More Questions In The Increasingly Orwellian World Of Fort Worth Texas

Yesterday I said that I was experiencing 2010 Fort Worth, Texas as a 1984 Orwellian World of Double-Speak and Big Brother overbearingness.

Later in the day, yesterday, the Orwellian Double-Speak got louder, after I was pointed to the Tarrant Regional Water District website and read its propaganda, with an ever growing sense of amazement at the bald-facedness of the Double-Speak.

Here is a gem...

"Why Should You Save Water?

The water supplies we depend on are not endless resources. For one, drought conditions are a part of life in North Texas. And the number of people living here is expected to double in the next 50 years. That means the demand for water will certainly rise – and meeting that demand will be a challenge. That’s where you come in. By saving small amounts of water everyday, you can make a big difference."

The Tarrant Regional Water District is currently allowing the sucking of millions of gallons of water from the Trinity River by gas drillers. Water that will not, can not, be recycled. Instead the water is polluted with dangerous, cow-killing, chemicals, used, then discarded underground, where we are assured, by the foxes guarding the henhouse, that the polluted water can not penetrate the aquifers. Or kill any more cows.

So, the entity, Tarrant Regional Water District, in charge of protecting the valuable water resource, acknowledges North Texas has a drought problem, and then, apparently, allows what appears to be the totally unregulated stealing of millions of gallons of water by the gas drillers.

Check out the Tarrant Regional Water District website, yourself, and have fun spotting the Orwellian Double-Speak and outrageous ironies and out and out hypocrisies. I looked all over the website and found not a single mention of the gas driller's Trinity River water sucking activities or the Tarrant Regional Water District's policies regarding the water sucking.

I took the above from the Tarrant Regional Water District website. Can we all say Double-Speak together?

And then there is the "Conflict of Interest Questionaire." This supposedly has to be filled out by the gas drillers wanting to suck water out of the Trinity. If you read through the questionnaire it is obvious the gas driller would have to acknowledge that the Mayor of Fort Worth, Mike Moncrief, has a vested interest in the gas driller wanting a water permit.

Here's a good one. The following paragraph is on the Tarrant Regional Water District website. I wanted to send senior land agent Rick Carroll an email with some questions. Click on the email link in the excerpt below (or just click here to go directly to that page) and you will see the email link does not work. I have sent in my questions via other means. I'll let you know if I hear back and what I get told. Below the below paragraph, taken from the Tarrant Regional Water District website, is my email I was unable to send directly to the senior land agent.

A Special Operating Permit is required for any commercial activity or event on Water District property. This includes, but is not limited to, the Fort Worth Floodway, Marine Creek Lake and Cement Creek Lake. In addition to permit fees, TRWD will require Permitee to name TRWD as "additional insured" on the insurance policy for the event. Any person interested in obtaining a Special Operating Permit may contact Rick Carroll, senior land agent at (817) 335-2491 ext.224 or by email.

Dear Senior Land Agent Rick Carroll,

I am interested in 6 pipelines preparing to take water from the Trinity River east of Beach Street, near the entry to Gateway Park, in Fort Worth.

According to your TRWD website such uses of water are allowed only after obtaining a Special Operating Permit. The amount of water desired must be disclosed. The water taken must be metered.

I have looked closely at and photographed the Beach Street pipeline site. There are no permits posted. There are no water meters. The plastic oil spill containing mat, upon which the 6 pumps sit, has tears and voids.

I would like to know where I can view the permits that are allowing this removal of Trinity River water, how it is being metered, how much is being paid for the water and the records of oversight of the pumping site.

You can view more details of what I've experienced and seen at the Beach Street pipeline site here.

Thank you in advance for answering my questions,

Durango Jones
durangotexas.blogspot.com

UPDATE: Permits have now been duct taped to the 6 pumps in question at the Beach Street site.

Safely Returned From My Fort Worth Texas Tandy Hills Bro-Date

I've been getting urgently worried messages, concerned that I've not safely returned from my bro-date at the Tandy Hills.

Fear not. I've been safely back for hours. Well, make that awhile, I was not paying all that much attention to the time.

I can now reveal the name of the mystery bro-date. He goes by Dynamo Hum. I think he may be of Japanese descent, but was born and raised in Texas.

