No new gas wells in east Arlington neighborhood for now, city council decides
The Arlington City Council denied a permit that would have allowed a multinational oil and gas company to construct new gas wells near a residential area.
The 6-3 decision Tuesday evening means TEP Barnett, the Fort Worth branch of French company Total, cannot build three gas wells at 2000 S. Watson Road — a move that residents and environmental groups argued would wreak havoc on public health and the environment.
The permit would have put gas wells in a place where two wells have currently stood. The vote followed over an hour of discussion among council members, as well as testimonies from the company. Thirteen speakers urged the council to either deny the permit or hold decisions until the danger posed by COVID-19 subsided out of concern for nearby residents’ respiratory health.
“You all aware of the fact that we are not just in a pandemic, we are in an economic crisis,” said Ranjana Bhandari, director of Liveable Arlington.
The gas wells would have been just over 600 feet — the minimum amount of space required between drills and protected property — from local daycare Mother’s Heart Learning Center. Wanda Vincent, daycare director and owner, asked whether TEP could promise her and her customers no adverse health effects would arise.
“With all this going on, it makes me wonder down the line will some of our babies become sick or ill because of this?” she asked.
Kevin Strawser, spokesman for TEP, told the council the site where he needs the permit has operated for nearly a decade without incident.
“I feel like we’ve cohabited there for at least 10 years without any issue ... I’ll stand alone on our record,” he said.
TEP Barnett did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Discussions around the permit centered around equitable public health and safety, specifically in minority communities. Shortly before debating the gas well drills, council members unanimously passed a resolution to promote racial equity through the creation of a community task force. Council members, some of whom shared stories of recognizing latent prejudices or experiencing racism, pledged to act on the resolution.
“It’s just a step,” said Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley, District 8 councilwoman. “From here, we’re going to put some action steps in place.”
Speakers challenged the council when it came to TEP’s permit.
“With the increased awareness today of the marginalizing of people’s color, it would be unconscionable for you to vote yes,” said Tammie Carson, an Arlington resident.
The vote follows months of delay due to COVID-19, as well as a request by TEP to delay the initial decision set for February to at least mid-March. Strawser, when asked whether he would consider pulling the permit request until the pandemic subsides, said the company was resolute on keeping its plans to start construction on the site in 2021.
The possibility of three new gas wells has weighed on the surrounding neighborhood, which is one of the most economically disadvantaged in Arlington, for nearly five months, when TEP held a community meeting about the proposal. No residents attended the meeting. Liveable Arlington and members of St. Matthew Catholic Church claimed TEP did not properly notify residents when it sent out only 100 letters to nearby property owners and businesses.
“We did the job that Total should have done of notifying the community,” Bhandari said. “A lot more would have been here today if they were properly notified.”
Dr. Ignacio Nunez, councilman for District 5, encouraged residents to keep advocating for positive change. However, he said, the council was legally obliged under state law to allow drilling as long as it fits within city requirements.
“If we vote unanimously to ban it, I can guarantee we’re going to end up in court,” Nunez said.
Nunez, along with District 4 Councilman Andrew Piel and Councilwoman Helen Moise of District 1, voted in favor of the permit.
This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 10:50 PM.
