SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Supervisors Brian Coppola of Robinson Township and Andrew Schrader of Cecil Township are leading a fight against the Marcellus Shale gas legislation before the General Assembly.

The two are talking to whoever will listen about what has happened in their townships, from natural gas exploration companies conducting work without property owner permission to drilling companies working without permits.

They met Wednesday with supervisors from six Western Pennsylvania townships to discuss legislation that would rule on imposing impact fees but also remove oversight power from local government.

Rich Grossman, owner of Rich Grossman Community Planning Consultant, helped organize the meeting. Also in attendance were John Hayden, Buffalo Township supervisor; Chris Anderson, planning and code enforcement officer for White Township in Indiana County; Barb Brown, zoning officer for Springfield Township, Mercer County; and Denton Lake and Herb Jankovich, both supervisors for Sandy Lake Township, Venango County.

House Bill 1950 was passed by the House in November and went to the Senate. It is in conference committee, where it can be voted on at any time. That conference vote will determine whether the bill is passed or defeated.

Some of the issues Schrader and Coppola said they want to see added to the regulation discussions are such things as water source protection, making sure wells aren’t placed in areas of future commercial and residential growth, density of wells and making sure wells and pipelines are built with public safety in mind.

“Both bills in the Legislature would remove local protections and place the state attorney general in the position of arbiter,” Coppola said. “We don’t think that’s the right way to go, and that power should remain on the local level.”

Both men recommended municipalities review their zoning or subdivision and land development ordinances to make sure they can withstand review by natural gas companies.

“First the companies come in and they love you and tell you how much everyone loves them,” Coppola said. “And then you tell them, that while you love them, they are going to have to follow the rules, and the next thing they’re going through your ordinances.

“Then their attorneys start attending your meetings,” Coppola said.

“And then there are the psychological operations guys,” Schrader said, mentioning that Range Resources have sent former Blackwater employees to township meetings. Coppola agreed that such men have attended his township meetings as well.

As for what is happening in the township, seismic testing is a problem that is high on the list, both men said.

Schrader stressed that seismic testing can cause roads, pipes and water sources to be destroyed, or even worse.

“In our township, there are a lot of old mines, and we had these companies coming in, drilling a hole down 15 to 20 feet, and dropping quarter sticks of dynamite regardless of what was under the ground,” he said.

Coppola added that most seismic crews will show up on weekends to do testing when it is harder to get in touch with government agencies and company officials.

Coppola said the Robinson Township zoning and code enforcement officers have had court orders to stop construction torn up and thrown in their faces.

“We’ve had to call the cops out on these guys, cause they just laugh at our zoning officers,” Coppola said, adding, “If that is their attitude now, what if this legislation is passed and we really have no power to regulate this industry in our municipalities.”

Coppola and Schrader recommended those concerned about the natural gas bill contact state Rep. Mike Turzai, R-28th, and state Sen. Joseph Scarnati, R-25th, as both are key to the vote on H.B. 1950.

Turzai is the House majority leader, and Scarnati is Senate president pro tempore, which is the Senate’s counterpart.

“The gas companies have done a very good job of getting everyone to concentrate on the money, the impact fee, instead of the regulations,” Coppola said. “We’ve suggested they just strip out the impact fee and vote on that if they like, but wait on the regulations until more of these issues can be addressed.”

Hayden said Thursday the meeting was very important to him and he carried the information back to the Buffalo Township Planning Commission Wednesday night.

“We’re looking right away at ordinances to oversee the seismic testing, but it looks like this bill will be going to a vote early next week, maybe as early as Monday, so people have to get the word out as fast as possible,” Hayden said.