$587,620.00 Lump Sum **Updated with Links**

You may recall that there were precisely three attempts made by our Grand Prairie, TX City Council to place unodorized gas gathering pipelines in our Westchester and other South Grand Prairie, TX neighborhoods last fall and in the final Public Hearing on January 3rd, 2012 (we'll link to those stories in a little while).

**Updated with Links**Click Here, Click Here, Click Here and Yes, Click Here.

Certain members of our southern Grand Prairie community presented statements in opposition to these lateral gathering pipelines that would run through the heart of our community. It was a pipeline system many considered to be "inevitable."

It all happened between Thanksgiving and the New Year and made for a festive 2nd straight year of spending our holidays with the gas drilling issue front and center. We thank DFW Midstream and our own Grand Prairie, TX City Manager and City Council for making it all possible.  Those attempts failed.

Now, we hear from our Trailwood neighbors (to the west of Westchester) that gas gathering pipeline markers have actually been staked out for the placement of a new route for these gathering pipelines since long before the summer.  DFW Midstream (in $$cooperation$$ with our City and other cities in the Barnett Shale) tries very hard to be a utility  since utility companies do what they do "for the public good." Sadly, the shale gas business wants us to see them as a very well-regulated "public utility," unfortunately, they're not.

Question #1: If you think that placing unodorized gas gathering pipelines within 50 yards of children attending Dickinson Elementary School is a rational and sane idea, please raise your hand? Anyone?

Dickinson Elementary School's Web site

Question #2:  How much is it worth to bring this kind of DANGER within a very short distance of the playgrounds for very young children in our community...or ANY community?? ANSWER:  $587,620 (lump sum) is the price in Grand Prairie, Texas (look at the above "Financial Consideration," Revenue: $587,620 ~ as seen on the Agenda Details for tonight's City Council Meeting.)

Some may remember this...and some may wish they didn't:

Yes. They were "unodorized" gas distribution pipelines.