Rep. Tryon Lewis Files Bill To Protect Unincorporated Areas From Oil Drilling
By: Karl Rundgren
Updated: March 29, 2011
GARDENDALE -- Some residents from Gardendale are headed to Austin to push for changes to Texas drilling rights.
Since Gardendale is unincorporated, whoever owns the mineral rights to the land there can drill where they want. Residents there are frustrated about that policy, and it appears that lawmakers in Austin have noticed.
Representative Tryon Lewis has already filed a bill that would place new protections on people living in unincorporated areas. Several Gardendale residents are set to testify in support of that bill Wednesday in Austin.
Lewis drew up the bill after people from his staff attended a viewing of the movie Gasland in Gardendale.
Since Gardendale is unincorporated, whoever owns the mineral rights to the land there can drill where they want. Residents there are frustrated about that policy, and it appears that lawmakers in Austin have noticed.
Representative Tryon Lewis has already filed a bill that would place new protections on people living in unincorporated areas. Several Gardendale residents are set to testify in support of that bill Wednesday in Austin.
Lewis drew up the bill after people from his staff attended a viewing of the movie Gasland in Gardendale.