Dynamo Hum pretty much looked just like his picture, that you see here, so when he stepped out of his car, I knew it was he.

I guess sort of like how the Queen of Wink was able to tell it was me from a distance, due to my Fatty Boy Waddle.

I arrived for the bro-date about 4 minutes early. Dynamo Hum arrived right at noon. Impressively punctual.

As per his previous self description, Dynamo is tall and lanky. He towered over me, but I'm a shrimp, so that happens frequently.

Mr. Hum is in excellent shape, so he had no trouble negotiating the Tandy Hills. I detected no pre-pneumonia indicators.

I must say, Dynamo's conversational skills are of the highest level. He is not afraid to voice an opinion, but not once did the opinion cause, in me, the "here we go, off into kooky banana land," that can happen when you meet someone for the first time. Or even after you know a person for awhile. I can think of an example or two of the kooky banana type, but I shan't name names.

Dynamo Hum has quite an excellent Texas accent. A good Texas accent causes me to be a much more cooperative listener. I had a client awhile back here in Texas. She had the best Texas accent. If she left me a message, asking for a call back, I always called back, just to hear that accent. Without that accent there'd be a much greater chance I'd communicate via email, than the phone.

Anyway, my first bro-date went fine. Thank you all for your concern. I appreciate it.

I Have Had Me An Orwellian Big Brother Encounter With Express Energy On The Trinity River In Fort Worth

This morning I got a comment from Anonymous. I believe it being the same Anonymous which I blogged about last night regarding me being clueless regarding how it is water is being taken from the Trinity River by natural gas drillers.

This morning Anonymous said...

I personally believe that you should take the time to find the field supervisor and discuss w/ them as a whole of what you think is going on at the Trinity River-there are permits posted...if you have issues pick up the phone and call Express Energy and then let the Manager over that division explain what is REALLY going on! You also didn't take the time to go look at the permits that are posted on the pumps....where are THOSE pictures?! You also didn't include the picture once the plastic was replaced BEFORE the job was started. Educate yourself before pointing fingers, if you need that education on what is actually going on then go work a day in the field w/ these guys and maybe then you will better understand it all.

Anonymous says there are permits posted on the pumps and that the plastic oil barrier with the holes has been replaced. I'd taken the pictures of the pumps 2 days ago. I saw no permits. I did not believe the plastic oil buffer had been replaced.

So, I took off out of here, braving the extreme cold, to take pictures off all sides of one of the pumps. And to see if the plastic had been replaced.

Well, imagine my shock when I found there were no permits posted on the pumps. And it was easy to find tears, voids and problems with the, obviously unreplaced, plastic oil buffer. Anonymous now has absolutely no credibility and is obviously either a propaganda shill for the City of Fort Worth or the gas drillers. Or both.

And in a further Orwellian Big Brother element. Just as I'd finished taking my pictures and had put the camera away, a white Express Energy truck popped into view at the top of the levee, just as I started to climb back up there. A guy got out of the truck, walking towards me. I said howdy.

He then whipped out his phone. I continued walking. Fast. I reached into my pocket and got out my camera, turned it on, turned around and took a picture, but all I got was the truck. The guy on the phone must have gone down the bluff to check on the pumps.

But, he was back on the top of the levee, just as I was again putting my camera away. I saw he was still on his cell phone. I then got out my cell phone and, as I quickly walked back to my vehicle, I called my operative at Home Base and told the operative to stay on the line til I was safely out of there. I told my operative if I gave the word, to call 911, and tell the police you were seeing a bunch of guys beating up someone at the Beach Street Boathouse.

As I continued walking, the guy in the Express Energy truck sped by at high speed on the paved Trinity Trail that forbids motorized vehicles. By the time I was a couple hundred feet from my vehicle I saw 2 more trucks pull in. One pulled in right in front of my vehicle.

When I reached my vehicle the first Express Energy truck was blocking me from behind, the other from the front. That first guy I saw was still on the phone, as was I. I acted like I was counting something and said the license number of one of the trucks to my operative on the phone.

