Denton has achieved some notoriety as the first town in Texas to ban fracking. In November 2014, a public referendum was held on this issue, with nearly two-thirds of the community voting against the industrial extraction of methane within city … [Read more...]
HB 40 Webinar: What the oil and gas bill means for cities
Last month, the Texas Municipal League (TML) held a webinar on HB 40 and what it means to cities. Below is the text about the seminar edited with italics and strike-though by me to reflect reality and not the TML spin: During the 2015 legislative … [Read more...]
What is the true intent of HB40?
What is the true intent of HB40? Dear, Dear Readers, Please pay attention because there will be a test at the end over the true intent of HB40. Industry spent $21.3 million to buy Texas politicians during the 2014 election. … [Read more...]
Stop letting the 2% Texas mineral owners bully the 98% surface owners
Imagine my surprise to learn that only 2% of Texans own minerals rights. The rights of 2% of Texans override the rights of 98% of Texans. Tricia Davis who is the president of the Texas Royalty Council wrote an essay supporting HB40, the bill … [Read more...]
Hoist frackers on their own petard with HB40 safe harbor.
Texan communities statewide are planning how to restore local democratic control over fracking. They have to because the oil and gas industry, aided and abetted by the state legislature and Governor Abbott with the passage of HB40, stripped … [Read more...]
Fracking KILLS BABIES
Fracking kills babies. There are no mythical economic benefits worth killing our babies. What's Killing the Babies of Vernal, Utah? A fracking boomtown, a spike in stillborn deaths and a gusher of unanswered questions By Paul Solotaroff June … [Read more...]
LIST: Potential coalition partners to restore local control.
With HB40, the oil and gas industry, through the Texas Legislature, used a big government power grab to strip local control of drilling activities from Texas cities. This is a list of cities known to have drilling ordinances. But there could be … [Read more...]
Texas Governor signs HB40 into law, guts community rights
Faced with widespread municipal opposition, oil and gas industry backs big government power grab Earthworks | Denton Drilling Awareness Group | Earthjustice | Natural Resources Defense Council May 18, 2015 Austin, TX - Today Texas Governor … [Read more...]
HB 40 strips disposal well control from cities.
We have known since 1960 that injection can cause earthquakes. Fracking creates massive amounts of waste that requires injection into disposal wells permitted by the state. HB 40 strips disposal well control from cities and overturns bans. Even … [Read more...]
Dear Representative Phil King
Representative Phil King wrote a letter to the FW Weekly in response to their article "Home Rule Under Fire." I'm pretty sure he was talking about me in his letter. Among all the misrepresentations about fracking he made some about me. Phil King … [Read more...]
Fracking Nanny State Bill Passes Texas House
Proving that everything IS bigger in Texas, even the government, the Fracking Nanny State Bill, HB 40, has passed the House in a crushing and shameful vote of 122 Yeas, 18 Nays. Earthworks Statement: Today’s passage of CSHB40 makes clear that, … [Read more...]