Lewisville City Council denies drilling permits

by Heather M. Goodwin of Star Local News

After denying Titan the permits for the B&H well sites, the city council members received a standing ovation.

Eddie Seal

An oil & gas drilling rig is drilling a well for Pioneer Natural Resources in the Eagle Ford Shale formation near Yorktown.

It was standing room only during Monday night's city council meeting as hundreds of residents took a stand against proposed gas wells.

Titan Operating L.L.C. had requested two oil and gas permits for a site located at 290 West Southwest Parkway known as the B&H NE- 1H and SE-1H wells. After hearing from residents for almost two hours, a motion to approve the two permits failed for lack of a second.

"I'm for drilling -- I'm just not for drilling in an urban environment," said Councilman David Thornhill prior to Monday night's vote. "I just can't see a gas well sitting right next to a man's home. I will not be supporting the approval of the permits."

The item was tabled at the July 11 meeting in order to allow Councilman Leroy Vaughn more time to study Titan's permit application.

On the proposed B&H Titan site, there are 66 protected uses within a 300- to 800-foot radius of the well bore or any permanent equipment that could pose a health or safety risk. Of the 66 protected uses, there are three protected uses located within the 300- to 500-foot radius. The three protected uses are businesses whose owners all gave consent to the well.

However, residents living near the proposed site but outside the 300- to 500-foot radius attended Monday night's meeting to show their opposition to the well site. More than 20 residents spoke during the meeting, with the majority opposing the well site.

Laura and Chad Metcalf live on Misty Lane, which is within 800 feet of the proposed pad site. Both spoke during Monday's meeting. Laura Metcalf said when she and her husband first moved into their home, they were approached by Cherokee Oil and Gas to sign away their mineral rights. They were also told the gas well would not be in the open lot near their house on Misty Lane.

"It was misleading information from the start. The information provided led us to believe that the site would not be located near our homes," Metcalf said. "We signed over our mineral rights thinking the site would be located away from homes, and now they're [Titan] trying to put this in a 10-acre lot where the first house is going to be 501 feet from the well. It's a major impact to the neighborhood."

Chad Metcalf helped contact the homeowners near the proposed site. He said near the proposed site, there are 41 residents in townhomes and homes; of those, the group did not make contact with five residents. However, out of everyone they did make contact with, 100 percent signed a petition to oppose the well. In addition, the group spoke with 60 apartment residents and 97 percent signed the same petition.

"I'm not against drilling; I'm just against where this is," Chad Metcalf said. "You have 60 townhomes and homes within 800 feet of the pad site. You have 114 apartments exposed to this site. It doesn't seem smart to put the well where it will be."

Residents living near the site brought many concerns before the council including concerns about traffic safety, home values, residents leaving the area, health and wildlife.

R. Neal Ferguson also spoke before the council to implore them not to approve the permits.

"Look around this room. For the most part, these folks oppose the B&H location. They did not know each other three weeks ago; look at them now and ask yourself, how organized are they in just three weeks? And now ask yourself how much more organized and committed will they be if any of their stakes begin to skew from the norm," Ferguson said Monday night. "These are the citizens that hired you. We all talk about police and fire protection, but the overall expectation is you will protect their lives and family. Business has a home in Lewisville, but not when it becomes a threat to the well-being of its residents. Do the right the things for the citizens ... deny this permit."

Jessica Anderson, due to her youth is not yet able to vote for who represents her, spoke before the council to urge them not to approve the permits.

"I think this will be bad for us and bad for the wildlife," Anderson said. "The chemicals will pollute our air."

In addition to the residents who spoke, more than 170 signed cards pledging their opposition to the well site. On the other hand, approximately 20 residents attended the meeting to show their support for the well site.

Lewisville resident Tom Thompson said the country has become too dependent on foreign oil and something needs to change.

"We have the ability to be self-sufficient in this country, and we've given that up. We're selfish people, and I'm one of them, but we've got to look at the bigger picture," Thompson said. "We need to look at a time when people did things that were uncomfortable -- that maybe weren't exactly what they wanted to do -- for the common good of everyone else. It's a safe deal; it's a clean deal. Think beyond the end of your nose; think about the community and your country."

After hearing from the residents wishing to speak, Mayor Dean Ueckert said he was proud of how everyone respected the opinions of others during the residents' comments. He also gave his point of view on the permits.

"I think we need to protect our citizens and our homes," Ueckert said. "I am not in favor, because I think there are other places the wells can go."

Councilman Leroy Vaughn also voiced his opposition to the well site.

"This is an urban setting, and I don't believe it's appropriate for oil drilling. There are not enough safety measures in place for where this site is proposed," Vaughn said. "I think there ought to be more safety measures in place for how close this site is to homes and schools. I'll be voting against these permits."

Councilman TJ Gilmore also stated that he was in opposition of the well sites. Councilman Rudy Durham said he was in support.

"All parties within the protected 500 feet have agreed to this," Durham said. "It's almost identical to the McGee and Railroad Street approval, so I will be in support of this."

After denying Titan the permits for the B&H well sites, the city council members received a standing ovation.