Mud spills costing county thousands

By Ashleigh Whaley/reporter3@trcle.com

December 09, 2008 01:01 pm

— The transportation of drilling mud in Johnson County has caused three deaths and thousands of taxpayers’ dollars in recent years, according to a county official.
Gerald Mohr, emergency management coordinator for Johnson County, informed commissioners of some of the dangers and costs related to transportation by the gas industry at their meeting Monday.
“Three people have been killed in Johnson County because of the Barnett Shale,” he said.
A mud spill incident two years ago next to Happy Hill Grocery in Alvarado caused a motorcycle accident in which one person was killed, Mohr said. And another person died a few weeks ago because of a spill accident on Farm-to-Market Road 157 north of Venus, he said.
Mohr said he could not recall details related to the third fatality.
He said a majority of spills have no known culprit.
Legally, he said the company that caused the spill is responsible for cleaning it up, but “there have been numerous incidents where we have no idea who did it.”
The most recent cleanup cost taxpayers $14,000, and an incident before that cost $35,000, he said.
“I’ve called the companies, and they say they will deal with it, but in many cases it’s the subcontractors who are doing it.”
Drilling fluids are most often transported in open-top trucks, Mohr said, and when a truck stops or turns too quickly, the fluids could spill.
Mohr discussed the issue with commissioners during a workshop session and said he primarily wanted “commissioners to be aware of the problem.”
In other action, commissioners:
zx Approved a final resolution about the creation of a Groundwater Conservation District. State Sen. Kip Averitt, R-District 22, will present the final GCD resolution to the Legislature for approval. The proposed GCD would include Johnson, Hill, Somervell and Ellis counties, all considered to have threatened water systems. Navarro County does not have a threatened water system but will be allowed to join the GCD if it becomes threatened. The resolution also asks that the Legislature not allow gas companies to be exempt from water fees.
zx Canvassed recount votes of the Nov. 4 commissioner Precinct 1 election and presented Commissioner-elect Rick Bailey with an election certificate.
zx Approved a bilingual supplement pay policy allowing one supplement per 10 county employees in each department. Departments with fewer than 10 employees will still receive one bilingual supplement. Employees receiving supplements will not lose their supplements, but if an employee leaves a position, the supplement will not be available to the person who fills it.