Save The Trinity Aquifer

EOG Applies to Build Waste Processing Facility on CR 343

2011-08-31T12:47:00.004-05:00

Protests must be filed by September 7.

Residents along CR 343 in southwestern Cooke County received a packet on Friday, August 26, from EOG concerning the company's August 25 application to the Railroad Commission for a permit to process oil and gas drilling waste into roadbase material.

The application states that "types of waste to be treated will incluce RCRA exempt, oil based drilling fluid and cuttings, crude oil contaminated soil, production tank bottoms, and flow back sand." The application estimates a volume of between 200-800 tons of these wastes per day.

These wastes would be mixed with on-site aggregate in a pug mill and then dispersed to lease roads and well pad sites as roadbase. Area residents' concerns include leaching of toxic chemicals, and additional heavy truck traffic.

A copy of the application can be viewed here.

Protests must be filed within 15 days of the August 25 application date.

Protests should be addressed to
Michael Sims
Texas Railroad Commission
P.O. Box 12967
Austin, TX 78711

Public Meeting Concerning Sand Mine Draws Record Crowd

2011-08-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

from a report submitted to the Saint Jo Tribune

A standing room only crowd attended a five-hour public meeting August 23 at the Muenster ISD cafeteria. Those attended expressed their opinions on the EOG Resources application for an air quality permit permit for a proposed frac sand mine and processing facility just west of Bulcher on the south side of FM 373.

The meeting involved two parts, an informal session and a formal session. The informal session consisted of a question and answer period allowing the public to ask questions to representatives from EOG and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

The audience in the packed cafeteria listened attentively to local citizens expressing their concerns and objections to the pending air quality permit, the frac sand processing facility, and the negative environmental impact it might have.

Questions asked of the TCEQ and EOG representatives covered topics ranging from air quality, truck traffic and emissions, water availability and quality, facility lighting, and the effects on the natural wildlife.

Wylie Harris asked questions regarding the accuracy of some of the numbers in the permit application. One specific question he asked of EOG was how many water wells would be needed. EOG representative Curt Parsons replied, ”a handful.” Patty Fleitman asked if there would be independent air quality monitoring done in and around the facility. TCEQ responded that the agency does not require this.
The TCEQ also responded that if members of the public had a concern or issue, they could file a complaint and submit any evidence of the dust to the agency.

Nancee Turlington stated that the silica dust is not visible to the human eye and cannot be seen in the air. She asked the TCEQ how she would know if she were breathing the dust if it cannot be seen, and how she is supposed to collect it to submit a complaint if it is invisible? James Schoppa and B.B. Lozano addressed the TCEQ with environmental questions on how this facility would impact them in the long term.

In the formal comment section, 39 people formally addressed the TCEQ. Twelve of those spoke in support of EOG and the proposed facility. Of those 12, 11 were EOG employees and the other was Tommy Fenoglio of Montague. The other 27 people who were opposed to this permit were local Cooke and Montague County citizens.

Brandon and Holly Harris-Bayer addressed the TCEQ regarding the negative environmental and economic impact that the proposed EOG facility would have on the Red River Motorcycle Trails, which has been in operation since 1972. They have requested a contested case hearing from the TCEQ on the permit application.

EOG Resources employees showed up in full force to offer their support. Ricky Oneal, a local EOG employee, praised his employer for all of the opportunities the company has brought to this area . Tommy Fenoglio stated that he supported EOG and the proposed facility, and that EOG has been very good to Montague County.

Greg Bohl, Muenster city councilman, raised his concern over the water usage at the facility. Since the Muenster water supply is also out of the Trinity Aquifer, he was worried the huge use of water at the sand facility would jeopardize the Muenster water supply. Penny Jordan, of the Gladys community, challenged the TCEQ to do the right thing for this community, and asked agency representatives how they would like the facility next door to them.

