The proposal, which was rejected last year during nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, got initial approval from the city's planning commission in October, despite continued opposition from Vincent, parents and residents in the neighborhood. Vincent, who owns the day care, is upset about a proposal to add natural gas wells at a nearby fracking site that's operated by TEP Barnett, a subsidiary of French energy giant Total Energies. 23, 2021, during an interview at the Mother's Heart Learning Center in Arlington, Texas. Martha Irvine/AP Show More Show Less 6 of19 Wanda Vincent sheds a tear on Saturday, Oct. They and other neighbors also say the drilling has damaged their homes' foundations. Beyond concerns about long-term health risks posed by fracking, the Meeks say they've endured frequent drilling noise and vibration in recent months. The site, called "Rocking Horse," is operated by TEP Barnett, a subsidiary of French energy giant Total Energies and is just a few hundred feet from their home. 24, 2021, with a fracking site, hidden by "sound walls," looming behind them. Martha Irvine/AP Show More Show Less 5 of19 Frank and Michelle Meeks stand in their backyard in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. It is one of Total's 33 well sites in Arlington containing 163 natural gas wells, most of them tucked in urban neighborhoods in Arlington. The site is operated by TEP Barnett, a subsidiary of French energy giant Total Energies. The fracking pond in the foreground is part of a natural gas drill site, known as "AC-360," a few hundred feet from the daycare. Martha Irvine/AP Show More Show Less 4 of19 A staff member at the Mother's Heart Learning Center, in background, opens a door to let children inside from the center's playground in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, Oct. The fracking site is operated by TEP Barnett, a subsidiary of French energy giant Total Energies. Philemond is worried about a proposal to add three new gas wells at a drill site that's a few hundred feet from the day care and several residences. Martha Irvine/AP Show More Show Less 3 of19 Wanda Vincent prepares to check the temperature of 2-year-old Olivia Grace Charles, who holds the hand of her mother, Guerda Philemond, outside the Mother's Heart Learning Center in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, Oct. Some residents of the predominately Hispanic and Black neighborhood, as well as parents and staff at a daycare near the site, oppose the plan, citing health concerns. The company has proposed adding three new wells at this site. It is one of Total's 33 well sites in Arlington that contain 163 wells.
The site, known as "AC-360," is operated by TEP Barnett, a subsidiary of French energy giant Total Energies. Martha Irvine Show More Show Less 2 of19 A natural gas well is juxtaposed with apartment buildings a few hundred feet away in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, Oct. As Tejeda, 38, has learned more about health risks posed by fracking for natural gas, she has become a vocal opponent of a plan to add more natural gas wells at a site near her home. It doesn’t have to be in the back yard of a day care."ġ of19 Rosalia Tejeda, second from left, plays with her children, from left, son Juscianni Blackeller, 13 Adaliana Gray, 5, and Audrey Gray, 2, in their backyard in Arlington, Texas, Monday, Oct. “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 daughter attends the day care. But with some turnover on the City Council, many residents worried Total would succeed this time. Last year, the council denied Total's request at a time when Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd's murder by police led many American communities to take a deeper look at racial disparities. On Tuesday night, the Arlington City Council voted 5-4 to approve Total's latest drilling request, with expected final approval in the weeks to come. And while some states require energy companies to drill farther from day cares and homes, Texas has made it difficult for localities to fight back. Living too close to drilling sites has been linked to a range of health risks from asthma to neurological and developmental disorders. The prospect is raising fears among families and the surrounding community.