The Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC) completed the first part of the Noxxie Oil & Gas post-Harvey cleanup on Tuesday, 1/19/21, just hours after the operation started. TRRC contractors began early in the morning near the Forest Cove Townhomes on Marina Drive. By 11 a.m., they had removed the heater treater; begun dismantling two storage tanks; and loaded up rusted pipe and twisted scaffolding. Before the end of the day, they had scarified the site and cleaned up after themselves. Scarification involves cutting and removing debris by breaking up the surface of the soil.
Before, During, After Pictures
Here’s what the Marina Drive area looked like before, during and after the cleanup there.
Noxxe Tanks by townhomes in Forest Cove before cleanup.June 27, 2020.
Removal of Noxxe Tanks by townhomes in Forest Cove on Tuesday morning. 1/19/2021
Removal of Noxxe Tanks by townhomes in Forest Cove. 1/19/2021.
Removal of pipes at same location. 1/19/2021.
Cleanup complete of Noxxe Tanks by townhomes in Forest Cove. 1/20/2021.
Plugging of Old Wells Scheduled in Two Weeks
Two pump jacks near the tanks remain. TRRC plans to remove those and plug the wells with a separate crew in a couple weeks, depending on the crew’s availability. That crew was responding to an emergency involving a potential blowout with some wells near Corpus Christi this week.
One of two remaining pump jacks near the Forest Cove Townhomes.
By Wednesday morning, operations had shifted to the far larger portion of the Noxxe field south and east of the Forest Cove little league fields. Dean Southward, a TRRC spokesperson and project manager, estimates cleanup of that area will take approximately two weeks.
The wells on the eastern portion of Noxxe’s lease will be plugged at the same time as the others near Marina Drive.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/22/2021
1242 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20210119-DJI_0041.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2021-01-22 08:56:102021-01-22 19:15:56Railroad Commission Completes First Part of Noxxe Cleanup in Forest Cove Already
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has begun a three-month repair project on Taylor Gully near Maple Bend Drive in Kingwood’s Woodstream Forest. The repairs will extend 750 feet upstream and 1500 feet downstream of Maple Bend. The entire length of the project lies within a man-made channel and does NOT extend into the natural area on the northeast. See below.
Orange line indicates approximate extent of repair project.Image courtesy of Google Earth.Water flows toward the upper right.
This work activity will have no effect on wetlands; threatened or endangered species or their habitats; cultural or historic resources; or rookeries.
Looking upstream from Maple Bend. Photo taken 1/19/2021.
Looking downstream across Maple Bend bridge toward next phase of project, which will stop before the woods. Note outfall replacement pipe stored on right bank in distance. Photo taken 1/19/2021.
Purpose of Project
The purpose: to repair erosion and side-slope failures; repair or replace outfalls; rectify flowlines; and rehabilitate existing backslope swale systems.
Erosion repairs include the placement of fill material, placement of 3″x5″ granular fill and the placement of grade #1 riprap.
Channel cross sections will be restored to the original design where feasible.
The oldest recorded drawing on file is for the proposed channels from Elm Grove Village to White Oak Creek completed in March 1982. Record drawings typically show a 6-foot wide channel bottom with 3:1 side slopes.
Several homes in this neighborhood flooded during Imelda when water backed up into streets. While the rainfall amounts exceeded the capacity of storm drains, damaged outfalls could also have contributed to such backups. So restoring damaged outfalls will help reduce flood risk.
The earthwork will consist of installation of granular fill and Grade 1 riprap below the ordinary high-water mark. Sediment will be excavated to contour channel side slopes and bottom dimensions to match previously rectified conditions.
Start of side slope repairs. Photo taken 1/19/2021.
Previous Repair History
HCFCD record drawings show a general repair project on G103-80-03.1 in July 2012. According to HCFCD records, an emergency repair on the baffle structure on G103-80-03.1 was completed in October of 2019.
