UPDATED: 1/6/09--New info about the infamous mapUPDATED: 1/5/09--New input from a reliable source I will refer to as Deep Throat
That's a map on the left. Some call it an infamous map. Why, you ask? Well, that map was found at what is known as the Thomas well site. The Thomas well site is the Chesapeake Energy drill site that has stirred so much controversy due to it being next to Tandy Hills Park. And being part of the Tandy Hills.
So, why is this map infamous, you continue to ask? Well, the map belonged to and was made by Dunaway Associates. That's a consulting firm.
Big deal, you're thinking. Well, Jim Dunaway was one of the developers on the first Gas Drilling Task Force. The Task Force makes decisions regarding drilling. The company Jim Dunaway's father founded and ran for years is directly involved in the destruction of land next to Tandy Hills Natural Area. Dunaway work trucks have been photographed at the Thomas/Tandy Hills drilling site.
The infamous Thomas well site map gets most of its infamy due to the fact that, despite Chesapeake Energy applying for and getting approval for a single gas well permit at this particular site, the map clearly shows more than one gas well.
Task Force member, Gary Hogan, reports that Dunaway did not participate much in the first Task Force. Dunaway was replaced, early on, by Walsh Ranch representative, Rob Green. He being another pro-driller. Dunaway has extensive connections at city hall. Regardless of the amount of time Dunaway spent on the Task Force, this still was a fox in the chicken coop situation, with Dunaway later profitting from drilling operations he was, earlier, part of overseeing.
To help set government policy for some business activity from which you profit is generally thought of as a conflict of interest. This is usually frowned upon, sometimes to such a degree that those participating in such dubious deeds end up doing jail time and paying large fines.
Jim Dunaway is also a contributor to Mike Moncrief's election campaigns.
A reliable, anonymous source, I will call Deep Throat, had this to say about Jim Dunaway, "I'll quickly note, not for attribution, but for your info, that whenever I see Jim Dunaway associated with something I already know it's wrong and probably evil. He is a lowlife SOB that has not an inkling or care about the world we live in. Other than that, he is probably a fine person."
For some unfathomable reason, Mike Moncrief continues to avoid being charged with serious conflicts of interests, while Moncrief and his wife have substantial holdings in most of the gas drillers operating in Fort Worth. In other words, Moncrief profits from the operations he is part of regulating.
And in yet one more example of a conflict of interest, this morning I learned that Lead Gas Drilling Inspector, David Lunsford, now works for a pipeline company. Lunsford has been quoted as saying he rarely received complaints. Lunsford was known to dismiss gas drilling concerns out of hand. One can not help but wonder how much effort Lunsford put into protecting the public, when he had a cushy pipeline job waiting for him.
And then we have Don Behrens. Hired by the City of Fort Worth to consult and offer advice to the city and the Gas Drilling Task Force on sound mitigation. He is now selling products to Barnett Shale drillers. At one point Behrens had a monopoly on sound mitigation blankets. Behrens had a direct influence on the sound mitigation rules specified in the city's sound mitigation ordinance. Behrens misrepresented his Los Angeles drilling experience to the FW City Council and the Task Force.
Why are these type conflict of interests allowed in Fort Worth? I don't know. It's like there is no oversight.
I can't imagine the same type thing happening in Seattle. If the mayor had a vested interest in Starbucks he knows he would have to recuse himself from having any part in approving or disapproving some request from Starbucks. That's only common sense. Except in Fort Worth, where an entirely different set of rules apply to how things get done.
It's the Fort Worth way.
ReplyDeleteRight, Mikey. You can talk to the Mayor & Council for 3 minutes, but you can't bring up anything too sensitive. Then you sit down and shut up and nothing changes.
This kind of conflict of interest is allowed in Fort Worth because we have a corrupt Mayor and city government aided by a corrupt state government.
ReplyDeleteGreed...and back room deals with the good old boys are part of the problem. And no one wants to tell the real stories - they might be fired or stripped of their title. Letter in today's Star telegram -
ReplyDeleteIn response to Richard B. Bender’s letter asking if there was too much pressure when it comes to reporting, my answer is a resounding yes! (See: "Bill of goods?," Dec. 29)
I recently met with four different reporters. In each interview I voiced concern for those who lost their homes over a year ago during the floods and the lack of planning and funding for potential repeats. None used what I said.
While I realize reporters want to keep their jobs, it’s disheartening when they are just supposed to "get the hook." Those who want to tell the whole story can’t because station executives can’t afford to anger officials with close media ties.
To answer Bender’s other question, no, officials do not understand fiscal responsibility.
If they did, they would be looking at ways to protect residents and property instead of spending $600 million on economic development projects.
In Jim Chambless’ column he wrote of Chesapeake and how a park being in the floodplain will likely prevent a rig from being placed there. (See: "Holding out and missing out — for now," Dec. 29)
This claim was made recently on the nightly news about another neighborhood. Odd since there is a rig located in the middle of a floodplain — basically in a creek bed — in North Richland Hills.
And not just any creek bed either.
The rig sits on Big Fossil Creek, the same creek that causes havoc in the eight cities it runs through.
I e-mailed the reporter the next day, with a map of the floodplain and where the rig is located (dead center).
Again, not a word mentioned. So, yes, the good ol’ boys and gals with all the money are running the show. We are just here for the entertainment.
— Layla Caraway, Haltom City
You nailed it on the head about Don Behrens with Behrens and Associates Environmental Noise Control. This group did in fact get paid by the City of Fort Worth to rewrite the city ordinances concerning noise. In fact, they did it twice. And the second (latest) one is so complicated that only the person who wrote it would know how to work with it. Pure tones? Come on. If a pure tone happens, it probably won't happen again once you go out there with a meter.
ReplyDeleteFor a company to make MILLIONS per month on a product that he rents to the oil companies, just to keep the oil companies in compliance with the rules that he wrote, is an injustice.
And to top it off... I bet if you look up qualifications on this group, you will not find anything that shows they are sound experts. Experience? Maybe. But to be paid by the city as a professional sound expert, I would think you would need some sort of title or qualifications. None can be found on these guys.
They recently helped the City of Burleson to rewrite their 2009 noise ordinances. Got paid for that too I'm sure. Sound walls are REQUIRED in that city now if anything breathes within 1,000 ft of the pad. Hmmmmmm.
From Check your facts-
ReplyDeleteDavid Lunsford had no cushy pipeline job to go to. He left because of the illegal corruption brought about by the new city manager. In fact because of his high standards and not wanting involvement in the city's illegal actions he quit. SO before you go throwing blame around you need to check your facts.