The first guy then signaled the other to back off. I zoomed out of there and hurried back here. The first picture, above, was that picture I told you I took of the truck. The next 2 pictures are views of sides of one of the pumps. I'm going to show you several views, covering the entire pump, showing you that Big Brother Anonymous lied. There are no permits posted.

Another pump view.

And another. Seeing any permits? Me either.

Still no permits.

Why would Anonymous lie so flagrantly? A lie so easily exposed.

A hole in the plastic oil barrier that Anonymous claims has been replaced.

Notice how the plastic oil barrier does not quite cover the entire area under the pump that I took pictures of on all sides.

A rather large hole in the plastic oil barrier.

How did that Express Energy guy know to speed down the no motorized vehicle trail to check on a guy doing something there? Or am I just being paranoid and it was all a very weird co-incidence? The guy looked very hostile, to me, and certainly did not return my very friendly "Howdy," instead whipping out his cell phone.

Jovo, the Petro Scientist, pointed me to some other very strange Orwellian weirdness, but I've no energy right now to deal with that. I am still way too hyper-adrenalized by my strange encounter with Express Energy. That I have to get ready to go on my Ice Cold Bro-Date on the Tandy Hills.

The 2010 Cold Orwellian World Of Fort Worth Texas

Incoming info and borderline threats are turning borderline Orwellian this morning in extremely cold Fort Worth, Texas.

I am living in 2010, but here in Fort Worth it feels like 1984, where the Minister of Propaganda spews out any manner of disinformation, with the vast majority of the population accepting the disinformation without question.

Well, I know I am in a tiny minority and this morning I am setting out in the extreme cold to do myself some investigating about that disinformation. I am going armed.

With a camera. Wish me luck.

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief Or One Of His Lackeys Thinks I'm A Clueless Reactionary

Yesterday I blogged about finding the 6 water pumps you see in the picture at the Trinity River's edge by Gateway Park and Beach Street.

It is my contention that the corruption in Fort Worth, in the Tarrant Regional Water District and in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has created a situation where the gas driller companies have been given carte blanche to steal as much water as they need, without following the criteria spelled out in excruciating detail in "The Rights to Surface Water in Texas" document put out by the TCEQ.

In the TCEQ document you will find no mention of the conditions under which Texas surface water can be taken by gas drillers. There is one mention made of exceptions from the usual use rules made at times for oil drilling operations.

In the TCEQ document there is plenty of information that reinforces my belief that what is being done with the Trinity River water is not true to the laws of this state that govern water use.

A watermaster is supposed to oversee every aspect of unusual water uses. What the gas drillers are doing to the Trinity requires permits, it requires inspections, it requires metering, it requires determining the amount of water to be taken, it requires monitoring the water levels downstream, it requires all sorts of things that I do not believe are being done in Tarrant County due to the collusion between the industry being regulated and those who's job it is to do the regulating.

Ironically, I came to read the TCEQ document due to a link to it being included in one of my favorite blogging comments I've received in some time, it being from the ubiquitous Anonymous, commenting to yesterday's blogging about the 6 pumps getting ready to, I believe, take Trinity River water illegally.

I will copy the Anonymous comment below. My responses to the various, uh, "points," will be in bold.

You honestly have no clue. Yes it can be upsetting to see pipes coming out of the Trinity for gas drilling, but where else are they going to get it? I'd rather the gas companies take water from an untreated source than a treated source.

I honestly admit I have no clue, due to the fact that the gas drilling operations, as regards water pumping, are not done in a transparent manner. Where is the public notice that such is taking place at Beach Street/Gateway Park? Where is the posted permit? The majority of the public is clueless due to the fact that their local government operates way too much in secrecy.

To say that the drillers are getting a steep discount is just plain disingenuous.

Really? Yes, I can see where I am the one being disingenuous here. Mayor Mike, is this you? One of your lackeys? Can you tell me where the information is posted as to how much the gas drillers are paying for the amount of water they estimate they need to suck out of the Trinity River at the Beach Street/Gateway Park location? How much have the gas drillers paid so far for all the water they have sucked from the Trinity to date? Where is that information posted?

The TRWD owns the permit and has the right to sell to others - and they keep track of where it all goes.

