Dear Williams Energy Gulf Coast LP-A., you bring a tear to my eye and make my heart race. And there’s also some coughing and weird skin blisters involved.
Tonight I attended a community meeting in Argyle to discuss “Next Steps” in their efforts to get some relief from the impacts caused by the drilling operations in their neighborhood. We didn’t get very far because by about 7:50 PM the faint smell of a hair perm along with a burn smell was registering high enough that I decided I had to ask. “Does anyone else smell that?”
They did.
The windows were open because it was such a cool and beautiful evening. The odor suddenly grew in intensity until we jumped up and slammed the windows shut. Gah!
Our eyes were burning. And my heart started doing somersaults and beating faster than normal but I didn’t mention it first. Someone else, also, had a racing heart.
Then the texting and phone calls came. “What’s going on! It smells like dirty socks.” Other descriptors: dirty dog, wet dog, hair permanent solution, burn.
So, I did what I always tell you guys to do:
- I called the TCEQ.
- I called the National Response Center
- I called 911 on the advice of the NRC.
By the time the Fire Marshall arrived, the odor was gone and other than a few weird blisters and a froggy throat, I’m okay.
Those people in Argyle and Bartonville can’t continue living like this!
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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Before I went to bed I had three blisters: neck, arm and face. I woke this morning with my eyes swollen, congestion and my jaw locked. First time for that to happen.
Just the same kind of crap that happens near gas plants in Booger County–welcome to the OK corral! All we can do is Run, RUN RUN RUN, Run from the gas plant.
This is the same smell that we get from the gas processing plant near us. I was amazed that you called the odor “perm”. For years we’ve reported the odor to TCEQ and then one day the TCEQ inspector put in his report that he did smell an odor and called it “perm smell”. so TCEQ is familiar with that term. If it has the perm smell then the natural gas stream contains hydrogen sulfide which is removed at the gas plant and vented into the air for citizens to smell and nothing is being done about it. We’ve also experienced the same type health effects, such as heart palputations, nose bleeds, strange skin sores, headaches, coughing, eye burning etc. The smell is always gone when the TCEQ inspector comes out, its as if the plant knows when they are coming.