Pristine desert, lush with mesquite trees and creosote.
Introduction
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RANS PECOS is a timely intervention weaving together the issues of land and water rights, while painting an honest portrait of what is to come if we allow oil interest to supersede public good. It is a cautionary tale meant to inspire people from every walk of life to take action and work toward change that can happen if informed citizens and those in power hold oil and gas companies accountable.
What follows is a small glimpse into the documentary and our experience uncovering the truth in Far West Texas.
TRAILER
THE TRANS-PECOS PIPELINE
THE TRANS-PECOS PIPELINE
In 2015,
Without public hearings or government approval,
Without consultation with the local people who have owned, worked, and conserved the land for generations,
Without environmental or community impact studies,
A massive trans-border pipeline for natural gas was built through Trans Pecos.
In 2015,
Without public hearings or government approval,
Without consultation with the local people who have owned, worked, and conserved the land for generations,
Without environmental or community impact studies,
A massive trans-border pipeline for natural gas was built through Trans Pecos.
THE LOOPHOLE
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exas law allows private companies to use the power of eminent domain to take land without proving that it will be used for the public good.
Then, through a loophole in the law known as impermissible segmentation, the companies avoided a federal environmental assessment requirement by breaking the large-scale project into smaller segments—the same tactic used for the Dakota Access Pipeline.
It is a sacrificial route that will courier gas culled from beneath the Texas earth across the border to Mexico where it will likely be exported for sale in overseas markets.
“They could put a pipeline through Arlington Cemetery if they wanted to. They’ve got enough power through the law. Nothing will change until we change the laws.”
REX H. WHITE Oil & Gas Lawyer
Impermissible Segmentation: Breaking the large-scale project into smaller segments.
PILAR PEDERSON A LANDOWNER's VOICE
BALMORHEA
BALMORHEA
Impermissible Segmentation: Breaking the large-scale project into smaller segments.
Impermissible Segmentation: Breaking the large-scale project into smaller segments.
Alpine High is one of the largest discoveries to date and promises a future of industrial production in the area. The estimated water usage for Apache’s 5000 wells is 8.5 million gallons of water per well.
The anticipated oil extraction from these wells would supply global energy needs for less than 31 days.
Just one month.
Alpine High is one of the largest discoveries to date and promises a future of industrial production in the area. The estimated water usage for Apache’s 5000 wells is 8.5 million gallons of water per well.
The anticipated oil extraction from these wells would supply global energy needs for less than 31 days.
Just one month.
BALMORHEA STATE PARK WATER THREAT
CANARIES IN
THE COAL MINE
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his is not the first time the region has seen the ravages of industrialization.
As an iconic region nationally known for both the rugged individualism of the frontier and the black gold rush of oil, the cautionary tale of rancher versus big business has played out before. If left unchecked again, the environmental and legislative consequences are unforeseen.
"Why does involuntary damage to a vast tract of land matter to someone who’s not a land owner living in a Texas city? That’s all the open space that we have here in Texas. Land is mythic, it’s our ethos in this state. That’s where our clean air comes from. It’s where our aquifers recharge and where rivers begin. That land is where our food and fiber come from. Undisturbed landscapes are the habitat for state’s wildlife. And it’s our peace, a place for clear thoughts. These things belong to all of us."
JIM BRADBURY CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES LAWYER
UNEXPECTED ALLIANCES
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he looming backdrop of industrialization, loss of private property, and destruction of pristine wilderness, has citizens from every walk of life coming together to defend a land that cannot defend itself. These unlikely alliances reach across borders and party lines proving unified efforts can and will have an impact if action is taken.
“This is not an issue of right versus left, it is an issue of right versus wrong.”
Darrel Rhyne Landowner
TAKE ACTIOn
Join the growing number of citizens standing for property rights and water protection.
