Dallas Parks and Train Wreckcreations
At City of Dallas Planning Commission hearing on February 7th that pitted Trinity East Energy against Dallas City Hall and concerned residents, CEO Tom Blanton made some interesting statements to Commissioner Betty Culbreath. Blanton was asked about the cement casing that is used to protect the earth while drilling. Blanton stated that the cement casing had a very low failure rate and implied that the topic was not worthy of study. For the gas industry, casing failure is a not on their radar.
He also told Culbreath how Trinity East Energy had the full cooperation and endorsement of the Dallas Parks Department in planning it’s drill sites and gas compressor location next door to the Elm Fork Soccer Field currently being built by the City of Dallas. He did not state when he had that full cooperation, nor did he say with whom in Parks he had worked.
In a letter to the Dallas Planning Commission whereupon Trinity East Energy decided to take down Gas Drilling Task Force member, Terry Welch, the letter states again about “working in concert” with the Dallas Parks Department.
Again, we don’t know when this “working in concert” happened. Tom Blanton knows. The Dallas Parks Department employee/employees know.
Read the letter.
It makes sense that this is the way things would have to happen-co-operatively, with the city parks people convincing the City Council to implement the agreed upon plans – or trying to. But, then something really went wrong with appropriate procedure-and how in the world could any parks employee think this would not come out? They had to think a powerful person would protect everyone.
“Those issues aside, we encourage the CPC to follow its charge to consider the SUPs before it based upon the ordinance which is in effect.”
The statement above, made by Trinity East in its letter to the CPC of February 7, 2013, is one in which can find no fault. I agree with it 100%. Trinity East and I are in complete agreement!
The existing ordinance at the time the leases were signed, and which is still in effect today, specifically stipulates that drilling in floodplains and on city-owned park land is prohibited under the Dallas Development Code in Article V, Section 51A-5.103.1, Article V, Section 51A-5.104 and Article XI, Section 42.3.1E(iii).
What more is there to discuss? If the CPC does exactly what Trinity East has requested it to do, then it has no choice but to deny those SUPs with prejudice.