Robinson Township to vote on compressor station in September
David Singer/Observer-Reporter Erin Brockman, of Midway, speaks about being 1,000 feet away from the proposed natural gas compressor station in Robinson Township while a supporter holds a sign protesting the approval of a conditional use application from MarkWest.
David Singer/Observer-Reporter Robert McHale, of MarkWest, said the company has done everything to meet compliance with Robinson Township to approve a conditional use application for a compressor station off of Quicksilver Road.
David Singer/Observer-Reporter Brenda Vance, of Old Steubenville Pike, Bulger, holds up a map of Robinson Township showing the density of permitted, active wells (pink) as well as those that are permitted and yet to be built (orange).
Two votes Monday authorized the Robinson Township solicitor to gather all pertinent facts regarding the potential approval of a conditional-use plan for the township’s second natural gas compressor station.
No other action was taken on the plan at the conditional-use hearing. Supervisor Mark Brositz was absent. The board next meets Sept. 14.
MarkWest officials and neighboring residents testified on the second of two proposed natural gas compressor stations, which would be located north of Midway between Route 980 and on the east side of Quicksilver Road. MarkWest projects manager Robert McHale said the compressor station would run eight 5-kilowatt electric-powered engines.
“We’ve demonstrated for this board that we have met all compliances for applicable township ordinances. The township is now well within its rights to approve our application,” he said, explaining Gateway Engineers planned for projected light, noise and air pollution. But the air pollution question would ultimately be answered by Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, not the township.
MarkWest engineers and attorneys said they expect DEP to sign-off on an air emissions permit that was sent to the state regulatory agency.
Lisa Graves-Marcucci, a non-resident with the Environmental Integrity Project, told supervisors she intends to fight DEP approval of an air emissions permit because she said MarkWest is not sharing full projections of the scope or size of industrial activity in the area.
Karen Brockman, a Midway resident, said the proposed compressor station would be 1,000 feet from her home. She said Midway borough would be seeing “the brunt of any negative side effects from this operation.”
After the meeting, she said she organized a meeting with health professionals to speak with residents August 18 at a time and place to be determined.
Township engineer John Heyl said, with the exception of a waiver for a 26-foot retaining wall next to wetlands, MarkWest provided documented proof of compliance for all other aspects of the compressor station. The Robinson Township planning commission previously voted to recommend approval for the current version of the conditional-use application for the compressor station.