Political do-over
Crowd cries sham as Dallas hits the reset button on fracking and natural gasdrilling
The City Plan Commission may have voted to deny natural gas drilling permits and hydraulic fracking in L.B. Houston Park just last month, but today they asked for a do-over. Commissioner Bruce Bernbaum moved that permits for Trinity East Energy be reconsidered, and the CPC agreed unanimously to place the issue under advisement until February.
That news didn't sit well with Texas Campaign for the Environment's Zac Trahan.
"If we had lost the December 20 vote, we wouldn't have gotten a re-vote," he says. "We have to win twice, but the industry only has to win once. Everything about this stinks to high heaven."
A crowd of about 60 people showed their displeasure with the commission's reconsideration by chanting "sham!" after the vote passed. Eventually, security officers asked those holding signs or otherwise disrupting the meeting to leave.
Dallas Cothrum, who represents Trinity East, was all smiles post-vote.
"We'll be here on February 7 and make a good case that natural gas drilling can be done safely," Cothrum says.