The article, “Water Woes Persist” in the Sept. 8 edition of the Butler Eagle left out information crucial to the community's understanding of the issue. Families in The Woodlands have suffered without water for over 10 years, and Marcellus Outreach Butler has been an advocate from the beginning. It's time to correct the misconceptions and set the record straight.

The Woodlands, located in Connoquenessing Township, was originally founded as a resort for families from Pittsburgh to vacation during the summers. Cabins were built, mobile homes brought in, and vacationers took advantage of Spring Lake, a nearby popular swimming spot. Eventually the vacationers moved on, and The Woodlands became a residential community where those who couldn't afford homes in other developments could live and raise their families.

In 2010, Rex Energy began fracking near The Woodlands, and for many residents, the water quality deteriorated quickly. In fact, Dr. John Stolz of Duquesne University found strong evidence that nearby fracking operations destroyed previously good household water wells.After being abandoned by their local and state governments, some residents sued, but were ultimately forced to settle with Rex Energy before the company declared bankruptcy in 2018.The settlements, paid to eight families and totaling $159,000, imposed the all-too-common nondisclosure agreement enabling Rex to evade responsibility and hide its wrongdoing. As a result, those who settled with Rex Energy cannot say anything. But we can.Ten years later, White Oak Springs Presbyterian Church is still providing 30-60 families with 20-25 gallons of water for drinking and cooking each week.Many of these Butler County residents cannot even take showers with water from their wells.

According to Pennsylvania's legislation, drillers are required to pay fees of which “a significant portion of the funds collected will be distributed directly to local governments to cover the local impacts of drilling.”Butler County and Connoquenessing Township have received millions of dollars in impact fees, yet a community without water has received nothing. In fact, impact fee money was spent on repairs to Alameda Pool while county residents live without safe water. Yet, the County Commissioners and the Connoquenessing Township Supervisors seem to think helping The Woodlands families is unnecessary and in fact, Supervisor Terry Steinheiser suggests these residents want “everything for free.”

Supervisor Steinheiser's comment that affected families in The Woodlands want something for nothing is misleading. The offer for Rex Energy to provide a water line and pumping station couldn't be accepted and Rex and the Connoquenessing Supervisors had to know this. It was contingent on residents forming a community development association to complete the pipelines that would take water from the edge of The Woodlands to homes.This scenario had two major flaws. The first is that people who must depend on a community water bank for water to drink and cook with are not in a position to pay thousands of dollars into an association to lay pipelines from the edge of The Woodlands to their homes. What was not reported is the water line would originate in Lancaster Township and intersect with The Woodlands farthest away from most of the affected homes. How could residents pay for water lines? What bank would loan money to a homeowner when the collateral has no viable water supply?The other major obstacle was, as Dr. John Stolz discovered when researching the water wells in The Woodlands, not every household was affected due to the differing depths and location of their wells. People who still had access to clean free water had no incentive to join an association to tap into water lines. Many with good water would also resist any effort to run pipes through their land. But government intervention is not only necessary for The Woodlands residents, it is the moral thing to do.Who exactly is getting something for nothing here? Using Mr. Steinheiser's logic, Butler County and Connoquenessing Township are. While The Woodlands residents have been grievously impacted by fracking, local officials look down their noses at those who have paid the steepest price and callously divert the impact fees away from those who rightfully should have benefited, those who had impacts.

Butler County must recognize the impact that fracking has had on The Woodlands. In fact, Commissioner Geyer, when proposing to table a sheriff's sale of six parcels in the community, said, “It could be a public health issue if there is no running water and no public sanitation.” Exactly. And why is there no running water? Science points to Rex Energy.The residents of The Woodlands don't want something for nothing. They pay local taxes at a rate higher than other Connoquenessing Township residents since their neighborhood is still considered a resort. The also pay state and county taxes, and they deserve the same services as the rest of us. They deserve our compassion and more importantly, our help.If a thief broke into your house and stole something very valuable, wouldn't justice demand that the thief be required to either return your item or compensate you? If the thief were unable to compensate you but the state had a victim compensation fund, wouldn't it be appropriate that money from that fund be used to make you whole?After 10 long years, it is time for the impacted residents of The Woodlands to be made whole.It is time Butler County and Connoquenessing Township officials quit blaming the victims for the crimes of Rex Energy. It is time for The Woodlands residents to receive justice. Justice means restoring what was taken from them: their water and their dignity.<b>Marcellus Outreach Butler is an environmental organization that formed in November 2010.</b>