The natural gas industry’s booming development of the Fayetteville Shale play is taking a toll on county government and its ability to keep up with road repairs.
The five counties in the heart of the unconventional gas region include Faulkner, Conway, Van Buren, Cleburne, and White counties.
Rob Moritz with our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau, explores:
Conway County Judge Jimmy Hart, who is president of the County Judges Association of Arkansas, says county leaders in the area of the Fayetteville Shale play in the north and central parts of the state are “caught between a rock and a hard place.”
On the one hand they are embracing the natural gas drilling that is going on in their counties, he says. It’s bringing millions of dollars and jobs to the region at a time when many areas of the country are struggling financially.
On the flip side, he says, the hauling of large equipment used in the drilling to the remote sites is wreaking havoc on many of their rural roads, and county judges are reluctant to press the issue with natural gas companies for fear of making them mad.
Faulkner County Judge Preston Scroggin is working on a viable solution that he feels is a proper balance to meet gas company demand and county government concerns. Click here to read more.
