We, the residents of Grand Prairie, Arlington, of DFW and all of North Texas along with friends of the Trinity Trail strenuously object to FEMA and the City of Grand Prairie forcing GHA gas company to move its tanks from the east end of Lower Tarrant to the lot just east of the Good Link Trail at Lower Tarrant. You say that the original plan for elevating tanks on their existing property is not practical in case there is a 100-year flood that covers the land with 6-8 feet of rushing water. Yet just across the county line, Viridian built dozens of homes inside of the same class of flood zone. We can see plainly on the FEMA map that there are all sorts of existing structures inside this flood plain where the GHA has its collection center.

We are offended that you would consider this land benign to an industrial development. Construction equipment has already knocked down most of the large oak trees on the property. Putting tanks and gravel all over that property will turn that land that used to be a beautiful neighbor to the Good Link Trail connecting Mike Lewis and C.P. Waggoner Parks into a wasteland.

We also question your cooperation with local business in the community. Imposing an expensive, and in our view, elective facility relocation cost onto GHA at a time when gas prices are down and they have little hope of recovering the cost anytime soon is, in our view, irresponsible and hostile to small business. Grand Prairie needs to build a reputation of having business-friendly policies as well as those that ensure the tranquility of residents.

The Good Link Trail is also scheduled to connect the greater Trinity Trail in Fort Worth to the Trinity Trail in Dallas. The recreational interests of the parks will be better served if FEMA, GHA, and the City of Grand Prairie find a way to keep their industrial use of the property where it is instead of moving it next to the Good Link/Trinity Trail.

We implore you to cease the destruction immediately and return to committee to explore other options for the safety of this Barnett Shale tank farm.