Baffle previously repaired after Imelda.Photo taken 1/19/2021.The structure required an emergency repair due to significant erosion and a rip-rap dam that had formed, severely blocking flow.
Such baffles slow the flow of stormwater to enable the channel downstream of the structure to drain efficiently, according to Beth Walters, a spokesperson for HCFCD.
Taylor Gully was twice severely damaged by excessive flow from Woodridge Village upstream at the Montgomery County Line in 2019. The new development flooded severely on May 7 and September 19 when sheet flow from heavy rains poured into the gully before Woodridge Village’s detention ponds were completed. This is the second major repair project since then. The first extended from the county line to near West Lake Houston Parkway.
Taylor Gully repairs from Maple Bend Bridge on 1/19/2021
Utility Crossings
Utilities along this reach of Taylor Gully (G103-80-03.1) include natural gas, telecommunication, electric, sanitary sewer and water. The CenterPoint gas line, telephone line, and water line all cross the channel at Maple Bend Drive. A 10” sanitary sewer line crosses the channel at the downstream end of the project.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/19/2021 with thanks to Beth Walters, Harris County Flood Control District
1239 Days since Hurricane Harveyand 488 since Imelda
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20210119-DJI_0050.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=19001200adminadmin2021-01-19 14:36:112021-02-28 18:06:05HCFCD Starts More Repairs on Taylor Gully
Dean Southward, a spokesperson for the Texas Railroad Commission, confirmed today that cleanup of the toxic mess left behind by Noxxe Oil & Gas near the West Fork in Forest Cove will begin tomorrow. Noxxe abandoned its lease after Harvey flooded the entire field, toppled tanks, and destroyed the stripper-well operation.
Photos Taken January 1, 2021, Before Start of Cleanup
Abandoned Noxxe well, rusting tanks and a toppled heater treater near Forest Cove Townhomes also destroyed by Harvey.Another portion of Noxxe’s field lies between the West Fork and the Forest Cove little league fields. The noxious stench of spilled crude could be smelled from the fields and surrounding homes.The Railroad Commission intends to plug all the abandoned wells.The site contains about twenty tanks which can be auctioned or cut up for scrap metal.Topless tanks without netting over them exposed area wildlife and bird to danger.Home or office on the lease, also destroyed by Harvey. The company also left behind at least two campers.Closer to the river, Noxxe left behind another well, a drilling rig, a communication tower and five more tanks, two of the toppled. Water on this site is suspect. Aerial photos taken after Harvey show oil swirling in the river.
Thanks for the cleanup go first and foremost to the Texas Railroad Commission, monitors more than 440,000 oil wells in the state. Thanks also go to State Representative Dan Huberty who helped accelerate the schedule once he became aware of the problem.
Noxxe may have a joke name – Exxon spelled backwards. But the mess left behind by the company is no laughing matter. Residents and kids who play baseball in Forest Cove will soon breathe a lot easier.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/18/2021
1238 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/20210101-RJR_4196-e1611006574753.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2021-01-18 15:41:452021-01-18 16:06:20Noxxe Oilfield Cleanup Starts Tomorrow in Forest Cove
Railroad Commission Completes First Part of Noxxe Cleanup in Forest Cove Already
The Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC) completed the first part of the Noxxie Oil & Gas post-Harvey cleanup on Tuesday, 1/19/21, just hours after the operation started. TRRC contractors began early in the morning near the Forest Cove Townhomes on Marina Drive. By 11 a.m., they had removed the heater treater; begun dismantling two storage tanks; and loaded up rusted pipe and twisted scaffolding. Before the end of the day, they had scarified the site and cleaned up after themselves. Scarification involves cutting and removing debris by breaking up the surface of the soil.
Before, During, After Pictures
Here’s what the Marina Drive area looked like before, during and after the cleanup there.
Plugging of Old Wells Scheduled in Two Weeks
Two pump jacks near the tanks remain. TRRC plans to remove those and plug the wells with a separate crew in a couple weeks, depending on the crew’s availability. That crew was responding to an emergency involving a potential blowout with some wells near Corpus Christi this week.
