Tan Parker is the 2006 Republican Party nominee for Texas House District 63 race. He defeated Anne Lakusta in an April 11 runoff in Denton County, Texas. This is a text version of this page
Speak of gas drilling, Representative Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) recently announced an agreement to "Best Practices for Pipeline and Municipality Relations" guidelines for pipeline management throughout the Barnett Shale region. Widely viewed as a cooperative effort between industry and community leaders, the Best Practices document was written by a working group comprised of the Texas Pipeline Association and several local mayors and county representatives. The Best Practices document addresses issues with regard to communication, pipeline routing, private property rights and use of public rights-of-way. The document directs the pipeline company to negotiate in “good faith” when acquiring easements from landowners, to provide cities with a company representative who is available 24 hours a day, to require that right-of-way agents be registered with the Texas Real Estate Commission, and to provide the city with a copy of the final pipeline route.
Analysis of Cancer in Flower Mound Finds No Evidence of Cluster
A Texas Department of State Health Services analysis has found that the occurrence of leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and childhood brain cancers in two ZIP codes in Flower Mound, Texas, is within the expected ranges for males and females.
In response to community concerns about a possible cluster of cancer cases, DSHS analyzed the occurrence of childhood and overall leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, childhood brain cancer and female breast cancer in the 75022 and 75028 ZIP codes, using Texas Cancer Registry data from 1998 to 2007. The number of cancer cases occurring in these two ZIP codes was compared with the number of cases expected based on statewide rates.
Studies may eliminate community's fears
By: Bob Weir
The News Connection
During a Town Hall meeting in Lantana last week, to discuss the effects of gas drilling on community health, representatives of the Dept. of State Health Services told the crowd of about 200 area residents that Texas health officials are waiting for lab results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after selecting 28 residents at random for biological sampling that could determine if they’ve been exposed to toxic substances. Even the cold rainy evening didn’t stop the large group from packing the house because of increasing concerns about childhood leukemia, alleged by some to be directly related to the numerous gas rigs sprouting up like weeds all over North Texas. Much of the alarm resulted from a report by state environmental officials confirming that elevated levels of benzene were discovered at some natural gas facilities. The 28 people being tested were randomly selected from the residents of Dish, Texas, a small town about 10 miles southwest of the City of Denton. State officials agreed to do the sampling after Dish authorities paid for the town’s own air quality study.
Please join State Representative Tan Parker and Denton County Commissioner Andy Eads for an open house and town hall meeting to discuss the proposed compression station site and proposed waste water facility in the Bartonville/Argyle area. State agencies will be present to address and educate residents in Denton County regarding the State’s permitting processes, as well as answer questions pertaining to air and water quality issues associated with drilling in the Barnett Shale.
Did you know that the state of Texas is currently holding over $2 billion in cash and other valuables and is looking for the rightful owners to simply claim it? There is no deadline to make a claim, so check out ClaimItTexas.org, a program under the State Comptroller of Public Accounts (Comptroller Susan Combs). You might be surprised what you have been missing! Just click the link below to search the state’s database (or look for the instructions on how to conduct searches by phone, fax, email or mail).
The tragic earthquake in Haiti has caused unprecedented devastation. There are several outreach efforts throughout the United States as well as many local drives to collect supplies, medicines, and donations. Here are just a few national initiatives that are working to help ease the pain for the people of Haiti.
On December 28, 2009, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) gave the notice to proceed to Durable Specialties, Inc. The work is scheduled to start on January 21, 2010 and has a 30-day schedule of completion.
Please remember to use caution when driving near any school and obey all traffic signs. Safety and the protection of our children should be everyone’s top priority.
“The health and safety of the citizens of Denton County are always my top priorities. As someone who resides in Flower Mound with my family, I too want to ensure that the families in the community of Wellington have a safe living environment. I take this matter very seriously.
Working with other area elected officials, my office is fully engaged with the Texas Department of Health Services and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. I await a full report of their findings so we can gain scientific, factual data to better understand what action may be required going forward. Make no mistake about it, Flower Mound has a national reputation of being one of the best places to work, live, and raise a family. As a father of two little girls, I am committed to protecting the quality of life all of us here deeply cherish. My door is always open to anyone who wishes to ask questions, and I will continue to update my personal website with the latest information.”
The State Health Services website provides additional information on health studies that are in progress in District 63. Please visit the websites below if you would like a description of these scientific surveys.
If you are interested in the air quality study being conducted by TCEQ at drilling sites in the Barnett Shale region, the TCEQ Barnett Shale website is a helpful resource that provides up to date information on the studies TCEQ is performing in the region: http://tceq.com/implementation/barnettshale
Certain cities and towns have information on their websites, so if you haven’t already done so, please be sure to check with your local municipality for specific updates in your neighborhood. As always, Representative Parker is happy to help find the information you are looking for and can be reached at 972.724.8477 or 512.463.0688. You can also send him an email directly at tan.parker@house.state.tx.us.
