Well pad decision delayed
South Strabane Township supervisors delayed a vote on a Range Resources well pad on Kopper Kettle Road Tuesday because two board members were absent and a third said she would abstain from the vote on the Marcellus Shale company’s conditional-use application.
Supervisors Jack Keisling and Robert Koman did not attend the meeting, and Laynee Zipko told the board she would not vote because of a potential conflict of interest, leaving the board short of a majority necessary to approve any action.
Township solicitor Thomas Lonich recommended the board vote on the well pad at its Nov. 25 meeting, which falls within the 45 days supervisors have to vote on it following the conditional-use hearing about the proposed drilling operation held Oct. 28.
The company wants to drill five wells on the 80-acre parcel, with the option of drilling five more wells from that pad in the future. If approved, grading and construction could start later this year, with drilling to begin next October.
During Tuesday’s meeting, three township residents asked the supervisors to enact a Municipal Curative Amendment that would declare the township’s gas and oil well zoning ordinance invalid. If the township approves the curative amendment, it would have 180 days to investigate and prepare an amended gas and oil well ordinance.
Supervisor Ed Mazur asked Lonich to provide information to supervisors about whether Range Resources would be exempt from any changes in the ordinance should a curative amendment be approved.
Resident Ashley Moninger asked supervisors to consider hiring an outside consultant to write the township’s gas and oil ordinance and also told the board a request she submitted to Range Resources to have water tested on her property on Kopper Kettle Road has not been addressed.
Another resident, Paula Phyllis, asked supervisors to consider an amendment to the ordinance that would require a well site to be at least 1,000 feet away from homes, instead of the current 300 feet.
In another matter, supervisors approved a preliminary 2015 budget that keeps the real estate tax rate the same.
The $5.3 million preliminary budget includes a new police car and a public works truck.