Residents voice anger over wells
FRANKLIN TWP — XTO Energy, over some people's objections, hopes to start constructing a well site on James Cratty's 90-acre Election House Road property as early as August.
Two unanimous votes by the Franklin Township supervisors Monday night opened that door: One vote approved “Ordinance 92,” which sets down the rules and regulations regarding oil and gas operations in the township. And the second vote approved XTO's land development plan.
But, according to at least one resident couple, “This isn't over.”
Bill and Mary Ann Meyer say they have the ways and means to sue to stop the drilling.
The Meyers were among a half dozen residents to speak against the proposed well pad during a public hearing session before the supervisors meeting, held inside the standing-room-only municipal building.
The people who spoke passionately told the supervisors they had concerns drilling would pollute the air and water, which could directly impact nearby Lake Arthur.
They also expressed concerns about increased truck traffic and crime and health risks to themselves and neighbors.
“People will die,” predicted Ron Tokarchik of Election House Road.
In addition to prepared statements, some of the two dozen attendees came armed with posters and a half-inch thick document entitled “Petition to Save Lake Arthur Watershed and Moraine State Park.”
The petition was signed, they said, by more than 2,500 people — admittedly not all residents — in the municipality with a population of 2,634, according to most recent U.S. Census data.
Not all of the people that were in attendance live in the township. And although only one speaker appeared to favor allowing drilling, a handful of other residents afterward said they support the activity but did not want to speak.All three supervisors after the meeting also declined to make statements.On the advice of solicitor Mike Hnath, Chairman Herman Bauer Jr. and supervisor Robert Thompson recused themselves from voting on the zoning ordinance because residents had questioned their impartiality. Both men have property leases with gas companies. Then, Hnath said because only one supervisor remained eligible to vote, all three — legally — could rejoin. All three then voted. And on request from the attendees made eye contact with the residents during the roll call.In the midst of the meeting, several officials from XTO, including regulatory coordinator Kevin Brucha and attorney Shawn Gallagher, held an open dialogue with the residents on what types of equipment and practices would be used at the Cratty property.The men said if all goes well construction will start in August, and drilling will begin no later than October. Although the pad could accommodate up to nine wells, the plan at first is to drill only one, they said.They also said they were working to put up a privacy fence for one resident, and made right-of-way arrangement with another to avoid routing trucks on the township's most heavily congested intersection.
At one point, Brucha even gave a resident a promise in writing that if her household water well was ruined by the drilling, the company would do what was needed to make sure she had good water.Still, after the meeting and discussions the concerned residents said they weren't wooed by the answers XTO provided.“When our grandchildren ask us what we did to stop the industrialization of rural Pennsylvania, we will be able to say we did everything humanly possible to stop it,” said Connie Fleeger. “You (supervisors) will only be able to say that you helped destroy this community because of your gullibility and lack of foresight.”
