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Urban gas drilling and distance ordinances in the Texas Barnett Shale

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  • Fry, Matthew

Abstract

Newly accessible shale deposits and other unconventional sources of natural gas have dramatically increased global gas reserves and are regarded as major future energy sources. Shale gas drilling began in Texas and is expanding throughout the U.S. and globally. In Texas and other regions, large population centers overlie these deposits. As a result, city residents increasingly come into contact with extraction activities. The proximity of drilling activities to residential areas raises a number of concerns, including noise, dust and emissions hazards, public safety, diminished quality of life, and effects on neighborhood aesthetics and property values. Cities in Texas address these concerns through setback ordinances that regulate the distance between gas wells and residences, schools, floodplains, etc. Although the state of Texas permits drilling 200ft (61m) from residences, many municipalities in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW) have established longer setback distances. This paper analyzes the purpose and basis for setback distances among 26 municipalities in DFW. Findings show that there is no uniform setback distance, distances have increased over time, and, rather than technically-based, setbacks are political compromises. For policy makers confronted with urban shale gas drilling, deriving setback distances from advanced emissions monitoring could decrease setback distance ambiguity.

Suggested Citation

  • Fry, Matthew, 2013. "Urban gas drilling and distance ordinances in the Texas Barnett Shale," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 79-89.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:62:y:2013:i:c:p:79-89
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.107
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    Cited by:

    1. Bhavna Shamasunder & Ashley Collier-Oxandale & Jessica Blickley & James Sadd & Marissa Chan & Sandy Navarro & Michael Hannigan & Nicole J. Wong, 2018. "Community-Based Health and Exposure Study around Urban Oil Developments in South Los Angeles," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Matthew Fry & Christian Brannstrom & Trey Murphy, 2015. "How Dallas became frack free: hydrocarbon governance under neoliberalism," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 47(12), pages 2591-2608, December.
    3. Fry, Matthew & Brannstrom, Christian, 2017. "Emergent patterns and processes in urban hydrocarbon governance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 383-393.
    4. Banan, Zoya & Gernand, Jeremy M., 2021. "Emissions of particulate matter due to Marcellus Shale gas development in Pennsylvania: Mapping the implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PB).
    5. Michanowicz, Drew R. & Buonocore, Jonathan J. & Konschnik, Katherine E. & Goho, Shaun A. & Bernstein, Aaron S., 2021. "The effect of Pennsylvania's 500 ft surface setback regulation on siting unconventional natural gas wells near buildings: An interrupted time-series analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    6. Yasminah Beebeejaun, 2017. "Exploring the intersections between local knowledge and environmental regulation: A study of shale gas extraction in Texas and Lancashire," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(3), pages 417-433, May.
    7. Ericson, Sean J. & Kaffine, Daniel T. & Maniloff, Peter, 2020. "Costs of increasing oil and gas setbacks are initially modest but rise sharply," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    8. Heqian Zhao & Huaizhong Shi & Zhongwei Huang & Zhenliang Chen & Ziang Gu & Fei Gao, 2022. "Mechanism of Cuttings Removing at the Bottom Hole by Pulsed Jet," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, May.
    9. Kroepsch, Adrianne C., 2018. "Horizontal drilling, changing patterns of extraction, and piecemeal participation: Urban hydrocarbon governance in Colorado," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 469-480.
    10. Jeffrey Rous & Vicki Oppenheim & Myungsup Kim & Matthew Fry & Chetan Tiwari & Murray Rice, 2020. "Evaluating determinants of shale gas well locations in an urban setting," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 65(3), pages 645-671, December.
    11. Cameron T. Whitley, 2019. "Exploring the Place of Animals and Human–Animal Relationships in Hydraulic Fracturing Discourse," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-19, February.

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