Lies about the EagleRidge "Emissions Event"

It is hard to argue with video evidence. Turns out that well was spouting gas and fluids high into the air for hours prior to the time TCEQ said the event started...and the crew was just watching it happen for hours prior to homes being evacuated. That estimate of 59 pounds of benzene is, as a result, almost certainly much lower than the actual emissions.

*Let me be clear about what the lie is here: The TCEQ report estimated benzene emissions for a time period of 7 hours and 39 minutes. That is the amount of time from 8 a.m. to 3:39 p.m. (when the problem was resolved). But the event was clearly happening prior to 8 a.m. and so the duration of emissions was longer. Indeed, according to the eye-witness, it was around 5 hours longer, which would put the estimated emissons at closer to 100 pounds of benzene.

Thanks to Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe for investigating this.

Are any authorities looking more deeply into this? Who is going to hold EagleRidge accountable?

And this is all happening just as P&Z approves a residential site with homes 100 feet away from wells....cute.