Now Frackers Whine About Process? Be at Dallas City Hall at 1pm To Make Them Really Mad

According to a chain of e-mails published by the Dallas Observer, some industry supporters who were members of the Dallas Gas Drilling Task Force – the very same members who helped engineer the rollback of protections at the very last meeting without any opportunity for public comment – are all in a tizzy over council member Scott Griggs picking Task Force member Terry Welch to give today's presentation of the "Minority Report" of the Task Force recommendations beginning at 1 pm. They're claiming it's just not fair to pick someone who's actually knowledgeable about how and why the rollbacks occurred. Yep, that's some dirty dealing all right.

It's really rich for those who hijacked the Task Force process to now complain about who gets to give the PowerPoint for the other side.

Who better to be able to talk about what the Task Force did and why than someone who was there? Well, the industry supporters on the Council picked good ol' Ed Ireland to give the rebuttal to Welch. Ireland showed up at exactly one meeting to testify on behalf of his clients. He has no idea what the Task Force debated prior to its votes. Maybe he doesn't look like such an inspired choice now.

Whatever the reason, this digital hissy fit is an indication the gas industry is desperate. Perhaps they're worried that their Task Force coup d'etat won't succeed. But you know what would make it a really horrible day for the fracking folks in Dallas? If all of you showed up at 1 pm  at City Hall to once again vote with your bodies for stronger protections to be included in a new gas drilling ordinance, including off-sets. Come and watch what may be a watershed moment in this now two-year old fight.