Arlington City Council members unanimously approved a Specific Use Permit for Total E&P Barnett USA, LLC, to create a new gas well site and drill zone Tuesday, with Andrew Piel, District 4 council member, absent.
A second hearing is scheduled for February.
An affiliate of the international TotalEnergies, Total E&P Barnett USA is headquartered in Fort Worth and focuses on developing natural gas wells in urban areas.
Nearly 30 Tarrant County residents voiced concerns about the site at 2020 S. Watson Road during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Using the 5.406-acre parcel of land for gas drilling has generated objections twice before. It would sit adjacent to The Mother’s Heart Learning Center, a day care center serving about 100 children.
“Yes, I keep coming back because I am fighting for our future,” said Wanda Vincent, owner of The Mother’s Heart Learning Center. “We all have a responsibility to leave things on this Earth better than we found it.”
According to the staff report, the Maverick Drill Site would be located within two miles of six identified gas wells. If approved, the company intends to drill 10 wells within 16 months, starting March 2025.
Leslie Garvis, spokesperson for TotalEnergies, said the company has owned the land since 2008. Following similar attempts within the last five years, this latest request goes beyond the required 600-foot setback ordinance. She said the day care is over 1,000 feet away and three Arlington ISD elementary schools are over 2,000 feet away from the site.
Garvis said approval of the wells would allow the development of stranded minerals of over 1,700 Arlington mineral interest owners and provide revenue to the city and AISD.
Speakers in opposition questioned the possible health hazards the site could bring, including those with compromised immune systems and increased chances of Leukemia.
“Arlington has a lot to offer: baseball, football, water park, Six Flags, UTA, where two of my children attended,” Vincent said. “However, people are beginning to question their health and safety here.”
Garvis ensured attendees that the companies take diligent steps to monitor community safety, as well as prevent, mitigate and reduce environmental impacts.
After passing the vote unanimously, outcries from those in opposition rang.
Sat in the front row, Arlington resident Ash Swan, 20, was the first to speak and one of the first to exit the chambers after seeing the results.
Living within five miles of one of the new drilling sites, Swan said they could already feel a difference in the air quality at their home versus another mile out. Alongside other opposers, this was their second time coming out in opposition.
“I’m not excited to see this ginormous sign that my life, and the life of every person here in Arlington, is worth nothing to them,” Swan said.
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