Yes, as I understand it is the TCEQ which grants watermaster rights to various entities. Then the TCEQ is supposed to oversee those watermasters to make sure they are conforming to the guidelines as set by the State of Texas.

So, where are the public records of the water rights that the TRWD has sold to the gas drillers, that they keep such diligent track of? I mean, the TRWD operates in the same area where millions of dollars have been lost track of by other keepers of the public trust, like the City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth School Districts.

But, unlike those other keepers of the local public trust, I'm sure the TRWD keeps immaculate records and knows precisely how much water they've sold to gas drillers and how much money had been paid for that water. Can I have that information please?

Rather than be reactionary, why don't you educate your self a little more? You are doing nothing but getting people worked up - and to what use?

To what use? I don't know. Maybe to cause a light beam to shine on this place that causes the local corrupt cockroaches to scurry for cover. Yes, I can see how if I educated myself a little more I would be less reactionary. No, wait a second, the way it actually works, is the more I know about how corrupt so much of what goes on in this zone is, the more strident and more reactionary and more disgusted I get.

I must say it pleases me to hear I am getting people worked up. And here I've been thinking I've been shouting into an empty cave..

The city issues the drilling permits and inspects the site during drilling. If there are problems with site conditions, bring it up to them. I'm sure they'll make sure it gets remedied.

The subject of the blogging, to which you commented, was water thieving from the Trinity River, not problems with gas drilling sites or this city issuing those permits. But, nice obfuscation there. Since I see you really haven't been able to answer any of my questions about the water thieving, not in a show me the proof, as in facts, permits and numbers sort of way.

Furthermore, the revenues generated go directly back in to managing the Trinity - do you think all that mowing, dredging, or cleaning is free?

Now, let me see if I understand this point correctly. Until water started being stolen, and allegedly paid for by gas drillers, the Trinity River levees were unmowed, undredged and unclean?

Well, let me just say this, if the level of cleanliness in that litter strewn river is due to the gas driller's water payments, the fee really needs to go way up, because there is not enough money being spent removing the tons of litter.

Okay, I'm out of bold mode now. What I am wondering now is why someone would go to the bother of pointing me to that TCEQ document that only reinforced my belief that something is very awry with how water issues are being dealt with here?

If I am wrong about what I assert, why not point me to one fact, one permit, one item that let's me know that what I characterize as the theft of water from the Trinity River, by gas drillers, due to the sweetheart deal between that industry and their installed lackeys in Fort Worth's City Government and the other regulating bodies like the TCEQ and the TRWD, is wrong?

I don't mind being shown I'm wrong about something.

So, show me the facts, the numbers, the permits and the records kept, regarding the water taken and how much has been paid for it. Shut me up with some real information, not dumb stuff like telling me I have no clue, am reactionary and need to educate myself a little more.

Methinks my supposed lack of education is not where the problem lies in this particular scenario.

An Almost Sub-Zero Hike On Fort Worth's Tandy Hills

I now know what it is like to hike the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium Area when the wind is blowing hard making the 21 degree temperature feel like 3 degrees.

I overheated. I shed a layer. Then get chilled. Then add back a layer.

I started out with knitted fingertip less gloves. Those were quickly replaced by ski gloves. Getting the ski gloves off to take a picture and then back on brought, back deja vu memories of using the ski gloves to actually ski where there are actually mountains.

I don't know how many calories get burned whilst out in such extreme temperatures doing such extreme activity, but looking at the picture, it appears I don't look anywhere near as fat a Fat Boy as I was yesterday. I'm a real fast dieter.

A really strange thing about the Tandy Hills today. I was on the same trails yesterday, when it was in the 40s. I did not pick up much mud on my hiking boots. Today the temperature was near zero, yet the ground was not frozen, for the most part, and it was oozing mud. A lot of mud. Some strange geological occurrence, I'm sure, that Jovo the Scientist could likely explain, but which just left me perplexed.

When I was done with my Chill Therapy I took the Beach Street route back to my abode, so that I could check on the Trinity River Water Thieves. Nothing going on there today. But speaking of that operation, yesterday's blogging about that operation (click on the Trinity River Water Thieves link to go there) generated one of my favorite Anonymous comments in a long time.

