PEARSALL, Texas – Hotels, restaurants, even places like welding shops are thriving due to the Eagle Ford shale area, but is there a price to pay for the economic boom?
On Thursday, a well site tank exploded just two miles south of Pearsall,
While that's not completely unusual, there were anxious moments nonetheless.
"It was a little disturbing," said Robert Gorhum, a local resident and dentist.
What may be more disturbing is traffic that the oil-rich area has produced -- in Pearsall and all throughout surrounding areas.
"Traffic has increased greatly," said Department of Public Safety Trooper Deon Cockrell.
So have fatalities, he said.
The trucks hauling oil field equipment have taken over the roads, Cockrell said.
It's especially a problem on the smaller county roads and in towns like Pearsall.
"They do whatever they want," said Chilo Torres, who pointed at a 35 mph sign in front of his business.
In order to try and slow the traffic down, DPS will be putting more officers on the roads in the Eagle Ford Shale area.