Double Take

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Or a billion dollars?

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Waxahachie can't catch a break

Is Fort Worth next?

First, they have their failed boondoggle.  Recently, they had an earthquake that was felt in Fort Worth.  Now, they have a major chemical fire.  WHAT kind of chemicals? Fracing chemicals.

Read Brett Shipp's report on WFAA.com.


Up until late Tuesday, about all Scott Pendery, the owner of Magnablend Inc., was telling the public was this particular facility produced was agriculture and oil and gas products. The only specific chemicals being mentioned were mostly harmless or marginally volatile.

But when pressed, the owner began telling another story.

Most of what the plant was producing was a dangerous cocktail of chemicals blended specifically to be used in hydraulic fracturing (or "fracking") fluids.

As rivers of flammable product flushed out of the Magnablend plant on Monday, all that mattered was that the workers and firefighters escaped with their lives.

A day later, local, state and federal officials began investigating what started the fire — and what all was burning.

"And so some of those products that we make in that plant do get used in that application," the Magnablend owner conceded. "Company-wide, we're probably in the 80 percentile with the oil and gas industry, and then the balance is the agriculture industry."

Later, when we tried to ask Pendery about specific chemicals parked in the tanker cars next to his facility, he ignored our questions and got back into his car without comment.

Waxahachie Fire-Rescue Chief David Hudgins told News 8 he was not aware that 80 percent of what Magnablend produces is fracking chemicals.

EPA officials said they had no idea what Magnablend was producing at the plant.

While it's legal to blend fracking chemicals, federal law states if enough dangerous chemicals are being stored on site, then the company must file a risk management plan.

No such plan has been filed for this facility.

Local, state and federal authorities continue their investigation.

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In the Crosshairs

On today's (October 5th) TRVA board agenda:

CONSIDER RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TARRANT REGIONAL WATER DISTRICT TO ACQUIRE FEE SIMPLE TITLE TO THE SURFACE ESTATE ONLY,

INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED THEREON, OF APPROXIMATELY 2.955 ACRES OF LAND BEING LOTS 1 AND 2, AND THE NORTH 85 FEET OF LOT 3, BLOCK 252, NORTH FORT WORTH ADDITION, TO THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT RECORDED IN VOLUME 204-A, PAGE 117, PLAT RECORDS, TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS (P.R.T.C.T.),

AND FURTHER BEING A TRACT OF LAND DESCRIBED IN A DEED TO J.R. STEVENS, SR. AND J.R. STEVENS, JR., RECORDED IN VOLUME 12584, PAGE 1468, DEED RECORDS, TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS (D.R.T.C.T.); TOGETHER WITH THE SOUTH 30 FEET OF A TRACT MARKED “RESERVED” WHICH LIES BETWEEN BLOCKS 251 AND 252 ON SAID PLAT,

BY EMINENT DOMAIN OR BY PURCHASE, FOR THE TRINITY RIVER VISION PROJECT – STEVE CHRISTIAN (TRVA, REAL PROPERTY DIRECTOR)

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What does the "news" paper say?

Fort Worth road not getting repaired.

"Fort Worth remains way behind on road repairs"

But not to worry.  As of August 23, the Trinity River Vision was right on schedule.  And only a million more.

WHAT happened to the gamble that was taken with YOUR money?  WHAT will happen with the next one?  WHICH one is a priority to YOU?

Of that money, more than $32 million was first approved by voters about seven years ago.

Why wasn't the money spent? City officials say they hung onto tens of millions in an attempt to grab federal stimulus money -- yet didn't know what work, if any, would qualify. In the end, almost all those projects failed to pan out, leaving neighborhood streets and thoroughfares broken despite voter approval of bonds to pay to fix them.

The explanations go on: inadequate debt capacity, a slowdown in projects due to the recession and a lack of accountability within the Transportation & Public Works Department. And, city officials say, the staff didn't push hard enough to get the job done.

"Reports coming through management were lax. Accountability was a major issue. The focus was not there," Councilman Jungus Jordan said.

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YOU Do Not Want To Miss This

Dear Friends of the Trinity River,

Please join us for an unprecedented event that promises to be an enlightening and educational evening. Bring your questions. And bring your neighborhood associations, groups and clubs - all taxpayers need to hear this.

Sincerely,

Your friends at TRIP

Trinity River Talk

Have questions about TRV?  Want to hear both sides?

Join us.

October 12th @ 6:30 p.m.
Botanic Garden, Fort Worth  - Lecture Hall

Panelists include:

Jim Lane - Tarrant Regional Water District Board member and former Fort Worth City Council member

J.D. Granger - Trinity River Vision Authority Executive Director and former Assistant District Attorney

Mark Rauscher - City of Fort Worth - Trinity River Vision Director

Clyde Picht - Former Fort Worth City Council member

Steve Hollern - CPA and former Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman

John Basham - Consulting Meteorologist

TRIP would like to thank the SPJFW for moderating this important community event for the citizens.

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Perry Polls

The media is saying Rick Perry dropped 10 points in the polls.

Maybe some folks picked up the Fort Worth Weekly Best of 2011 edition.  While the critics chose another of our local/Washington politicians (Kay Granger) for The Politician most likely to sell grandma to the highest bidder, the readers of Fort Worth chose Rick Perry. 

If the citizens of one of the largest cities in your state think you'll sell them out, WHY would the rest of the country want you for President?

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Another Twisted Tale....

Concerning water, dams, the Corp of Engineers, gas drillers, and city councils...

Hey, Fort Worth, do you see a pattern yet?

Wake up already. 

Check it out on the Westchester Gasette.

Chesapeake's Corn Valley Pad Site was administratively permitted by the City of Grand Prairie in the summer of 2010 with very little fanfare ~ even though it was clearly within the 3,000 foot Zone of Exclusion ~ as  defined by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) ~ with their 1996 publication:  Texas Resource Management Plan and Record of Decision.  This publication defines the Rules going forward for oil and gas drilling activity near the dams and lakes under United States Army Corps of Engineers' jurisdiction.

Two Years Earlier: 2008

On July 15, 2008, Shale gas operator XTO said the following to Grand Prairie, TX City Council (during a Public Hearing about XTO's Lynn Unit):

"...The Corps of Engineers is aware of this activity based on an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management on this property."

~ Walter Dueease, XTO, July 15, 2008

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