Throughout the meeting, while citizens expressed serious concerns on the issue of air quality, the topic of water availability, quality, and usage was brought up continually by the people speaking to the TCEQ and EOG. TCEQ representative continually responded that they were there to address only the pending permit, which deals strictly with air quality.

Public Meeting Set for August 23, 7 P.M.

2011-07-15T17:15:00.002-05:00

TCEQ has scheduled a public meeting on Enron Oil & Gas Resources, Inc.'s application for air quality permit # 95412.

The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 23, at 7:00 P.M. in the Muenster ISD cafetorium (135 E. 7th Street).

The official notice on TCEQ's online calendar contains details about the format of the public meeting.

Please plan to attend and make your voice heard.

Presentation from Informational Meetings

2011-06-22T08:45:00.001-05:00

In case you weren't able to attend either of the informational meetings last week in Muenster and Saint Jo, there's a version of the presentation from those meetings available online here.

Concerns about Frack Sand Mine Making News

2011-06-16T11:48:00.004-05:00

In recent days, several local and regional media outlets have featured residents' concerns over EOG's frack sand mine and processing facility. Here's a sampling:

Bowie News
(...and followup story)

Gainesville Daily Register

Weekly News of Cooke County

Wichita Falls Times-Record News
(...and followup story)

KXII TV

Daily Ardmoreite

Thanks to the local press for keeping the public in the know!

Sample Letter to TCEQ

2011-06-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

Here is the text of a sample letter to TCEQ, along with instructions on how to submit it either electronically or by mail.

Don't delay!

Muenster Meeting Recap: Film on KXII

2011-06-15T18:03:00.000-05:00

Nearly 40 people attended the public informational meeting in Muenster on June 14, including several from the Oklahoma side of the Red. Oklahoma State Representative Tommy Hardin (District 49) attended, along with Marshall County Commissioners Don Melton and Chris Duroy. From Texas, Cooke County Pct. 4 Commissioner Leon Klement attended.

KXII had a reporter at the meeting, and aired a segment about it on that evening's 10 o'clock newscast. You can read the transcript and see the video of the news segment here

Thanks to all the elected officials, press folk, and concerned citizens for coming out to get informed!

Informational Meetings this Week in Muenster and Saint Jo

2011-06-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

Come learn as much as we know about EOG's plans for its Cooke County frack sand mine, and find out what you can do to learn more.

The times and places of these informational meetings for the public are:

Tuesday, June 14
6:00 PM
Rohmer's Restaurant
Muenster, Texas

Thursday, June 16
6:00 PM
Civic Center
Saint Jo, Texas

Hope to see you there!

EOG's Application for Air Quality Permit #95412

2011-06-08T12:29:00.000-05:00

TCEQ makes hard copies of pending air quality permit applications available for public viewing at locations near the project site. In this case, the application is available for public viewing at the Muenster Public Library.

For those who can get to an internet connection more quickly or conveniently than they can get to Muenster during library hours, here are links to pdf versions of a scanned copy of EOG's application for air quality permit # 95412:
Lower resolution (~4 MB)
Higher resolution (~12 MB)

Birds-Eye View of EOG's Cooke County Frack Sand Mine

2011-06-07T20:22:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of recent aerial photos of EOG's frack sand mine under construction off of FM 373.

This one shows the northwest corner of the sand mine facility. FM 373 runs east-west in the upper portion of the image. Mountain Creek flows past from south to north at the left. The length of the pit closest to the creek in this image is roughly 200 yards; note how close the pit lies to the edge of the creek. The distance from the FM 373 bridge over Mountain Creek to the point where Mountain Creek empties into the Red River is 8,800 feet, a little over a mile and a half. A few pieces of earth moving equipment visible in the bottom of the pit help to give an idea of the scale.

This one is looking south, taken from the opposite side of FM 373 as the previous photo. Mountain Creek is visible at the right-hand edge of the photo, just beyond FM 373. This view shows the large pit seen in the previous photo, as well as the extent of hundreds of acres of bare soil to the south and west of the pit.

