The DAG report, titled "Amendments to Denton's Gas Drilling and Production Ordinance," has just been sent to City Council. Now it is time to make sure the ideas outlined in the report become the law of the land. It is time to engage with City Council in a discussion about why the draft ordinance remains too weak and how we can make it stronger.
Here's the message I sent to our City Council members via e-mail today:
Dear City Council members,
Attached, please find a report titled “Amendments to Denton’s Gas Drilling and Production Ordinance.” It outlines 28 specific changes to address remaining shortcomings in the current draft ordinance. The report is authored by the Denton Stakeholder Drilling Advisory Group (DAG), a collection of engaged citizen-experts. We hope that you will consider our recommendations as you discuss the draft and ultimately vote on a final ordinance.
We recognize the many benefits of gas drilling, but we believe that it must be conducted in a manner consistent with the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Denton. Important measures such as green completions, the prohibition of flaring, and prohibition of open pits are crucial to protecting our citizens. We also recognize the many legal limitations involved in this case, but our recommendations provide reasonable and feasible options that are within the jurisdictional authority of the City of Denton. Indeed, many of our recommendations have already been implemented by other cities on the Barnett Shale.
More can and should be done to make drilling and production compatible with our living, thriving community. We believe that our report outlines practical steps in this direction.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Adam Briggle
Chair, Denton Stakeholder Drilling Advisory Group
(940) 369-5136
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