Oak

Now that Flower Mound is pushing back against Williams they are moving into Double Oak.
They have permitted 3 new wells through the RRC in the past week. They will be situated off Kings Road.  Where will the pipelines, tanks, compressors, etc go?

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Big Deception by Mayor Calvin Tillman


This article is the result of 11 Compressors throughout Dish,TX.  Williams plans on installing 4 on Jeter Rd in Argyle. One is already next to Liberty Christian School and 1 smaller one is in Bartonville. This is what we have to look forward to. Read what the Mayor of Dish has to say about the gas industry and those who are supposed to protect us ...... 


The Big Deception

When I first decided that we needed to have some biological testing accomplished here in DISH, TX, I was cautioned against getting our state health department involved. Most figured that they would run up here and began covering the back side of the oil and gas industry like they have done so many times before. However, I also have some very smart and nationally recognized people who help me in these decisions and we decided that if they would take our input on the testing, we might be OK. So we asked the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to test the air and a tentatively identified compound test in conjunction with the tests they were running. But they ignored the request from a nationally recognized scientist, who has more scientific recognition in her little toe, than anyone who works for the DSHS will ever have. Therefore, their report subsequently has turned out more political than scientific.

As one well known citizen who lives in the barnett shale has stated, "everything you hear from the natural gas industry in either a lie, or half truth". Here in DISH, we are used to the paid liars from this industry coming in and feeding us the normal lines like what good neighbors they want to be. However, when you get this from your state agencies that are sworn to protect you, it does not set as well. Many people believe everything these people say, and they are never held accountable when they are wrong...or deceitful. The DSHS showed up just like many of the other paid liars, thinking that they would blow smoke up the rear ends of a bunch of country bumpkins that didn't know any better, and just like the other paid liars, they left with their tails between their legs. Country bumpkins typically recognize the smell of BS pretty quickly.

After thinking about this, and doing some research into the matter, it was clear that no matter what was detected, the DSHS would have found a way to say there is nothing wrong. They have a history of doing just that, please see the following link, where they failed to protect the public interest in Texas once again.

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/epitox/consults/delroc_hc.pdf

In this "investigation" the community was worried about water run-off from a former refinery (hmm same industry), and subsequent surface water contamination. However, the same characters who came to DISH, decided the surface water didn't need testing. The soil and sediment were tested and both exceeded the Health Based Assessment Comparison for aluminum, arsenic, BaP TEQ (benzene derivative), and vandium. Conclusion - "no apparent public health hazard". In my line of business we call people like this "hacks".

In our case, they were looking hard for criticisms from us before the meeting, so that they could prepare to answer them. I made some comment to the media about the number of folks who had toluene and xylene in their systems, and oddly enough they came up with statistics that show we are actually lower than the rest of the United States, this was not in the report, just the presentation. At this point I started getting that familiar smell that we have grown accustomed to here in DISH... and not the natural gas smell. I then asked for the source of the statistics they used to determine this and they sent me to NHANES, said "just google it". Maybe that was their joke, because me and others searched for hours with no success finding this data. I did find a statement that said VOCs are present in most everyone at some level, but it would not be in detectable levels in everyone, so that may have been one of those "half truths".

During my several hours of research, I did find that the 95th percentile used in the DISH study appears to be a hand picked by the "hacks", and likely hand picked for a purpose. Apparently, you do not need a percentile reference number, but when one is used the 90th percentile seems to be the number used by real scientists.

If 50% of the households in DISH were above the 95th percentile for chemical exposure, I wonder how many are over the 90th percentile. However, if they would have figured that, it is likely that they would have that trend they were looking for, and we damn sure wouldn't want that, now would we? I think similar lying with statistics was accomplished in Flower Mound as well. If they start finding problems, the boys and girls in Austin would not get those critical campaign contributions they have grown accustom to. In my business we look for trends, and I am starting to see a trend with these "hacks".

If the above blatant failures were not enough to show what a joke this was, you must hear the rest of the story. Dr. Bradford admitted when questioned that the study was not a scientific study. However, they came to a very solid conclusion, with this non-scientific study. The conclusion goes something like...we see exposure but have no idea where the exposure is coming from, but it damn sure aint coming from that compressor station that we smelled those horrible odors from.

They then admitted that they did not know how close any of the citizens lived to the compressor sites, nor did they know the number of males vs females that were tested, and did not even know the age range of those who were tested. You would think they would have known the answers to the easy stuff if they wanted to appear believable. The data that they used for comparison in DISH was seven years old. Outdated data is something they also used in Flower Mound to help them reach their objective. I guess they figured they had this one in the bag like all the others before, too bad the country bumpkin's weren't buying.

