Mayday Dallas! See the ways they will frack your children.

Dallas wants to frack your children.

The Luna South Gas Processing Facility (Luna) that Dallas City Planning Commission is considering is similar–but worse–to the Argyle Central Facility (ACF).

Permits without rules and math that doesn’t count.

These kind of facilities are permitted by the state under a Permit By Rule (PBR), which is a rubber stamp permit. Don’t be fooled by the word “Rule.” Industry hires a consultant and tells them what equipment they want on the site. The consultant does some calculations so the emissions from the equipment will fit the permit. There is no need to actually measure emissions so no one does. Just check yes or no in the appropriate box and you have permission to pollute the neighborhood.

It’s doesn’t matter what you put on the PBR. The ACF permit said they would have 144 blowdowns per year or about one every two to three days. In 2011, there were 501 blowdowns, or about 1.37 on average each day. ACF was operating in violation of their PBR after February 3. A blowdown, as described by the ACF neighbors, is when a compressor empties it bowels. Blowdowns are NOISY and SCARE CHILDREN.

Everything is bigger in Big D.

Compare the Luna site plan to the aerial view of the ACF facility (click for larger version). The Luna site will have 9600 hp of compressors, while ACF had 3424 hp of compressors. You can see a video of the ACF “Big Boys” HERE.

Like Dallas, the Argyle community was told one thing but they got a lot more. You can see a ground level view of what they got HERE and another ground level view with capri pants and a hard hat HERE.

Think about the difference between 9600 hp and 3424 hp as you read the list of toxins emitted and accompanying health affects experienced by the ACF neighbors. You need to read the toxins and health effects to understand what you are seeing in this infrared video of leaks. (I gave this information to the Dallas Drilling Task Force members. The toxins detected were on one side of the paper and the health effects where on the other side. I hope they turned the paper over.)

The above wasn’t a one time deal for the ACF neighbors. It happened many times. In just one year, the TCEQ received over 50 complaints about this facility citing odors and health impacts .  The TCEQ can’t seem to find violations but the EPA found that this facility violated the Clean Air Act and that is a BIG DEAL.

You can read another list of toxic chemicals and another list of health impacts and see another video HERE. This video is of a flare. They don’t tell you about the flares and some of the other equipment in the beginning–they sneak it in later. They need the flare (as explained here by the TCEQ) to burn off the H2S gas that industry says doesn’t exist in the Barnett Shale.

Temporary is longer than you think.

I haven’t told you about the temporary equipment yet. As long as they call it temporary, it doesn’t have to be on the PBR and they can add equipment as they need. Compressors and even flowback tanks, which come with convenient vent holes on top, are temporary, even if they remain on the site for years. Tony said so in a letter to me:

“There is not a time limit the temporary tanks can be claimed under the PBR.”

Anything goes… So get ready Dallas. Something that looks like the mess in this just released video–only worse–is coming your way.

What you can do to stop Dallas from fracking your children. 

Check the poisonous scorecard HERE to see who in Dallas wants to frack your children. Then show up at Dallas City Hall, Thursday, January 10th at 1:30 PM and tell them they can’t frack your children.