Dear Sharon,
Texas responds to DISH health survey with important new emission policy
After years of emission problems and inaction from regulators, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issued an important change in emission policy for the Barnett Shale.
TCEQ’s new emission policies will require TCEQ to respond within 12 hours to citizen complaints, obtain citizen affidavits that allow for odor and health symptom documentation, use specific instrumentation requirements for toxics and if necessary document toxic emissions with an infrared camera.
Same-Day Emissions Response – it’s good for people who breathe
Same-day emissions response is a critical victory for Texas landowners and residents living with Barnett Shale development.
Be sure to read the TCEQ memo, report releases, odors and health symptoms and tell your neighbors (scroll down to access the docs). TCEQ’s citizen affidavits that will be used for same-day response are a powerful way to document emission issues as they will become part of the permanent record, allow for the documentation of any health symptoms associated with the emissions issues, and will enable TCEQ to take enforcement actions.
Your Texas Oil & Gas Accountability Project membership is making a difference!
TCEQ’s decision comes after pressure was brought to bear by the Town of DISH and Texas OGAP, and on the heels of the release of our community-based health study. Our DISH health survey put the spotlight on community health symptoms –which overlap with the known health effects of toxics already detected in DISH – and the frequency of odor events in the area. Residents of DISH are smelling odors associated with oil and gas infrastructure as often as twice per day.
Want to do more?
Please make a year-end donation to Texas OGAP and help us strengthen our efforts. While we are off to a powerful start, there is a long road ahead of us to reform irresponsible oil and gas in Texas.
Broader action across multiple agencies is necessary to prevent pollution from shale gas development, and we need your help!
Thanks for your support and membership!
Happy holidays,
the Texas OGAP team
For more information:
* On the Texas OGAP site, read the TCEQ documents associated with the new policy: the interoffice memo explaining the policy, the citizen affidavit, and the odor log
* Read the Texas OGAP press release on the survey (includes link to survey text)
* Read the Denton Record Chronicle’s article on DISH health results
* Donate to the Texas Oil & Gas Accountability Project
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Star-Telegram Article: Texas expediting environmental complaints on natural gas operations in Barnett Shale
Denton Record Chronicle Article: Gas complaints jump to TCEQ’s top priority
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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WOOOOOO HOOOOO!!!!
Good, but only a mere pitzin of help by the TCEQ. I'm impresses, they have to get out from behind the desk and go look within 12 hours, I'm impressed!
This is a great start. Many thanks to Mayor Tillman, the people of Dish, and the TXOGAP! Everyone needs to support TXOGAP because there is still a lot to be done.