Aruba Petroleum/TCEQ Agreed Order
Violations
AIR:
1. Failed to prevent the discharge from any source of one or more air contaminants or combinations thereof, in such concentration, as to interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of animal life, vegetation, or property (January 17 and February 3, 2010) [30 TEX. ADMIN. CODE § 101.4 and TEX. HEALTH & SAFETY CODE § 382.085(a) and (b)].
2. Failed to prevent the discharge from any source of one or more air contaminants or combinations thereof, in such concentration, as to interfere with the normal use and enjoyment of animal life, vegetation, or property (January 20, 23, 24, 27, February 2, 7, 13, 18, and 20, 2010) [30 TEX.ADMIN.CODE § 101.4 and TEX. HEALTH &SAFETY CODE § 382.085(a) and (b)].
3. Failed to obtain authorization for a facility which may emit air contaminants [30 TEX. ADMIN.CODE § 116.110(a) and TEX.HEALTH & SAFETY CODE §§ 382.0518 and 382.085(b)].
Total Assessed Penalty
$35,500 (As you can see, it’s cheaper for Aruba to continue with the violations than to purchase control technology.)
What the Violations Look Like
01-17-2010 Violation
01-17-2010 Violation
02-03-2010 Violation
02-27-2010 Violation
02-28-2010 Violation
What the Air Contaminants Are
See attached TCEQ Summa Results
1-17-2010 TCEQ Investigation report
2-27-2010 and 2-28-2010 TCEQ Investigation reports
2-3-2010 TCEQ Inspection report
Public comments due by 5:00 p.m. September 6, 2010
Can be faxed to Jennifer Cook at 512-239-3434 or mailed to:
TCEQ Central Office
Attn. Jennifer Cook
P.O. Box 13087
MC 175
Austin, TX 78711-3087
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.
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I think there is plenty of evidence to more than demonstrate that the spills, leaks and emissions are not random events, 'accidents' or anything else, but rather part of Aruba's business model. This is how they do business, folks. Here it is, step by step:
1) If the surface owners have already objected to drilling near their home, then wait for them to leave the house. Have one of the workers follow the owner to ensure they will be gone for awhile.
2) Knock down or cut through any barriers, such as any fencing.
3) Bulldoze the property, and begin digging the hole for the waste pit.
4) The older the technology, the better. Old diesel drill rigs are best.
5) When you spill something, look around to see if anyone noticed. As a last resort, call the TRRC and report it, but only if you think you were caught.
6) Don't forget to take care of your local TRC inspector, afterall, they have families to support, too.
7) You don't have to fix or repair anything, just tell the inspector you did, he'll be sure to include everything you did to correct the problem in his report. (Don't worry about what he reports, you take care of him, he'll take care of you 😉
8) Repeat as necessary.
9) If all else fails, use a barrel of money to fix all remaining problems. Hire a non-scientist to do all of your PR. (but whatever you do, DON'T use any capital to actually improve the drilling process, or the air, or water quality).
Did anyone else read the bizarre Dallas Morning News article about the Texas City toxic release in April? Somehow it is established that 538,000 pounds of toxic chemicals were released into the air over a period of 40 days. And yet BP maintains that their air monitors showed no significant changes and therefore the 10 billion dollar class action lawsuit is baseless. Its Orwellian double speak because in the same article BP claims it followed state regulations by reporting the incident to the proper regulatory agencies. The incident that their air monitors showed didn't happen…And shame on Texas Attorney general Greg Abbott for seeking fines of only 600,000 dollars. 600,000 dollars for one of the largest releases of toxic gas in Texas history. No wonder they chose not to shut the plant down and repair it. It would have cost more than the fines they would receive.