I suspect the Anonymous comment was penned by Fort Worth's corrupt Mayor Mike Moncrief or one of his lackeys. Lord knows he has a lot of lackeys. All on the Gas Driller Take.

The comment from the Anonymous Mike seemed, quite honestly, to have no clue what he was talking about. I felt it was rather reactionary and that Anonymous could benefit from educating himself a bit more on the subject about which he was pontificating.

I'll blog about the Anonymous comment from Mayor Mike (or one of his lackeys) later, but I've got some other stuff to do and writing that blogging will be my treat for getting the other stuff done.

Talk to you later. And you missed a real good Tomato Soup, BBQed Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast & Cherry Tomato Sweet Chili Walnut Salad for lunch.

I Beat The Scrabble Queen Of Washington Again!

I'm so happy. I beat the Scrabble Queen of Washington at Facebook Scrabble for the 2nd time ever. I don't know if this means I am getting better at it or if the Scrabble Queen has grown bored with how unchallenging I am, Scrabble-wise.

I find Scrabble works a part of my brain that is likely dormant most of the time. The same part of my brain that processes a complex math problem. Complex math problems are something my erratically developed brain has never been good at.

When you win a game of Facebook Scrabble you have the option of going for a re-match. I did so. My first word was "vexer." Worth, if I remember right, and again that erratically developed brain and memory storage is in play, but I think I got 32 points for "vexer."

So, I am well on my way to another stunning Scrabble win. Most likely not though.

Making Soup To Warm Up The Arctic Blast Blue Norther That Is Freezing Texas

It is 9:38 AM. As you can see in the screenshot from WeatherBug, which is saying it is 20.3 out there, with the wind making for a Wind Chill Factor of 5 degrees.

BRRRRRR.

I had me a night. Usually I go to bed early. Last night I did not turn out my reading light til a half hour past midnight. I tossed and turned til past 2:30 AM.

And then the nightmares started up, waking me up over and over again.

I slept in til almost 7. That rarely, if ever, happens.

I've dug out my long underwear and ski gloves and other seldom used cold weather gear. I'm going to go hiking the Tandy Hills today.

I am on a soup diet due to my sloth related unsightly weight gain. Yesterday I made Cream of Broccoli Soup. There is some of that left over, but today I wanted Tomato Soup, so that's what I made. I don't know why anyone would buy pre-made soup, due to it being so fast and easy to make homemade, much healthier, soup.

Lunch is around 2 this afternoon. Don't be late.

A Big Mess Of 6 Pumps Getting Ready To Steal Trinity River Water In Fort Worth

I dropped in on the Beach Street/Trinity Levee/Gateway Park Barnett Shale Gas Drilling water stealing operation late this afternoon.

I was once more surprised by what I saw. And a new sign. Sitting above a jumble of pipelines, the sign says "Unauthorized Motorized Vehicles Prohibited Violators Will Be Prosecuted." In the lower right hand corner of the sign it says "Texas Water Code 49.217."

Just 2 days ago, on Monday, I took pictures of motorized vehicles in the location of this sign.

Now, I previously said I'd learned that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality must issue a permit for any surface water to be taken in Texas.

Then I was told that the Tarrant Regional Water District manages the Trinity River in Tarrant County, selling the water to the drillers. At a steep discount, I suspect.

In the picture on the right you're looking at the pipelines leading from the above sign to the site of the pumps, where I was in for a surprise.

So, here's what I think is going on. Both this Tarrant Regional Water District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have been corrupted with the installation of gas industry foxes watching the hen house of this corrupted zone of Texas I am living in.

I don't think permits are being issued. I don't think there is any oversight. I don't think there is any rule enforcement.

This type lawless environmental terrorism is what you get when the agencies that are supposed to safeguard the public's assets, like a river, are co-opted.

It's a variation of what President Eisenhower warned about in his farewell address, but, instead of a vast military industrial complex to be wary of, in Fort Worth we have a vast political/gas industry complex to be wary of.

Well, more than be wary, we are past the point of being wary doing any good, because an industry has already been allowed to control political power in Fort Worth by installing corrupt politicians and others in positions of power who do their bidding and run roughshod over Fort Worth's citizen's right to be safe and secure in their homes.

