Judge rules: Mt. Pleasant Township gas pad hearing continued
Paul Battista, left, is among more than 100 supporters who packed the Monday hearing on the proposed Yonkers well pad, with dozens wearing shirts that read “Land Owners United” and holding “Yes to Gas” signs.
David Singer/Observer-Reporter Dozens in the crowd of nearly 150 supporters wore “Land Owners United” shirts as six residents who tried to gain legal standing in the hearing were denied status based on their location to the proposed Yonkers gas well pad just under a mile from Fort Cherry Schools.
HICKORY- No official vote was taken at a Monday conditional use hearing on the proposed Yonker gas well pad as a Washington County Court of Common Pleas judge ruled Mt. Pleasant Township authorities could not take action until PennFuture’s suit challenging township gas drilling ordinances is settled. The board has 45 days to take action on the proposed application barring any further court intervention.
President Judge Katherine Emery wrote in her Monday order the challenge from environmental nonprofit PennFuture about the township’s ordinances regulating drilling would be heard Aug. 29 during an injunction hearing and approval or denial of any gas drilling activity could not be made until the township’s ordinances are ruled upon.
PennFuture attorney George Jugovic Jr. sued Mt. Pleasant Township after the organization was granted intervenor status on behalf of several residents in July in matters concerning the zoning ordinances regulating where gas drilling can take place in the township. The challenge, filed May 27, said the township’s ordinances that were declared invalid in October 2013 because of Act 13 rulings never had a formalized curative amendment to allow or prohibit drilling. The current ordinance language allows oil and gas wells in all zoned areas under a conditional-use process.
Nearly 150 people, most in support of the well, packed into Hickory fire hall as expert witnesses for Range Resources testified about the proposed site less than a mile from Fort Cherry schools off Baker Road. Despite no action on the site plan, supervisors voted 2-0-1 to grant standing to one resident and deny the legal status to seven others based on their proximity to the well. Supervisor Brian Temple abstained citing a lease with Range Resources.
The sole resident granted standing was August Caleffe, of 32 Caleffe Road, which is off Fort Cherry Road. Caleffe said he was in support of the gas production site.
Tony Gaudlip, engineer for Range Resources, said the level of truck traffic would be about two to three a week to move produced natural gas after the first year, but that there would be up to 20 trucks a day during initial construction and production phases. Operations would run 24 hours a day during drilling.
Ian Simms, civil and environmental engineering manager for Range, said since 2007 the company has held a $250,000 blanket road bonding agreement with the township for 13 miles in the township. Simms said the roughly half-mile that would be used by trucks on Baker Road would be bonded through a supervening $12,500 per mile agreement.
Max Oravetz, security specialist for Range, said trucks would be staged in Smith Township and would be escorted from Route 18 to Route 50 to Fort Cherry and Baker roads.
“I coordinate with transportation directors at school districts so we’re not on the roads at the same time as school buses,” Oravetz said.
The site, which is 3,840 feet from Fort Cherry, could not be seen from the school property, according to Karl Matz, civil engineer for Range, nor could drilling or production activity be heard at the property, according to sound engineer Benjamin Dates. Matz said no wastewater impoundments would be maintained on-site; only a sediment pond for storm water retention.
George Yonker, property owner of the proposed site, said there’s no doubt his family would benefit from it, and there would be several other property owners who would benefit as well.
“I have seven grandchildren that I love more than life itself and I wouldn’t expose them to anything that would harm them and I would not move forward if that weren’t the case. It is only fearmongering that is driving opposition to this. … Since drilling has been going on, the municipal authority has received $1.5 million (because of impact fees). This well pad will help continue that,” Yonker said.