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Feb 19, 2008 6:46 pm US/Central
Fort Worth Residents Angry About Gas Drilling Site
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
The City of Fort Worth got an ear full from angry residents Tuesday who are upset with gas drilling in the city. Gas companies want to drill wells near three public parks and neighbors are not happy about it.
The city wants to tighten regulations as it pertains to gas wells and drilling. In one instance, a rig being put up right next to a residential neighborhood and a park are regulated by laws that were made two years ago. Some city leaders say they now realize the laws aren't tough enough because now many residents are seeing their dreams disappear.
"My wife and I were hoping to stay here for a while, for a long while," said Fort Worth resident Craig Dyer. "In fact when we bought this place, I told my wife she was gonna have to bury me here in the backyard, because I wasn't moving again… never say never."
Dyer could never have dreamed four years ago that the pasture of park land behind his house would a drilling site. Drilled prior to city laws two years ago the site is now approved to drill again. The city never regulated how many wells could go on the same spot.
"Until you've lived next to one of those for a period of time, you have no idea the impact it has on your quality of life," Dyer said.
As gas companies race to get to products underground, they may be racing against tightening laws as well. The City of Fort Worth is now rethinking laws about where many wells can go and how many holes are covered by each permit.
In the halls where laws are made people like Dyer say they feel helpless. As a taskforce looks at new laws their backyards are succumbing to new wells. "We're afraid that all the current drills, and all the ones between now and when they make a decision, are gonna be 'grandfathered' in and won't have to go with the new regulations," said homeowner Tiffany Ahner. "So it will be too late for us."
Tuesday the city voted to allow a well near one neighborhood, but postponed votes on two other wells near city parks. Officials won't have any new recommendations for laws until late Spring at the earliest.
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