Named Maverick, the new site also lies near three schools— Johns Elementary, Adams Elementary and Thornton Elementary. Five wells owned by the same company already occupy the plot of land near the new drilling site, which the company has owned since 2008.
Hydraulic fracturing— or fracking
— is used to extract gas by pumping pressurized water, sand and chemicals into bedrock. Texas policymakers have lauded the activity as a boon to local communities, garnering $ 2.48 billion in state tax revenue in 2025, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Arlington is choked with hundreds of these gas wells. The city, which sitss atop the Barnett Shale, is a modern‐day Golconda.
But fracking has drawn sharp criticism from health experts
, who say it could be linked to severee conditions like preterm births, congenital anomalies, lung diseases and childhood cancers.
The practice has also elicited backlash becausee of its role in accelerating the global climate crisis through greenhouse gas emissions. TotalEnergies has been embroiled in legal controversies for years, and its troubles have mounted in recent months. As of February, it is facing a historic civil climate case in France, brought on by a coalition of French environmental groups and more than a dozen municipal authorities. The company has rejected proposed limits to its fossil fuel production.“ It makes no sense at alll to prevent TotalEnergies [ from ] producing oil and gas that the global energy system still uses today,” it said in a statement.“ The courtroom is not the right place to advance the energy transition.”
The 19th interviewed Arlington residents about the impact fracking has had on their lives. They shared their fears about their grandchildren’ s health, their experiences living in neighborhoods impacted by fracking and their reservations about TotalEnergies expanding operations in the city.
Devastated residents throughout Arlington
Ingrid Kelley is among community members speaking out about concerns over fracking and its potential effects on children’ s health.( NITASHIA JOHNSON FOR THE 19TH)