Yet the world’s reliance on natural gas is growing, not declining. The clash in Arlington comes against the backdrop of pledges from world leaders to reduce emissions, burn less fossil fuel and transition to cleaner energy. “We listen to and do understand the concerns of the local communities with whom we interact frequently to ensure we operate in harmony with them and the local authorities,” the statement said. But in a statement, the company said it has operated near Mother’s Heart for more than a decade without any safety concerns expressed by the City of Arlington. Total declined a request for an interview to discuss the matter. It doesn’t have to be in the back yard of a day care.” “There’s a lot of land, empty space they can drill. “I’m trying to protect my little one,” said Guerda Philemond, whose 2-year-old, Olivia Grace Charles, attends the day care. But with time having passed and with some turnover on the City Council, many residents worry that this time Total will succeed. The rejection came at a time when Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd’s murder by police had led many American communities to take a deeper look at racial disparities. Last year, the council denied Total’s request. On Tuesday night, the City Council in this city situated between Dallas and Fort Worth is scheduled to vote on Total’s latest drilling request. They include communities near related infrastructure - compressor stations, for example, which push gas through pipelines and emit toxic fumes, and export facilities, where gas is cooled before being shipped overseas.
The affected areas go beyond day care centers and schools close to drilling sites. And while some states are requiring energy companies to drill farther from day cares, schools and homes, Texas has taken the opposite tack: It has made it exceedingly difficult for localities to fight back. Living too close to drilling sites has been linked to a range of health risks, especially to children, from asthma to neurological and developmental disorders. The three wells, along with two existing ones, would lie about 600 feet from where the children planted a garden of sunflowers.įor the families of the children and for others nearby, it’s a prospect fraught with fear and anxiety. The French energy giant wants to drill three new wells on the property next to Mother’s Heart Learning Center, which serves mainly Black and Latino children. Uphill from the playground, peeking between trees, is a site where Total Energies is pumping for natural gas. A boy cries as a teacher helps him negotiate over a toy. ARLINGTON, Texas | At a playground outside a North Texas day care center, giggling preschoolers chase each other into a playhouse.