Children were not tested as part of this "investigation". There apparently was no data to compare the results; however, in my wild goose chase that Dr. Bradford sent me on, I found several studies that referenced children. The one mentioned above showed how these chemicals affect children differently than adults...and yea it is much worse. She avoided the question during the meeting when asked about how children are affected differently than adults.

Frankly, I believe that they were sent here to not find anything and they would likely find exposure in our children. If they find toluene and xylene in kids they would not be able to blame it on smoking. Even us country bumpkins don't let our five year olds smoke. They would not have been able to give us the "half truths" that they did, and people don't play when it come to their kids. If us nice country folk knew our kids have BTEX chemical exposure, we may not be so nice any more. I am hopeful that the light will shine on some of the roaches who are responsible for these illusions, and I think there is another facility I would rather see them at, and it is located in Huntsville, Texas.

The house of cards they built came down very quickly. I am extremely disappointed that these folks did not take their oaths seriously, and are allowing the public to continue being put at risk. I had originally felt sorry for those who were likely on the puppets for the higher ups, but it is all too apparent that this is not there first deception, so they should have moved on to something else if they weren't committed to covering things like this up. They have actually offered to come back for another round of testing. I think I would rather see if the Chesapeake or Devon environmental department is available, they are much better liars.

In closing I would like to say that this "investigation" brings more questions than answers, and it is time for us to demand a stop to the social injustices that these state agencies are allowed to impose. Many people have no other options than to take their word for it, and no recourse when they are wrong. We apparently have not only been sacrificed for the good of the shale by these companies, but also the State of Texas. It is time for us to hold these paid liars accountable for their actions. Please let me know if you have any skills to help me investigate similar injustices.

Fortunately, the last state agency that left the DISH town hall with their tails between their legs was shamed into installing a permanent air monitor. Frankly, I am delightfully surprised by the improvements in our air quality over the last month. I am certainly not calling all clear, but it may be that we don't even need more testing, but I know that another community (Argyle) will face the same situation if there is not something done. If this industry would just do it right, we would not have many of these problems. The Gulf would not be becoming the dead sea and our children would not be exposed to cancer causing toxins. Please post on your blogs and websites.

See report here:

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/epitox/consults/dish_ei_2010.pdf


Calvin Tillman Mayor, DISH, TX (940) 453-3640 "Those who say it can not be done, should get out of the way of those that are doing it"

Williams shareholders face undisclosed risks associated with hydraulic fracturing

Please note that voluntary disclosure is not enough. Hydraulic fracturing must be regulated by the EPA under the SWDA.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 20, 2010

CONTACT:
Larisa Ruoff
Green Century Capital Management, 617-482-0800

Williams Companies, Inc. shareholders face undisclosed risks associated with hydraulic fracturing
Green Century urges Williams to improve transparency at annual meeting

Boston, MA—Building on the recent success at Cabot Oil & Gas* and EOG Resources*, where over 30 percent of shareholders voted in support of a similar resolution,** today investors will challenge Williams Companies, Inc. to improve its disclosure of the risks to shareholder value associated with its gas drilling (hydraulic fracturing) operations. 

Hydraulic fracturing is a process used by energy companies that injects high volumes of water, chemicals and particles underground to create fractures through which gas can flow for collection.  Fracturing operations require significant land use modification, disruptive new roads, the trucking of toxic chemicals through established communities, and heavy water use.  According to the industry, fracturing has been used in roughly 90 percent of wells in operation today and 60-80 percent of new wells will require fracturing to remain viable.

Williams is the 10th largest natural gas producer in the United States and according to the company’s 2009 10-K filed with the SEC, over 99 percent of its US reserves are natural gas.  The company states on its website that it “specialize[s] in developing unconventional reserves, including tight-sands gas, coal-bed methane and shale,” which often require hydraulic fracturing.   

Hydraulic fracturing operations have been linked to environmental risks that could have significant financial implications for the companies involved and that are leading to increased regulatory scrutiny.  “Given its reliance on hydraulic fracturing, Williams may face substantial business risks -- but the company does not provide investors the necessary information on its hydraulic fracturing operations to determine whether the company acknowledges and is successfully managing such risks,” said Larisa Ruoff, the Director of Shareholder Advocacy for Green Century Capital Management. 

