Environmental group challenges Mt. Pleasant drilling ordinances
The environmental nonprofit group Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future filed a legal challenge to Mt. Pleasant Township’s ordinances allowing gas drilling across all zoning districts.
PennFuture’s May 27 filing sent to the zoning hearing board argues chapter 200 of ordinance 105 that was enacted by the township in 2006 but declared invalid in October 2013 never had a curative amendment to make up the void in language.
The current ordinance allows for oil and gas wells in all seven zoned districts under a conditional-use process.
The planning commission and board of supervisors each considered curative amendments on Jan. 8, Feb. 3 and Feb. 26 in 2014, but never enacted a curative amendment nor affirmed validity of the ordinance, according to the filing. PennFuture demands in the filing that the township hold hearings to remedy the situation, but in the meantime calls on supervisors to “halt all consideration of conditional-use or other permits for industrial gas development.”
PennFuture attorney George Jugovic Jr. said members “have twice fought applications for well pads to be located within a mile of the Fort Cherry (school district).”
Township manager Erin Sakalik said they received notice of the filing. Zoning hearing board solicitor Timothy Berggren was not available for comment.
PennFuture spokeswoman Lauren Fraley said the organization has not filed anything in court, but that the notice and outlined filing serves as a valid legal challenge for the zoning hearing board to respond to before a potential challenge in Washington County Court of Common Pleas.