Count the number of pipes. There are 6 of them. The reason there are 6 is there are now 6 pumps sitting at the edge of the Trinity River, sitting on top of a very sloppily laid out "oil leak" catcher slab of some sort of impermeable material, that has holes in it.

See those white bags on the left, sitting on the wheels. Guess what those are? Give up? Look at the next picture.

Bags of oil absorbent. "100% Natural Product" it says on the bags. "Cleans up spills that can cause accidents. Soaks up oil, grease, water, coolant & more."

I think they may have already had to use some of this absorbent, because the area reeked of oil.

There are other problems with the spill containment method, which the picture below shows.

Yes, there are tears in the impermeable mat that the pumps sit on, which turns them permeable. As in they'd leak. The pump's setup looks very sloppily assembled. The entire operation looked sloppy. Chunks of lumber were used to try and level up the pumps, which made more tears in the oil barrier.

A view of the "protective" mat and the pumps sitting at the edge of the Trinity River. How quickly can they get these pumps out of there if the river rises rapidly, which it is known to do?

This is going to be so noisy when those 6 pumps get pumping. I'll try and get video. There appeared to be a lot of pipe assembling that still needed to take place before pumping can begin. I don't know how they are going to fix the damaged protective barrier mat.

Oh, I know. They won't. Because this is an unregulated industry operating under the lawless protective bubble that covers the Fort Worth zone that causes the laws that govern the rest of America to not apply. Little things like a mayor with a criminal level of Conflicts of Interest, taking more than $600,000 a year from the drillers sticking holes in the town who's interests he is supposed to look out for, rather than looking out for his own interests and those of the gas drillers who have the man on the take.

TCU Purple Froggies Jinxed By Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief

Funny incoming from Don Young. I'm sure he's sent it to others, but maybe I'll be fast enough to be the first to blog it....

Dang it! I want a replay.

The mighty TCU Horned Frog football team lost the Fiesta Bowl to Boise State last Monday causing purple tears to flow like a river in Dirty Ol' Town. But don't blame the team. They were jinxed by Mayor Moncrief and cheated by the Barnett Shale.

Mayor Mikey's dumb idea to dye the Trinity River purple in honor of the Frogs was bad enough. Any scientist could have told him that. They could have also told him that Fort Worth air is so polluted from Barnett Shale gas drilling it's a wonder the team made it to the bowl game.

But, in his defense, Mayor Mikey can't help it. He's science-challenged.

Even though he was raised on oil and gas, his income depends on oil and gas and he's the mayor of the largest city in the USA to allow urban gas drilling he was dumfounded to recently learn that natural gas drilling is dangerous to human health.

He was shocked to discover that benzene and other toxic by-products of drilling are polluting north Texas air on a massive scale (not to mention our water and land). But he claims to be very concerned about the residents and quality of life in Fort Worth. He wants more testing done, dadgumitt, and he wants the State of Texas to do it with help from the polluters.

But, sorry, no moratorium on new drilling permits, says the mayor. We can't risk getting sued by the drillers. Besides, his income depends on the drilling. (Uh-oh!)

The university itself deserves some of the credit for TCU students and players getting a daily dose of benzene. They have been cheerleading the Barnett Shale for years. Maybe that's because several alumni own one of the largest drilling companies in FW.

As a result of their influence and the lure of Dirty Dollars, TCU set up the TCU Energy Institute, basically a lobbying group for gas drillers opposed to regulation and drilling reform.

If we keep waiting for drillers to do the right thing, we will all end up like the endangered Texas Horned Lizard. Don't it make your purple heart blue?

DY

PS: After you've had a good cry, write a letter to or call TCU Chancellor, Victor Boschini and tell him how you feel about TCU's support of gas drilling.

Chancellor@tcu.edu
817-257-7783

Still mad? Tell Mayor Moncrief to stop issuing drilling permits until the industry learns how to Drill Right:

Mike.Moncrief@fortworthgov.org
817-392-6118

Don Young
FWCanDo
P.O. Box 470041
Fort Worth, TX 76147
http://www.fwcando.org

"God bless Fort Worth, Texas. Help us save some of it."