Caddo residents hope for resolution to persistent drilling problems

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — Oil and natural gas is one of the leading industries in Louisiana in terms of economic impact, taxes paid and people employed.

In Caddo Parish, some residents say drilling sites are getting closer and closer to their homes.

It generates a sound described as a landing airplane.

A sound some neighbors say keeps them up at night.

“It destroys the quality of your life, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Dixie Garden resident Connie Williamson said.

The multibillion-dollar industry is one that helps fuel much of Louisiana’s economy. That’s why some people say they’re willing to live with the drilling next door. But others say the drilling itself is not the issue but rather the way it’s affecting their day-to-day lives.

“It’s about the noise and the living conditions,” said Kenneth Brantley, of the Timberline Homeowners Association.

Based on data available on Louisiana’s website, there are 13 active drilling sites in Caddo Parish.

FOR HELP

If you have a complaint or concern, you can reach out to the Department of Natural Resources by calling (225) 342-0510 or sending email to dnrinfo@la.gov.

And based on previous reporting by KSLA’s Destinee Patterson, this is at least the third well to pop up in the Timberline neighborhood in the past year and a half.

“I can only assume that they just don’t think that it’s worth it to let the neighbors know what they’re doing,” Brantley said.

Williamson said: “I think there should be some kind of regulation about the noise.”

According to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, operators can pick where they set up shop. The state will have to approve their selection.

However, if the well is is closer than 500 feet to a home, the owner has the option to request a hearing. The commissioner’s office then decides whether the well can be placed there.

A spokesperson for the department said operators are expected to follow the urban drilling rule, which lays out a series of restrictions like work hours and noise levels.

Louisiana state Rep. Cedric Glover previously told Patterson that he was working to make changes at the state level.

“You end up with these very intense operations, and sometimes dangerous operations now being done within close proximity to where people live.”

Brantley said: “If they’re going to drill this close to the homes, you would think they would at least give us some respect.”

The DNR spokesperson told Patterson they have not had many complaints recently. But residents say they plan to take matters into their own hands if things don’t get better.

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