Wednesday May 16, 2012 The Honorable Mayor Mike Rawlings and Dallas City Council Dallas City

Hall 1500 Marilla St. Dallas, Texas 75201 Dear Mayor Rawlings and Dallas City Council, On May 14, 2012, the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League voted to oppose hydraulic fracturing within the city of Dallas. We arrived at our decision acutely aware of the energy needs that face our nation and the opportunity that natural gas offers in the way of a clean burning fuel source. We recognize that natural gas must continue to play an important role in our nations energy needs. We feel however that uncertainties with hydraulic fracturing, as it occurs today, offset any advantages the otherwise clean fuel offers our community. In particular, these points caused our concern and ultimate rejection of fracking at this time: 1. Setbacks While a setback of 1000 ft. has been recommended for our homes, schools, hospitals, churches and parks, 300 ft from a place of business doesnt make any sense to us. We think that even a greater distance should be considered and ask that the 1000 ft. setback be included for business locations as well. There is no independent data to suggest what short term or long-term exposure to air emissions from a shale gas drilling site can do to the human body. Many of us spend at least as much time at work as we do living or playing and shouldnt we feel safe there as well? As we try to entice more people to work, live and play and Grow South, its important not to make that task more difficult with self-inflicted environmental or health hazards. 2. Disclosure of all chemicals involved in hydraulic fracturing - When dealing with known carcinogens like those used in fracking, its even more important that all Dallas citizens and first responders be made aware of the unknown chemicals as well. Anything less than full disclosure of this information, including proprietary mixtures, to the public robs them of the opportunity to make informed decisions. 3. Drinking water quality Water that we all use in our daily life becomes part of the hydrological cycle for area residents. The water that is used in the drilling process is permanently ruined and can never be used again. What types of water usage fees are being imposed on those industries that remove our water from the hydrological cycle? Is the water being used for drilling coming from our water sources such as area lakes? As our population grows, our water requirements continue to grow as well. Removing more water from the cycle should be of great concern for all Dallas citizens. We must have guarantees that we will always have enough clean water for everyday use in our lives. 4. Drilling in the Trinity River Floodplain Nowhere was concern greater than the

prospect of injecting harmful and unknown chemicals into the Trinity River floodplain and park land for the exploration of shale gas. Choices the City of Dallas makes today with regards to what occurs in our floodplain do not impact just us; the impact affects thousands of Texans everywhere. The Trinity River floodplain has a unique eco system that must be protected from all industries. The Trinity River Audubon Center tells us that 'the Trinity Watershed encompasses nearly 18,000 square miles of Texas.' It also tells us that 'More Texans rely on the Trinity River than any other body of water in the State of Texas.' Rivers, streams, and creeks at one time or another flood, as they travel towards the Gulf of Mexico. Allowing hydraulic fracturing chemicals to these bodies of water eventually will affect all of us. Does the City of Dallas really want to be part of this polluted process? What will this new liability mean for our city in the future? 5. Air quality - For some time now, the City of Dallas has been in violation of the Clean Air Act regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. This year we were downgraded from moderate to severe. The likelihood that the Federal Government will withhold highway funds from our area in the near future is a real possibility, particularly if we choose as a city to create more air pollution. The League cannot in good conscious support jeopardizing the continued economic vitality of our area or put our residents at even greater risk of potential lung problems. 6. Regulation In 2006, the US Congress exempted the gas industry's process known as fracking from the Safe Drinking Water Act. Concerns voiced in this letter regarding water resources that would previously have been addressed with the Safe Drinking Water Act, would have been handled at the federal level. Air emissions must be regulated on each pad site without regard to its location near Dallas citizens or other area communities. Since The City of Dallas is a 'home rule city', it has an overwhelming responsibility to its citizens to protect them at the highest levels. Allowing shale gas drilling to come into the City of Dallas with the handful of state inspectors will never be enough to handle Dallas' needs. Should the City of Dallas move forward with shale gas drilling, we must have our own full time gas inspector and staff to oversee the operations of the industry? Sharing this position with other area communities is not acceptable on any level. A lot of energy is spent discussing the gap between North and South Dallas. It is sadly ironic that what created many of those gaps drive this issue today chiefly the elevation of industry profits over public health and quality of life issues for all our citizens. It is no secret that communities and neighborhoods downriver bore the brunt of Dallas growth years. Just this year, we were reminded how downriver neighborhoods are treated when we became aware of the Columbia Packing Co.'s practice of dumping pigs' blood into the Trinity. How can we ever hope to heal wounds or bridge gaps between North and South as long as we continue to slight our neighbors to our South and West for the sake of a dollar? Effects from the past decades of lead infecting West Dallas still linger today. Those who live there, still bear the lingering health effects of this environmental disaster. We cant afford an even greater catastrophic incident, much less the impact on other municipalities adjacent to Dallas and the liabilities that follow. It should be every citizens right to breathe clean air and drink clean water. As our elected

officials we ask and we depend on you now to secure those rights for all our citizens as well as those to come. Such basic quality of life matters deserve every ounce of your good judgment and careful attention. We thank you, Phil Leven, President Michele Cox, Executive VP Sherry Peel, VP of Neighborhoods Judy Pollock, VP of Membership Lybo Buchanan, VP of Communication Alicia Quintans, Secretary Michael Amonett, Past President Cc: Mary Suhm, City Manager Dr. Elba Garcia, Dallas County Commissioner City Planning Commissioin Bob Stimson, Oak Cliff Chamber OOCCL Member Neighborhoods