The Green Century Equity Fund filed a resolution at Williams asking the company to report on the environmental impact of the company’s hydraulic fracturing operations and for a discussion of the potential policies the company could adopt, above and beyond regulatory requirements, to reduce or eliminate hazards to air, water and soil quality from those activities.


As the use of hydraulic fracturing skyrockets, communities, regulators and investors are growing increasingly concerned about the environmental impacts of this process. Regulation at the state or federal level could have dramatic implications for all companies engaged in hydraulic fracturing by subjecting them to EPA oversight, potentially restricting areas in which hydraulic fracturing may be performed, limiting materials that may be used, or otherwise increasing costs. 

“We are not asking Williams or any other company to stop hydraulic fracturing, but we do want to make sure that this drilling is done in a way that both minimizes its impact on drinking water and surrounding communities while also protecting the company’s bottom line,” continued Ruoff.  “We are concerned that our investments may be undermined by company decision-making and policies that could fall behind public and regulatory expectations for environmental protection, and we believe increased transparency is critical.”

Green Century and the Investor Environmental Health Network  are leading the investor effort to ensure that natural gas drilling is done in a way that protects investor interests by avoiding unnecessary risks to human health and the environment.  Numerous investors and investor advisors including As You Sow, Boston Common Asset Management, Catholic Healthcare West, First Affirmative Financial Network, Green Century Capital Management, MMA Praxis Mutual Funds, the Mercy Investment Program, Miller/Howard Investments, the New York State Common Retirement Fund, the Shareholder Association for Research and Education, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, the Sustainability Group, and Trillium Asset Management have engaged over 20 companies in efforts to encourage increased transparency and disclosures of the risks associated with this process.

###

Green Century Capital Management is an investment advisory firm focused on environmentally responsible investing.  Founded by a partnership of non-profit environmental advocacy organizations in 1991, Green Century's mission is to provide people who care about a clean, healthy planet the opportunity to use the clout of their investment dollars to encourage environmentally responsible corporate behavior. Green Century believes that shareholder advocacy is a critical component of responsible investing and actively advocates for greater corporate environmental accountability.  Green Century manages two environmentally responsible mutual funds, the Green Century Balanced Fund and the Green Century Equity Fund.


*As of March 31, 2010, Cabot Oil & Gas was not held by the Green Century Balanced Fund or the Green Century Equity Fund; EOG Resources was not held by the Green Century Balanced Fund and comprised 0.43% of the Green Century Equity Fund; Williams Companies, Inc. was not held by the Green Century Balanced Fund and comprised 0.25% of the Green Century Equity Fund. Portfolio composition will change due to ongoing management of the Funds.  Please refer to the Green Century Funds website for current information regarding the Funds' portfolio holdings. These holdings are subject to risk as described in the Funds' prospectus. References to specific investments should not be construed as a recommendation of the securities by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.

** The percentage in favor was calculated by (i) dividing the number of votes in support of the proposal by (ii) the sum of the number of votes voted in support of and against the proposal.  Abstentions and broker non-votes were not included in the calculation.

You should consider the Funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing.  For a prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds, call 1-800-93-GREEN, visitwww.greencentury.com or email info@greencentury.com.  Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.  Investments are not FDIC insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value.

The Green Century Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 5/10


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Bartonville Mayor's letter to Senator Jane Nelson

In November 2009, the Mayor of Bartonville drafted a letter to Senator Jane Nelson regarding gas well emissions. The letter stated there seems to be a he said/she said conflict and more information is needed to know what the Town of Bartonville is dealing with. The town has not budgeted for the monumental task of air pollution abatement. It goes on to ask that the state to set aside funding and resources to investigate and abate what appears to be an environmental disaster in the making. View the complete letter at :
http://www.townofbartonville.com/files/Letter%20to%20Senator%20Nelson.pdf

Corinth Moratorium


There will be a Public Hearing at Corinth City Hall to discuss the City of Corinth Gas Well Ordinance and a temporary moratorium on Thursday, May 20, 2010. For more about Corinth click on the link to the right.

ABCA addresses the Denton County Commisioners Court

Yesterday, ABCA made a powerful presentation to the Denton County Commissioners Court. ABCA stated that the toxic waste is being pushed into neighborhoods outside of municipalities where there are no setbacks and no ordinances to protect residents. As a result, in the past couple of months many area groups have formed alliances to combat the impacts that gas drilling on our environment.

ABCA stated it is not to late for our community but we need to act quickly. We can not wait on state legislation. Changes need to be made now. A task force is just one step in the process. But a necessary step.

