Natural gas wells concern South McAllen residents

McALLEN - Lorena Hernandez feels like she's surrounded.

Across the street from her home in the South McAllen neighborhood of Fairway Grande, there's an oil well.

To the west of her home, off Second Street, are two more.

To the east, off McColl Road, are another two.

And last month, the McAllen City Commission approved a plan by Shell for two more drill sites on that same piece of land. The drilling could start in a few weeks.

She and other residents in this largely Spanish-speaking neighborhood said they feel like their concerns - about the quality of air, the potential for explosions and the chance that their property's value will decrease - are all being ignored.

Hernandez isn't looking forward to the day when drilling begins again after the experience she had the last time drilling occurred here in 2008.

"There's a racket," said Hernandez, secretary of the neighborhood's homeowners association. "There's shaking. You'll hear ‘pow, pow' when they're hitting something. They do this at night."

"I'm thinking of putting a for sale sign on my house," she continued, "but I don't think I can get the money I put into my house."

Now residents are navigating the complicated map of the city and state regulations that determine who can drill for gas and where.

Earlier this month, City Manager Mike Perez met with residents here to try to address their concerns.

He said that as long as Shell isn't doing anything dangerous - and Shell has never had an incident in the McAllen area - the city can't deny them a permit.

Yvette Barrera, the city engineer, said she is confident that Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates oil and gas drilling, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, is monitoring the wells effectively.

"We try to be a government of laws, not just of people ... if they comply with what's required, we have to let them drill," Perez said.

Shell has 500 producing wells in Brooks, Hidalgo and Starr counties.

But residents say the concentration of four drill sites in one small area could pose risks of fires, explosions or the release of toxic contaminants into soil, air and groundwater.

And they said the unsightly wells are a detriment to their neighborhood that could hurt property values.

"It looks like this is not a nice neighborhood," said Eli Botello, who lives near Cynthia Street and Yuma Avenue and can see a cluster of wells from his yard. "It looks like an industrial area."

"McAllen doesn't deserve to be called the City of Palms," he continued, after looking at a "DANGER" sign outside one of the wells. "It's the city of gas wells."

City Commissioner Jim Darling, who represents the neighborhood, said he understands and appreciates those concerns. But Darling - who has a drill site within 400 feet of his home - said he trusts that city officials have examined the issue and are following the existing drilling ordinances.

Residents are also frustrated with the process by which the city commission authorized the two new drill sites.

Before 1999, the city had to notify residents within 600 feet of potential drilling sites of pending drilling permits.

The ordinance has been changed and the distance cut to 400 feet. As a result, there was no public hearing when the city commission unanimously approved drilling last month.

"I think (McAllen) is a wonderful city," said Marte de Alejandro, a resident of the neighborhood. "But the way this ordinance was changed and how things are being carried out ... I was a little bit disappointed with how the entire deal came out."

Fairway Grande property owners have also suggested the city has ignored their concerns due to the lucrative nature of the drilling.

McAllen is budgeted to earn $3.5 million in natural gas royalties from the dozens of wells here.

The city is eligible to receive royalties on the two existing drill sites at McColl and Yuma, Perez said, and it's eligible to receive royalties from one of the two forthcoming drill sites.

Though officials stress the money has nothing to do with their decision whether to allow drilling, most residents don't seem to buy that claim.

Shell will use stacked shipping containers around the drill sites to help muffle sound during the 25 to 45 days drilling will take place, said Kelly C. op de Weegh, a Shell spokeswoman. She also said delivery of equipment will be done during daytime only, and audible alerts on equipment will be silenced to keep noise at a minimum.

Sandy Sodersten, Shell's South Texas development manager, said the company plans to soon meet with residents to address their concerns.

Company officials also downplayed the risk of health effects or explosions.

Op de Weegh said natural gas produced in McAllen lacks toxic hydrogen sulfide gas and the company monitors air quality to ensure its own workers are safe.

Residents have also expressed concern about the carcinogen benzene, which can be found in natural gas. Shell officials say there are trace amounts of benzene in natural gas production, but it is not released by wells.

And they say the company takes concerns about explosions seriously, with 24-hour on-site supervision, safety valves and extensive emergency management training to mitigate risks.

Shell officials say they plan on closing the well located within the subdivision by the end of the year, but city officials are trying to get clarification from the Railroad Commission about the state of the well.

And Barrera said she has requested that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality investigate the air quality of the neighborhood, given its proximity to so many wells.

Residents, for their part, said they plan to petition the Railroad Commission and the TCEQ about their concerns.

But the neighbors could face an uphill battle.

"I'm sure if we were doing anything causing great risk, the Railroad Commission would be in here closing it down," Perez said. "They're looking at it. They're monitoring it."

But despite reassurances from the city and Shell, residents remain perturbed by the presence of wells. They say they'll continue to fight drilling.

"I have three children, two jobs, I'm opening my own business... to add this on is a lot of work," Hernandez said. "For the safety of our children - I'll do anything."