TRC spokeswoman should define "few years."

The Shorthorn published an article yesterday about natural gas wells and safety concerns during weather events.

Concerns about natural gas well safety arise

The article contains a first person account of a pressure release during severe weather in Arlington:

Arlington resident Jane Lynn said at about 2 a.m. on April 10, during a thunderstorm, the well near her house vented natural gas to relieve pressure buildup. She said the gas filled her house and made her ill and she was concerned about lightning igniting it.

“I don’t feel comfortable living here,” she said, adding that she and her family may move away from the Barnett Shale and Texas because of health and safety concerns.

Ramona Nye, Texas Railroad Commission spokeswoman, is quoted in the article saying: “…there have been no reports of any natural gas incidents related to the wildfires, and no weather related incidents in the past few years.“

That’s truthiness.

There was the weather event in Arlington. Barnett Shale gas wells not storm proof.

I can’t go through all my blog posts and pull out all the weather related events but I do know that I have personally witnessed two gas wells explode into flames when they were struck by lightning. The first happened on June 19, 2008 and the second on August 17, 2009.

I think Tyler is still in Texas. Lightning Probable Cause Of Oil Tanks Explosion.

A saltwater disposal well burst into flames when struck by lightning.

Here’s one in Jasper County.

I bet you could Google up a few more.