New Public Comment Period Ends June 24: Informational Meetings June 14 and 16 in Muenster and Saint Jo

2011-06-07T20:15:00.000-05:00

EOG Resources, Inc., a corporation that was once part of Enron, has set its sights on draining Cooke and Montague county residents’ groundwater, and putting their air quality at risk.

Upcoming meetings in Saint Jo and Muenster will give citizens a chance to find out what’s going on – and what they can do about it.

These informational meetings will take place on June 14 at 6:00 PM at Rohmer’s in Muenster, and on June 16 at 6:30 PM at the Civic Center in Saint Jo.

EOG has applied for an air quality permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for a facility where it will mine and process sand for use in hydraulic oil and gas well fracturing, or “fracking.” The facility is located at 14596 North FM 373, on the bank of Mountain Creek just a mile and a half above the creek’s discharge into the Red River.

Area residents have until June 24 to submit public comments on EOG’s permit application to TCEQ. They have the right to request a public meeting on the application, which would allow residents to put questions directly to EOG representatives. They can also request a contested case hearing, which focuses on the air pollution claims made in the application.

The process for submitting comments to TCEQ will be explained at the meetings, as well as at the end of this article.

According to EOG’s permit application, the sand mine will use 3,700 gallons of water every minute, and move 500 tons of sand every hour. The many risks of these activities to area residents include dry water wells, toxic air pollution, increased traffic hazards, and higher taxes to cover increased wear and tear on local roads.

Even downstream industries, such as the sport tourist fisheries in Lake Texoma, could be affected.

According to the Bowie News, groundwater pumping grew by 50% between 2009-10 in the four-county Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, as the boom in fracking has raced through the Barnett Shale.

The EOG sand mine will emit airborne contaminants including organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter, including particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less.

“Frack sand mining is another one of those environmental issues that the industry doesn't disclose when they ask for your signature on that mineral lease,” says Sharon Wilson, of the Oil & Gas Accountability Project. “It requires massive amounts of water, carries health risks and causes a lot of environmental destruction.”

Despite these dangers, area residents have few options available to fight the threat. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires an air quality permit for operations of this type, which discharge fine particulate silicon, a human carcinogen.

“Frack sand acts like asbestos on your lungs. It's called silicosis,” says Wilson.

All public comments must be submitted to TCEQ either electronically at www.tceq.texas.gov/about/comments.html, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087.

While the agency will consider all comments received by the June 24 deadline, only those specifically requesting a public meeting and/or a contested case hearing will factor into the agency’s decision to hold those events.

Comments should reference proposed air quality permit number 95412.

In addition, those desiring to request a contested case hearing must include the following information in their submitted comments: (1) name, mailing address, daytime phone number, and fax number, if any; (2) applicant’s name (EOG Resources, Inc.) and permit number (95412), the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing”; (4) a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the application and air emissions from the facility in a way not common to the general public; (5) the location and distance of your property relative to the facility; and (6) a description of how you use the property which is made by a group or association.

TCEQ must also grant a public meeting and/or a contested case hearing if these are requested by local legislators. The legislators whose districts include the EOG Cooke County Sand Mine are Sen. Craig Estes (940.898.0331; craig.estes@senate.state.tx.us) and Rep. Rick Hardcastle (940.553.3825; rick.hardcastle@house.state.tx.us).

EOG Sand Mine Threatens Cooke/Montague County Residents' Air, Water, Livelihoods

2011-06-07T20:07:00.000-05:00

Cooke and Montague County residents are banding together once again to counter yet another fracking industry project that threatens water and air resources, as well as property values, public safety, and quality of life.

EOG is attempting to establish a frack sand mining facility at 14596 North 373 FM Road, Saint Jo, Cooke County Texas 76265. The EOG frac sand excavation, processing, and transporting involves clearing 1400 acres of woodlands near Mountain Creek, mining the frac sand, washing and drying the sand, and loading the sand into the trucks to transport.

