Excerpt from
The Flower Mound Town Council discussed a number of new safety measures for gas drilling operations, including a system for monitoring air quality around drilling sites.
Matt Woods, the town's director of environmental services, outlined possible updates to the existing oil and gas ordinance.
They included reviewing the technologies for vapor recovery, screening the pad sites, recycling produced water, charging additional fees from operators, and monitoring the air quality around pad sites.
"I like a lot of these suggestions," said council member Tom Hayden. He and council member Al Filidoro recently publicized their own recommendations for strengthening the town's drilling regulations.
Hayden said he had additional ideas. He also suggested a moratorium on drilling applications "while we're doing a major overhaul of our ordinance."
But council member Mike Wallace said there was no need for a moratorium because there hasn't been a rush of gas drilling applications. [Really?]
There have been no new applications since Dec. 8, Town Manager Harlan Jefferson told the council. [What about the 10 applications on Dec. 7th?]
The council should "decide which responsible, common sense enhancements to our ordinance would be appropriate without a moratorium," Wallace said.
Council members expressed support for fast-tracking the recommendations, perhaps in the next 30 to 60 days. They asked for information about funding for additional air quality testing to be placed on the April 5 meeting agenda.
Matt Woods, the town's director of environmental services, outlined possible updates to the existing oil and gas ordinance.
They included reviewing the technologies for vapor recovery, screening the pad sites, recycling produced water, charging additional fees from operators, and monitoring the air quality around pad sites.
"I like a lot of these suggestions," said council member Tom Hayden. He and council member Al Filidoro recently publicized their own recommendations for strengthening the town's drilling regulations.
Hayden said he had additional ideas. He also suggested a moratorium on drilling applications "while we're doing a major overhaul of our ordinance."
But council member Mike Wallace said there was no need for a moratorium because there hasn't been a rush of gas drilling applications. [Really?]
There have been no new applications since Dec. 8, Town Manager Harlan Jefferson told the council. [What about the 10 applications on Dec. 7th?]
The council should "decide which responsible, common sense enhancements to our ordinance would be appropriate without a moratorium," Wallace said.
Council members expressed support for fast-tracking the recommendations, perhaps in the next 30 to 60 days. They asked for information about funding for additional air quality testing to be placed on the April 5 meeting agenda.
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