By Wednesday morning, operations had shifted to the far larger portion of the Noxxe field south and east of the Forest Cove little league fields. Dean Southward, a TRRC spokesperson and project manager, estimates cleanup of that area will take approximately two weeks.
The wells on the eastern portion of Noxxe’s lease will be plugged at the same time as the others near Marina Drive.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/22/2021
1242 Days since Hurricane Harvey
HCFCD Starts More Repairs on Taylor Gully
Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) has begun a three-month repair project on Taylor Gully near Maple Bend Drive in Kingwood’s Woodstream Forest. The repairs will extend 750 feet upstream and 1500 feet downstream of Maple Bend. The entire length of the project lies within a man-made channel and does NOT extend into the natural area on the northeast. See below.
This work activity will have no effect on wetlands; threatened or endangered species or their habitats; cultural or historic resources; or rookeries.
Purpose of Project
The purpose: to repair erosion and side-slope failures; repair or replace outfalls; rectify flowlines; and rehabilitate existing backslope swale systems.
Several homes in this neighborhood flooded during Imelda when water backed up into streets. While the rainfall amounts exceeded the capacity of storm drains, damaged outfalls could also have contributed to such backups. So restoring damaged outfalls will help reduce flood risk.
The earthwork will consist of installation of granular fill and Grade 1 riprap below the ordinary high-water mark. Sediment will be excavated to contour channel side slopes and bottom dimensions to match previously rectified conditions.
Previous Repair History
HCFCD record drawings show a general repair project on G103-80-03.1 in July 2012. According to HCFCD records, an emergency repair on the baffle structure on G103-80-03.1 was completed in October of 2019.
Such baffles slow the flow of stormwater to enable the channel downstream of the structure to drain efficiently, according to Beth Walters, a spokesperson for HCFCD.
Taylor Gully was twice severely damaged by excessive flow from Woodridge Village upstream at the Montgomery County Line in 2019. The new development flooded severely on May 7 and September 19 when sheet flow from heavy rains poured into the gully before Woodridge Village’s detention ponds were completed. This is the second major repair project since then. The first extended from the county line to near West Lake Houston Parkway.
Utility Crossings
Utilities along this reach of Taylor Gully (G103-80-03.1) include natural gas, telecommunication, electric, sanitary sewer and water. The CenterPoint gas line, telephone line, and water line all cross the channel at Maple Bend Drive. A 10” sanitary sewer line crosses the channel at the downstream end of the project.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/19/2021 with thanks to Beth Walters, Harris County Flood Control District
1239 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 488 since Imelda
Noxxe Oilfield Cleanup Starts Tomorrow in Forest Cove
Dean Southward, a spokesperson for the Texas Railroad Commission, confirmed today that cleanup of the toxic mess left behind by Noxxe Oil & Gas near the West Fork in Forest Cove will begin tomorrow. Noxxe abandoned its lease after Harvey flooded the entire field, toppled tanks, and destroyed the stripper-well operation.
The Railroad Commission tried unsuccessfully to get Noxxe to clean up the site for 2.5 years. After Noxxe declared bankruptcy in 2020, the Railroad Commission seized Noxxe’s remaining assets. Aerial photos show those include abandoned tanks, wells, pipe, vehicles, and more. Now the cleanup becomes their responsibility and it will be no small task. See below.
Photos Taken January 1, 2021, Before Start of Cleanup
Thanks for the cleanup go first and foremost to the Texas Railroad Commission, monitors more than 440,000 oil wells in the state. Thanks also go to State Representative Dan Huberty who helped accelerate the schedule once he became aware of the problem.
Noxxe may have a joke name – Exxon spelled backwards. But the mess left behind by the company is no laughing matter. Residents and kids who play baseball in Forest Cove will soon breathe a lot easier.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/18/2021
1238 Days since Hurricane Harvey
The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.