Elevated Levels of Carbon Disulfide Found In Flower Mound

 Elevated Levels of Carbon Disulfide Found In Flower Mound

Reprint from Flower Mound Citizens Against Drilling Blog 

Here is information from the recent air quality test in Flower Mound done by Kleinfelder, an independent testing lab hired by the town. The air quality tests show levels of Carbon Disulfide exceeded the TCEQ short-term effects screening level of 10 parts per billion. We understand that these are preliminary tests and the Town is conducting further testing to determine the source. Town officials will be presenting the Town Council and the public with a full report at the March 25th meeting.
This air quality test is to be a "baseline" for the Town of Flower Mound. Kleinfelder tested 8 sites.
Here are the 3 locations and screening results that exceed the TCEQ short term effects screening level for Carbon Disulfide.

• 18.5 Furst Ranch
• 69.0 Fire Station #2 Shiloh Rd.
• 11.2 Morriss Rd Park

Carbon Disulfide can cause the following acute symptoms:

Headache, dizziness, fatigue, excitement or depression. High concentrations can cause serious psychological disturbances and in some cases death. Psychiatric disturbances (including excitability, confusion, extreme irritability, uncontrolled anger, emotional instability, nightmares, depression) have been observed following episodes of exposure to high concentrations of carbon disulfide.

Council Member's Filidoro and Hayden share our concerns and are continuously trying to persuade the majority of council to reconsider the moratorium. They were the only members of council to support putting the Flower Mound Cares Petition on the ballot in May. If these air quality test results and the methane mapping is not enough proof to re-visit the moratorium, what is.

Click Here to Learn More About Carbon Disulfide

Petition Signing Schedule. Friday, March 5th thru Sunday, March 7th

PETITION SIGNING EVENTS

FRI. Mar. 5th,  SAT. Mar. 6th, &  SUN. Mar. 7th

Z-Grill –2321 Crosstimbers (Get Directions)

 Friday - 4pm-7pm
Saturday - 3pm-6pm
Sunday- 10am-6pm

FM CARES PETITION WILL BE ORGANIZING TEAMS TO GO OUT AND GET THE PETITIONS SIGNED BY WALKING IN NEIGHBORHOODS OR PARKS. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO GO OUT AND GATHER SIGNATUERS IN THE COMMUNITY PLEASE EMAIL fmcares@verizon.net

Bring your voter registration card or voter registration number. 

FIND VOTER REGISTRATION NUMBER  HERE

Methane levels get new check | Denton Record Chronicle

Thursday, March 4, 2010
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe
Reprinted from Denton Record Chronicle 

DISH — An atmospheric researcher drove a specially equipped van through several Barnett Shale counties this week and found methane plumes near many natural gas facilities, with one plume in Flower Mound measuring 40 parts per million.

According to Chris Rella, director of research and development for California-based Picarro Inc., scientists consider about 1.8 ppm of methane to be a normal background level in the atmosphere.

The company developed its equipment to read methane for greenhouse gas research. Its equipment, considered the gold standard, Rella said, is in use by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others in the scientific community.

The company recently adapted its equipment for mobile monitoring of methane and other greenhouse gases. The mobile monitor uses a global positioning system to map measured emissions in real time.

Rella said the maps can show good places for scientists to gather air samples because methane, when being emitted from industry sources, signals where to find other toxic compounds.

“When an industry emits methane, you’re probably going to see some other stuff,” Rella said.

Previous studies of emissions at Barnett Shale natural gas facilities by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality showed that where there were methane emissions, the agency often also found carcinogens or neurotoxins in the mix.

Rella made several passes through Dish, where the background level was about 2 ppm of methane, and got readings near the compression complex as high as 18 ppm — or 16 ppm above background — Wednesday night.

Eleven compression stations run by five energy companies sit side-by-side on the edge of Dish town limits.

But chemist and environmental researcher Wilma Subra, of Louisiana, said she and Rella found methane plumes around all kinds of stationary equipment in the Barnett Shale area, particularly near condensate tanks.

In Flower Mound, near the intersection of Scenic Drive and FM1171, Rella spent about two hours Tuesday night isolating the boundaries of a methane plume that, at its highest points, measured 40 ppm — as high as the system could measure.

Subra said they notified state and federal officials of their findings.

“The TCEQ, with their 12-hour response system, can ask the operator for information and help determine what was going on at that time,” Subra said.

Alisa Rich, of Wolf Eagle Environmental, took Summa canister samples at the site, saying she would have lab results in about 10 days that would detail what other compounds were in that methane plume.

State health officials are investigating a child leukemia cluster in Flower Mound.

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881.
Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com .

An Open Letter to Mayor Jody Smith and Town Council

Open Letter  in the Cross Timbers Gazette encapsulates the disappointment of the many Flower Mound residents who feel downright ignored and betrayed by our Mayor and Town Council.

There's documented proof that both Mayor Smith and Councilwoman Levenick were both aware of the petition despite their allegations last night.

Specifically the petition drive was announced during the public participation segment of the Town Council Meeting on 2/15. In addition, statements from members of the Petition Committee could be found in the minutes section in the packet for the Town Council meeting last night.

The petition intended to suspend a CCF in Flower Mound has quickly transformed into a public referendum for sweeping change in our Town Hall this May.

  Click Here to read Ladd Biro's Open Letter.

Flower Mound Cares Petition Drive denied motion to put petition initiative on May 8th ballot

Last night at the Flower Mound Town Council Meeting, Ginger Simonson, co-founder of the Flower Mound Cares Petition Drive asked the Town Council to make a motion to put the petition initiative on the May 8th ballot. The initiative calls for a 180 day moratorium for any acceptance and processing of a SUP (special use permit) for Centralized Collection Facilities, pipelines, gas gathering and compression stations. Ms. Simonson stated by putting it on the May 8th ballot, the town would save the cost of special election. The petition has passed the 5% signature threshold required in the Town Charter to submit for a vote of the people. The Flower Mound Cares petition has over 50% of the signatures needed to call for a special election. 

Mayor Smith Claims no knowledge of the petition drive despite the fact that it was announced during the February 15th meeting. It was also included in the minutes section of last night's town council packet. 

Those of you who missed the meeting can see Mayor Smith's comments from last night's meeting here: link to video



Read full story here:
http://stopthedrilling.blogspot.com/2010/03/flower-mound-cares-petition.html