The first action of clearing and burning the Mountain Creek woodlands began during the fall of 2010. Most residents and local government officials were unaware of the details of this action. In the spring of 2011, when the extent of clearing the land was more visible, local citizens called local officials, including the county fire marshal, county commissioners, and NRCS, who referred the calls to TCEQ.

Dallas TCEQ planned a site visit, but the TCEQ staffer reported that she was unable to see anything as the gate at the site was locked. Dallas TCEQ in turn referred the group to the Railroad Commission (RRC), who referred the group back to TCEQ.

The Dallas TCEQ provided the phone numbers of the regional TCEQ in Fort Worth, who eventually referred the group to Dick Lewis, TCEQ public relations in Austin. Lewis provided the phone number of Larry Buller, TCEQ’s engineer and case handler for EOG’s application for Air Quality Permit #95412.

The public notice of EOG’s application for an air quality permit lists the chemicals emitted into the air by the excavation, processing, and transportation of frack sand. The permit notice went into the Muenster Enterprise only; Saint Jo residents were not notified of EOG’s intent.

In search of more detailed information about the EOG’s frac sand mining facility construction and processing procedures, local residents contacted the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District, and the Army Corp of Engineers (ACE) in Lewisville, Texas.

The Lewisville Corps of Engineers office referred the call to the Army Corp of Engineers’ Tulsa office, which has jurisdiction over the Red River. The Tulsa ACE office stated that EOG filed the correct permit and that there would be “no impact to the waters of the United States.”

The Railroad Commission was contacted again with queries concerning a proposed gas line going from Montague County through private properties to the sand mining location in Cooke County. It is inferred that the gas line will serve as a source of energy for processing the frack sand. The RRC Safety Pipeline Division was contacted and the person in charge stated that no T-4 permit had been filed by EOG as of June 3, 2011.

During the last week of April and first two weeks of May, a small group of local residents scrambled to research frack sand mining and its impact on the environment. What was learned from various websites on frack sand locations in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois caused great concern for both the local and more distant environment.

The small group rushed to inform the residents of Saint Jo proper, rural residents in between FM2382 and FM677, the County Commissioners, and the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District to contact the TCEQ to request a public meeting with TCEQ and EOG in the near future.

This meeting was requested in order for the questions and concerns to be addressed about frack sand processing hazards to the local residents’ health and to the dangers posed to the farming and cattle community environment. About 70 people attended, and in the following week before the initial public comment deadline, TCEQ's comment website registered 67 comments, including many requests for a public meeting and a contested case hearing.

In the May 27, 2011, issue of the Saint Jo Tribune, public notice of EOG's application for TCEQ air quality permit number 95412 was again published, with a new 30-day comment period, in response to residents' complaints that the initial public notice had been published only in the Muenster Enterprise, thus escaping the notice of many people living in the areas to be impacted by the sand mine.

FENCO Withdraws Application

2010-10-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

On October 6, FENCO withdrew its application to construct the stationary treatment facility. For more details, click here.

Hearing Date Changed

2010-09-07T11:02:00.000-05:00

The Railroad Commission hearing on FENCO's application for a permit to build a stationary waste facility outside Saint Jo was originally scheduled for August 25. The date has been changed to October 18-20, in Austin, Texas.

If you haven't done so already, please print and fill out this public comment form for the City of Saint Jo's representatives to present at the hearing. Completed public comment forms can be turned in at Saint Jo City Hall.

FENCO CONTRACTORS GROUP, LLC Tri-State Headquarters, Nocona, Texas

2010-09-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos of FENCO's Nocona, Texas, headquarters.

Roundup of August 25 Public Meeting

2010-09-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

At the public meeting at the Saint Jo School Auditorium on August 25, FENCO displayed several exhibits during its presentation. These are reproduced here:

- One is a diagram of the liner that FENCO proposes to use to try to prevent leaks from the waste pits into the ground beneath.

