In the Dallas Morning News Big Scoop Blog, reporter Randy Lee Loftis reported minute by minute on the progress of the hearing:  

Commissioner Paul Ridley has moved to deny one of the three applications and said he will move against the other two.  “We do not have authority to grant them,” Ridley said. A state hearing on changing a park’s use hasn’t been held and there’s no city floodplain approval, he said. The Dallas Plan Commission, for a second time, has denied three gas drilling permits.  The commission is getting a standing ovation.”

            
               Speakers For Gas Drilling            Speakers Against Gas Drilling

After the vote, people who had stayed to the end of the hearing had many thoughts and emotions about the vote.  Claudia Meyer who is running for City Council in District 3 said that she was speechless, but when she reflected “It’s really wonderful – it validates the efforts of those against the drilling,”   Linda Cooke said that she was worried but “ I am glad they upheld the previous decision”  

“We won, oh my God we won” exclaimed Marie Tedei who was pleased “that it appeares that our voices were heard.”   Kristi Lara put it this way ‘ It’s a win for the peoples welfare before the profits of the corporations.”  Stan Pully qustioned “why was this even back?”   

Chris Guldi wondered if Thomas Blanton, CEO of Trinity East actually looks at himself as a hero and the other people cranks.  She would like to see if sides could talk without all the angst surrounding this controversy.

No one, not even Jim Shermbeck of Downwinders would venture a guess of how the vote was going to go.   After the vote, when asked the purpose the red paper he was holding in his hand, Zac Trehan of Texas Campaign for the Environment, showed what would have happened if the vote would have gone the other way.  He demonstrated a red sign saying "foul" and whistle that would have been employed in that case.


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