Texas Sharon's Bluedaze

Fracking News

Arlington gas pipelines are way too close for comfort

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When the landman knocks on your door with tales of great riches if you sign on the dotted line, he might show you a shiny brochure with a tank sitting in the middle of a meadow of wildflowers. That’s not reality. Every gas well requires a tremendous amount of infrastructure. Pipelines are only a small part of that infrastructure but they could be the most damaging.

Arlington is getting more pipelines and this one is a big one.

Just FYI: During this past legislative session, Rep. Lon Burnam sponsored HB 1125, a bill that would have required study of putting odorant in high pressure pipelines in populated areas–just a study to see if it would help. That bill never got out of committee. Industry killed that bill in committee. They don’t want to odorize the gas and they don’t even want a study to determine the feasibility.

As it stands, that pipeline you see in the photos–it’s a big one–will have high pressure non odorized gas. All pipelines leak. All. Pipelines. Leak. When this one leaks, you won’t know.

To see what it looks like when a pipeline this size ruptures, click HERE.

About Sharon Wilson

Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    Anyone know how often the RRC is required to inspect these gas pipelines? It is worrisome that these pipes are being laid in Texas soil which is known to have lots of movement. I see disaster in our future.

  2. GhostBlogger says

    The RRC is kind of secretive about such. The Pipeline Safety Trust found the TRRC doesn’t publish enforcement or inspection records:

    http://www.pstrust.org/resources/regs/statewebsites.htm

    Earth movement is a genuine concern. A gas transmission pipeline failure from land movement in rural Washington is still remembered 14 years later:

    http://tdn.com/news/local/kalama-residents-uneasy-about-proposed-gas-pipeline/article_8ac138fa-3cf2-11e1-b909-001871e3ce6c.html

    In West Virginia, hill slippage started when pipeline construction did:

    http://www.wetzelchronicle.com/page/content.detail/id/510570/Pipeline-Project-Causes-Slip.html?nav=5001

    But, nothing said about rerouting the pipeline! Also;”The slip she spotlighted could have put a compression station and a drilling pad in danger, in addition to area residents. The slip is currently in the process of being rectified.”

    Slips & slides are not easy to fix.

  3. Kaye Hutchins says

    Hi Sharon, this is why in June 2011 we moved from Arlington to Las Vegas! When they started fracking one block from our house, we said “enough”. BTW, we are the people with the parrots that Ralph Widman told you about. I used to have 2-3 headaches per week in Arlington. Now that we are in Fabulous Las Vegas, I’ve had TWO in 7 months. Something had to be causing them!
    Thanks for spreading the word.

  4. WCGasette says

    And seeing those “runners” passing by the pipelines like it’s just any other ordinary construction project/utility going in…just a little inconvenience. It’s so unbelievably sad to see this reality.

  5. Flo says

    Oh, and honey, Arlington was given a whopping big check from DFW Midstream ($50,000) for building a “beautiful” park somewhere in the middle of all this mess. Arlington City Council loves the money and they must be really dumb as the rocks. I mean, who will want to play out in a public park knowing this stuff is all around??