- One contains maps of the area, showing the city of Saint Jo and the location of the proposed stationary treatment facility, the location of the Antlers Sand that serves as a recharge zone for the Trinity Aquifer, and a geologic cross section of the area between the proposed site and the town of Saint Jo.

- Another shows a detailed map of the stationary treatment facility site.

- Lastly, there is FENCO's "Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan."

--

Saint Jo Mayor Tom Weger held a press conference earlier in the afternoon the day of the meeting. Here is the text of Weger's remarks at the press conference.

--

The Bowie News ran this story about the meeting in its August 29 issue.

Public Meeting Tonight in Saint Jo

2010-08-25T11:45:00.000-05:00

Come out and make your voice heard!

FENCO representatives will be hosting a public meeting to explain FENCO's proposed stationary treatment facility.

The meeting runs from 5:30 to 7:30 PM today, August 25, at the Saint Jo High School Auditorium.

Montague County Property Owners Association August Newsletter

2010-08-25T11:39:00.000-05:00

The August issue of the Montague County Property Owners Association is out. It contains more information on Montague County's inclusion in a Priority Groundwater Management Area. It also quotes a professional hydrologist stating that construction of FENCO's proposed stationary treatment facility could contaminate ground and surface water supplies for hundreds of thousands of people.

Darren Fenoglio writes to the Nocona News

2010-08-25T11:36:00.000-05:00

Here is a copy of a letter from Darren Fenoglio of FENCO to the Nocona News, giving his perspective on FENCO's proposed stationary treatment facility.

Trinity Aquifer in the Bowie News

2010-07-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

In its July 11 issue, the Bowie News ran two front-page stories relating to issues of oil and gas drilling and waste disposal in the Trinity Aquifer.

One is an article on FEMCO's application to install a stationary waste treatment facility outside Saint Jo - the proposal that the STA Coalition was formed to prevent.

The other tells the story of a family who can light a fire at their water tap as a result of gas in their water lines, possibly due to natural gas drilling in the area.

Both articles are available here (posted with permission).

The Story So Far

2010-07-22T17:23:00.000-05:00

The Save the Trinity Aquifer Coalition, and this website, exist to prevent the construction of a "stationary treatment facility" for oil and gas drilling waste just outside Saint Jo, Texas.

Our reason for opposing the construction of this facility, which has been twice administratively denied by the Texas Railroad Commission, is the great likelihood that its construction would contaminate the Trinity Aquifer, leaving the town of Saint Jo, as well perhaps as many other towns and cities that depend on the Trinity Aquifer for their drinking water supplies, without a clean source of ground or surface water.

For further background, please see the July issue of the Montague County Property Owners Association newsletter, which summarizes the situation thus far.

In addition, here is a recent KERA news story on a local stream fed by the Trinity River Aquifer that would likely be contaminated by the proposed stationary treatment facility.

A hearing on the proposed construction is currently scheduled for August 25 in Austin.

The City of Saint Jo has retained legal representation for the hearing. Individual citizens can make their views heard at the hearing, but in order to do so, they must either appear at the hearing in person, or submit comments in advance via a form that will be available in various public locations around Montague County.

The comment form is also available here. Please print a copy, write in your comments, and deliver to the Saint Jo City Hall.

COMMENTS SUBMITTED VIA THIS FORM WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE HEARING IF THEY ARE SUBMITTED BY MAIL - THEY MUST BE TURNED IN AT THE SAINT JO CITY HALL IN ORDER TO BE PRESENTED PHYSICALLY AT THE HEARING.

Please check back to this blog frequently for updates and links to further background information.

Summer 2010

2010-07-17T15:26:00.000-05:00

Please check back soon as the Save the Trinity Aquifer Coalition will have more information and resources about how you can help to preserve clean and safe groundwater for all of North Texas.