The commissioners and Judge Horn agreed and will take action on forming a task force to adopt a best practices for Denton County. This task force will include citizens groups, municipalities and the industry. I am sure this will feel like the Hatfields and Macoys as Copper Canyon Mayor Sue Tejml described.

To view the full presentation:  http://txsharon.blogspot.com/

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_task_force_0519.191546be.html

Monday, May 17, 2010

AISD School Board Meeting

Public notice:
School Board meeting tonight: May 17th, 2010
6:00pm (they are usually in closed session until 7:00)
Argyle ISD Board Room, 800 Eagle Drive

13. Discussion/Action Items
L. Consider approval of amended mineral lease from Hillwood Oil and Gas resulting in additional $20,000. to AISD
M. Consider approval of easement document from Hillwood Oil and Gas


To hear the presentation two parents made to the school board on March 22, 2010 in regards to the Whitehead and Jenkins well site you can listen to the audio minutes here: Jennifer Cole speaks starting at 5:40 and Jayme Sizelove follows concluding at 16:25.
http://www.argyleisd.com/BoardMinutes/audio/3-22-10/3-22-10.mp3

Whitehead - Construction & Flooding


May 14, 2010 - Hillwood sent a letter to AISD - AISD posted it on the school website: View full letter at: http://www.argyleisd.com/districtnews.asp
Letter summary: Construction of the road entrance began as planned on Wednesday morning. Traffic coordination by Sgt Adams with Argyle PD was outstanding. If there are no weather delays, trucks will begin hauling gravel on Wednesday 5/19/2010. We are planning for 20 loads per day, which will be coordinated around the time restrictions in the morning and afternoon (around school beginning and ending), and will last for 5 days. Should anyone have any questions please feel free to contact one of the following Hillwood representatives:

Jim Kramer – 817-201-2360
Johnie Daniels – 817-454-3000
Tad LeBlanc – 832-418-2295
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Now that the traffic issues are being addressed, I wonder if anything is going to be done about the flooding. With the construction of the Jenkins well (12 wells behind school) the flood plane will be altered. The water from the Jenkins site will flow into the creek between the school and Front St. I hope they have done a hydrology study. Pictures are from Friday, May 14th. First picture- The creek is full and water and is flowing over the road at the entrance to the Argyle Intermediate School. I hope the homes along Front St. are not flooding. Second picture- Construction on road to Whitehead well.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Presentation to Denton County Commissioners


Argyle- Bartonville Communities Alliance (ABCA) is in need of your support. Please come to the presentation made by ABCA for the Denton County Commissioners on Tuesday morning. Your attendance is greatly appreciated. 

What:  Argyle-Bartonville Communities Alliance presentation to the Denton County Commissioner’s Court
 
Where: Denton County Courthouse on the Square
           110 West Hickory Street
           
DentonTX 76201-4116
           2nd Floor
 
What time:  Meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. 
 
Who we would like to attend:  Any and all Denton County residents who are concerned about the impacts of gas drilling in the County – including other groups such as Flower Mound Cares, Corinth Cares and DCRUD.
 
Topics of discussion:  William’s residential area planned CCF on Jeter Rd, lack of enforcement to drilling operations in County and unincorporated areas, the county needs to be far more proactive in protecting air, soil, and water quality and other concerns of urban and rural natural gas drilling

Landfarming - Coming to a pasture near you!




Gas drilling waste is getting spread all over Texas farmland.


Argyle/Bartonville Residents this is coming to a pasture near you! 

Statements pulled from the Ft. Worth weekly article printed May 12th, 2010.
  • The drilling caused its own problems, but it wasn’t until the company spread muddy drilling waste over several acres of their land that all three of the Ruggieros, at about the same time, began to suffer from similar-looking rashes.
  • In the Ruggieros’ case, the foul-smelling mud that drilling crews had spread over their land turned out, when tested by Rich’s company, to contain high levels of arsenic and benzene, both of which can cause cancer.
  • Many rural families fear that anything grown on acreage that has been improperly land farmed may be contaminated with carcinogens and that the grass and crops are potentially harmful to humans and animals. In some cases, they report, animals will not even eat the affected grass.
  • In Arkansas, which last year began the process of revoking permits on 11 land-farm sites, landfarming runoff had contaminated local water supplies.
  • “Texas can’t seem to learn by watching others,” Sharon Wilson said. “We just keep on letting the industry have complete carte blanche.”

See the full article at : FT. Worth Weekly -Landfarming
More info at: What is Landfarming?