Pop the champagne, toot the horn and get ready to light the water from your faucet on fire! We're finally going to get some good old American fracking at Lake Hefner.
Via NewsOK.com:
The Oklahoma City utilities department plans a public meeting Thursday on a proposal by Pedestal Oil Co. Inc. to drill for oil and natural gas near Lake Hefner.
The meeting will be 6 p.m. at the Will Rogers Conservatory, 3600 NW 36.
The proposed drilling site is northwest of NW 68 and Portland Avenue, about 600 feet west of Stars and Stripes Park. It is outside the park’s boundaries.
Pedestal first proposed to drill in 2011, but several groups organized in opposition to the plan.
The Oklahoma City water utilities trust asked the company to find a site that met both state regulations and the trust’s more stringent guidelines for drilling operations.
The draft proposal, which is still being negotiated between city attorneys and the company, would pay the city trust a royalty rate of 21 percent. The proceeds would go toward recreational improvements at Hefner, Draper and Overholser lakes. The three-year lease includes the option of drilling up to five additional wells after the first well.
See everyone, there's absolutely nothing to worry about. The city attorneys and oil companies are working together, and if there's one thing we've been reminded about over the past few weeks, it's that government attorneys are not in any way coerced or swayed by the energy industry. They have the public's best interests in mind.
Plus, with all the money we'll earn from drilling by Lake Hefner, we'll be able to make recreational improvements to Lake Hefner and other metro lakes. That's awesome! Who doesn't want to walk their dog or ride a bike or fly model airplanes or take a gay cruise at a lake that has a fracking well? Let's just hope all the new playgrounds and toys are earthquake-proof!
Unfortunately, liberal tree hugging activists led by councilman Ed Shadid think that harvesting natural resources with a toxic blend of chemicals right next to a lake that provides a big chunk of our city's water supply is a bad idea.
Here's more from NewsOK.com:
Kevin Moore, president of the Edgewater-Lakepointe neighborhood association, said his group has concerns about safety, noise and possible risks to drinking water.
“We feel the Lake Hefner area is an area that should be off limits and be preserved,” Moore said. “We understand oil and gas is an important part of our economy, but this development could open up other areas, too.”
The proposed location is near the borders of Ward 1 and Ward 2 on the southern shore of Lake Hefner. Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid said he was concerned about possible impacts to nearby homes and users of the trails from an industrial oil and gas extraction operation.
“It’s not a done deal yet, but I hope the public will weigh in on this and stop it if they have concerns,” Shadid said.
Shadid said he also was worried about possible spills from oil and gas development near one of the city’s major water supplies.
“When you’ve got the city’s water supply, there’s essentially no margin for error,” Shadid said.
Ward 1 Councilman James Greiner said he’s keeping an open mind, but most of the constituent calls he received have been against the plan.
“I can easily see why an energy company would see it as a good spot to drill, and I’m for private enterprise,” Greiner said. “On the other hand, Lake Hefner was intended to be for drinking water and recreation, and an oil rig just doesn’t fit into those uses.”
First of all, are these people not aware that we live in Oklahoma City? We've been drilling and exploring for oil and natural gas around here for nearly 100 years. In fact, one of the largest oil fields in the state's history was located near 4th and Santa Fe by Bricktown. Look at Bricktown today? The tourists seem fine.
Plus, oil and natural gas wells are all around us. When I was a kid, my friends and I would sometimes go play by an oil well in our neighborhood. Outside of my friend Paul growing a third eye and Alan getting cancer, we all turned out great. Like this one little well near a lake is going to make any difference. We've already whored ourselves out to the energy industry, so why stop now?
Anyway, as The Oklahoman article mentioned, there will be a public meeting about the proposed fracking site on Thursday, Dec. 18th at 6 pm at the Will Rogers Conservatory (3400 NW 36th Street). I guess if you want your voice or opinion heard, go there and talk about it.
