Archive

Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source
Upper Burrell Planning Commission OKs Marcellus shale gas well off of Guyer Road; other approvals needed | TribLIVE.com
Valley News Dispatch

Upper Burrell Planning Commission OKs Marcellus shale gas well off of Guyer Road; other approvals needed

The bouncing ball that is gas well drilling in Upper Burrell is headed back into the township supervisors' court.

By a 3-1 vote with one member recusing himself, the Upper Burrell Planning Commission voted Tuesday to recommend a conditional use permit for the Marcellus shale gas well operation proposed by Huntley and Huntley.

The Zeus natural gas well involves drilling four hydraulically fractured wells on a 4-acre gravel pad. It is proposed for property off Guyer Road owned by Kenneth Slahtovsky.

Slahtovsky also is a member of the planning commission, so he recused himself from voting on the recommendation to avoid a conflict of interest.

Instead, commission members Thomas O'Brien, George Richard and Rick Ryan voted to recommend to the township supervisors that the conditional use be approved. Leon Yurkin voted against.

About 40 people attended the meeting.

Opponents of fracked gas wells, led by activist and township resident Ron Slabe, argued that the commission should delay making a decision because of pending court decisions regarding conditional uses for drilling in residential areas.

The Zeus drilling operation would be in a residential/agricultural (RA) zone of the township in which township supervisors changed the ordinances to allow for drilling as a conditional use.

Blaine Lucas, the attorney representing Huntley and Huntley, said the Westmore­land County courts have already ruled that it is permissible under the township ordinances.

Slabe countered that the decision is under review by Commonwealth Court.

“To put a heavily industrialized process like this in a residential area is an incompatible use,” Slabe contended.

The Zeus opponents seized on comments from township engineer Dave Kerchner of Bankson Engineers in trying to persuade the commission to delay its recommendation.

Kerchner said that not all of the requirements on a list given to Huntley and Huntley had been met regarding the site plan.

He said that included items such as acquiring road occupancy permits that involve posting bonds to cover damage from heavy vehicles, acquiring a driveway permit and providing a report from a geotechnical engineer because on-site grading exceeds township limits.

However, Kerchner said all of that is separate from the issue of recommending a conditional use permit.

“My review was strictly related to the site plan review by the township supervisors,” he said.

Lucas said township residents can still voice their objections at a public hearing that the township supervisors will be required to hold before final approval of the proposal.

“What is the law and how do we interpret it? That's the question we have right now,” O'Brien, the commission chairman, said before calling for the vote. “The supervisors have the right to approve or reject based on what we have now.”

Tom Yerace is a freelance writer.